Alice rushed in and hugged them as well.She had been listening outside the door.
“I owe her a spa day,” Marshall said.
“A spa day?”he asked.
“Oh, I bet him that you had come to ask for Joey’s hand in marriage.”
He looked toward Alice.“You knew?”
“Of course I knew.I am her mother, and there is no way you’re going to be able to keep that kind of secret from me.”
She winked at him.“But now, you’ve got to go and propose to Joey.”
He had thought that was going to be the easy part, but in fact, that might be the hardest part of all.
Axel didn’t stay behind and talk with Marshall and Alice.He had their blessing, and now it was about getting everything in motion.
Pulling out his cell phone, he dialed Ashley’s number.
“I need to know if Joey would like elaborate or private?”Axel asked.
This was real freaking important.
****
“So, I’ve, um, got somethingI want to show you,” Axel said.
Joey was nervous.She had stored the pregnancy test in her bag and sworn Ashley to secrecy, but she knew there would come a time she was going to need to tell Axel.
He had picked them up at the coffee shop, and rather than go to her place, they had come to Axel’s.Dinner was already cooking in a Crock-Pot, and Axel had wanted to take them upstairs to show them something.
Joey didn’t have a clue what could possibly be upstairs, but she followed behind Adeline and Axel.They turned to the right and took a few steps toward one of the spare bedrooms, and when he opened the first door and flicked on the light, Joey was shocked.It was a bedroom that looked so much like Adeline’s room at her house.
Adeline gasped.
“I wanted you to know that you’re welcome to stay here whenever you want.My house is your house.”
Adeline rushed toward the bed, threw herself on it, then she started to jump up and down on the bed.
“Sweetheart, be careful.”
“Mom, this is amazing.”
She smiled at Adeline.It was so sweet of him, that she couldn’t deny it.Axel did think of everything.
He smiled at Adeline.
He moved toward the far door and opened it.“I also took the liberty of hanging up a few of your ...treasures.”
“They’re beautiful,” she said, rushing toward the closet.
With them dividing their time between her place and his, some of their clothes had been left behind.She knew Adeline missed her home, but she also loved staying in Axel’s place as well.
“You really did think of everything,” Joey said.
“So, I am going to leave you to, you know, enjoy your room.Dinner will be soon, and I’ll call you,” Axel asked.
Joey was pretty sure her daughter and Axel were sharing a knowing look.She wasn’t quite sure how she knew this, but it was the way they looked at one another.
