Emma bursts out laughing, her whole body shaking. "No! What did you do?"
"I was in shock. Just staring at my ruined car while Samantha looked up at me with those big baby eyes."
"It was everywhere," I continue, laughing at the ridiculousness of it. "And the smell—my God, the smell. I got that car detailed seven different times after that. Had the entire back seat professionally treated. Nothing worked. Eventually, the smell kind of went away but, even the day I traded it in years later, I could still kind of smell it."
"You're kidding!" Emma is full-on laughing now, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.”
I wish I were.”
“We’ll just have to make sure that doesn’t happen again,” she says.
“Yeah, believe me, it’s not pretty.”
Emma wrinkles up her nose and then sighs again as I rub another knotted-up spot on her foot.
“I can’t wait for all the furniture to show up. It’s going to look amazing,” she says.
“We picked some beautiful pieces,” I reply.
"They're going to transform the space completely," Emma says, her eyes bright with enthusiasm.
"I'm excited to live with you. To make your place our place."
I feel my heart swell at her words. "Really?"
“Absolutely.” She smiles, a hint of wonder in her expression. "If you had told me a year ago that I'd be pregnant with twins, moving in with a man who—" she pauses, searching for the right words, "who challenges everything I thought I wanted, I would have said you were crazy."
"And now?" I hold my breath, waiting for her answer.
"Now I can't imagine it any other way." Her voice softens. "I never thought I'd want this kind of life, you know? I was so determined to prove I could make it completely on my own. But this—us—it feels right in a way I never expected."
My chest tightens with emotion. "I feel the same way."
Emma's expression shifts slightly, a shadow crossing her features. "I just wish my dad could see that. Could understand how happy we are."
I resume massaging her feet, giving her the space to continue.
"I keep checking my phone, hoping he might text or call," she admits. "It's stupid, I know. After everything he said..."
"It's not stupid," I tell her. “He’s your dad. You want him to be there for you.”
"I just keep thinking that maybe when the twins are born, he might change his mind," Emma says, her voice soft but hopeful. "When he sees his grandchildren, his actual flesh and blood...how can he not feel something? Even if he's still angry with us, I can't imagine him turning his back on innocent babies."
I consider her words carefully. David's rage was nuclear when he discovered our relationship, but Emma's right—there's got to be something transformative about seeing your own grandchildren for the first time.
"I think you might be right," I tell her, gently massaging her ankles now. "David's stubborn, but he's not heartless. And these kids—" I rest my hand on her belly, feeling a flutter of movement beneath my palm, "—they're going to be pretty hard to resist."
Emma places her hand over mine. "You really think so? You're not just saying that to make me feel better?"
"Your dad is prideful and set in his ways, but family has always mattered to him. It might take time, but I believe he'll come around eventually."
Her eyes shine with unshed tears, but they're hopeful tears now. "I want them to know their grandfather. I want him to be part of their lives."
"Then we'll keep the door open," I promise. "No matter how long it takes."
Chapter 28
Grant
