Onyx leaned in a little when he noticed my voice was lower because I didn’t want anyone else to hear me.
“How do you balance work and family?”
Being a firefighter was demanding as well, but from what I saw, Onyx and Maverick seemed to be handling it well. I could have asked Maverick since she was a doctor as well, but I wanted another man’s opinion.
“My family means everything to me. When work is done, or even when I can’t work anymore, I have my family. I will do whatever I need to do to make sure they are good. Maverick and I also have conversations and check-ins. We also make time for each other.” He looked over at his kids playing, then at his wife.When she noticed him looking, a smile spread across her face as he winked.
“That’s basically the same thing my pops told me. I’ve been making it work as best as I can. I just wondered if I could do more. I know my wife wants a child of her own, and I want to give her that, but I never want to make her feel like a single mother.”
“And you won’t. You’ll do what you have to, to make sure of that.”
All of a sudden, I saw Mikayla climb out of the ball pit and run toward me.
“Daddy, play.” She grabbed my hand, but my heart stopped.
She tried to pull me up, but I couldn’t move. That was the first time she called me that, and it made me emotional. My eyes watered as I looked up at Janiyah, who had come over to us.
“Did she just say daddy?” Tears fell from Janiyah’s eyes as they fell from mine.
I nodded because I couldn’t speak over the lump in my throat.
“No cry, Daddy.” Mikayla climbed into my lap, and I broke down as I held her against me.
Onyx got up and went to his wife as Janiyah sat next to me. She put her head on my shoulder and wrapped her arm around Mikayla and me.
“Are you okay, baby?” she whispered.
“I am. I’m better than okay. I can’t believe she said that.”
“I can, because you do everything a father would do. No matter how this all came about, you are her father.”
Everyone else around us was talking among themselves, but I knew they were listening and watching. Not to be nosy, but because this was a pivotal moment for us—for me. My parents knew the hesitation I had at the beginning of this, but to see how things were now was full circle.
I kissed Janiyah on the top of her head, then put my arm around her.
“You are just as much as her mother as I am her father. I love you.” I kissed her again.
I spotted my mom across the room taking pictures of us. When I looked at Onyx and his family, he nodded at me.
Mikayla would know who her real father was once she was old enough to understand, but for now and until the day I was no longer on Earth, it would be my honor to be her daddy.
The day had started out great, from the moment I opened my eyes to find my husband devouring me, to breakfast in bed. I even got to sleep in since Mikayla stayed the night with Arsel’s parents.
I’d taken advantage of having help, and I utilized our families to get my book finished. It felt good to have another project complete, and I couldn’t wait to hear the feedback from the editor and the proofreader. I would take a break for a couple of weeks to spend some time with Mikayla and Arsel and to give my brain a break before I started something else. Financially, I was comfortable, so I didn’t have to release as much as I did in the past, but I didn’t want to take too long of a break either.
After Arsel served me breakfast in bed, I showered and got ready for the day. I wasn’t sure what Arsel had planned, but he told me to get dressed because we had plans. I didn’t even bother asking questions. I was just happy about us doing something together.
It had been a couple of weeks since Mikayla’s birthday party, and she’d been calling Arsel daddy since then. Every time she said it, the biggest smile would fill Arsel’s face. Some days I couldn’t believe how much Arsel had changed since then. He really took his role seriously when it came to Mikayla. She randomly called me Mommy a few days ago, and I cried like a baby. I loved it, and I was thankful that she felt comfortable enough with us to know our roles in her life.
“You ready for your first gift?” Arsel asked as he stepped into our bedroom.
“First? There’s multiple gifts?”
I watched him as he walked toward me as I sat on the side of the bed. He bent down and placed his hands on my knees. I could smell the mint of his toothpaste. It looked like he left to get a haircut while I got dressed. He smiled at me, then kissed my lips.
“Yes.” He kissed me again. “You have a few gifts.” Another kiss.
“What are we celebrating?”
