Page 106 of More Than Friends

“This shouldn’t be allowed,” I mutter, staring at my daughter in her bright pink birthday hat.

“Right?” Charlotte echoes with her camera in front of her face. “I cried the entire time I was getting this set up.”

We stand in the brand-new studio Charlotte just began renting. It’s on one of the busiest streets here in the Hamptons, and she’s going to be turning the former boutique into the photography studio of her dreams. I’m so proud of her for finally making this dream a reality. I know she first moved to the Hamptons with the dream of eventually opening up a photography business here, and she’s done it. She saved all the money from working at Pembroke and finally took the leap of faith and signed a one-year lease for the space we stand in. It needs some work to convert it from its previous function as a retail store, but I’m excited to see what she does with the place, and I’m ready to help her however I’m needed. I’m so damn proud of her for all of the hard work she’s put into this and I can’t wait to see her new business flourish.

Ava sits in a white high chair with a pink birthday banner strung behind her. It felt right that the very first session at Charlotte’s new studio would be Ava’s first birthday pictures.Her birthday isn’t technically for a month, but we’re getting the photos done now so we can send them out as invitations.

“How is our baby girl going to be one?” I mutter, staring at our daughter. She sits in her high chair, cautiously looking at the pink cake in front of her that she refuses to touch.

Charlotte puts the camera down for a moment and looks at me, her eyes glassing over slightly. “I don’t want to talk about it,” she tells me before shaking her head. “It seems like just yesterday when she came into our lives. Where did the time go?”

I shrug because I don’t know where the time went either. It feels like Karina was just dropping Ava off with me yesterday, but in reality, that was over six months ago.

The last six months have been the best of my life, and they’ve passed all too quickly.

Memories of the last six months race through my mind in a blur.

We spent the summer in the Hamptons with our closest friends and family. After Charlotte’s family visited from Arizona, my parents and Charlotte’s parents quickly became best friends. They even went on vacation together in Colorado in the fall. Last summer was a perfect bubble where I got to spend all my time with my girls and the people I love most.

Charlotte never moved out, even when her previous landlord begged her to take over the rental again in the off-season. We split our time between the Hamptons and Manhattan. My work schedule has been busier than ever. Kensington Corporation has been expanding into many new markets and my dad’s allowed me to take the helm on all of it. It’s kept me busy, but I’ve made sure to never let work get in the way of spending time with my girls. We spent weekends in the Hamptons when Charlotte had to work and moved our schedules around to be in Manhattan if I had to report to Kensington Corporation’s headquarters. We’vemade it work without jeopardizing any family time and I’m proud of us.

At the end of the summer, Ava officially became mine. Karina stuck to her word and signed all of the parental rights to me. We got to celebrate the victory by going to Italy for Lucy and Cal’s wedding. It was Charlotte’s first time in Italy and Ava’s first real trip ever, and we had the trip of a lifetime together.

Over the last six months, I’ve fallen even more in love with Charlotte each day. She has both me—and my daughter—wrapped around her finger. It was in the little moments where we had spa nights and she convinced me to do a face mask with her or asked me to paint her toes. Or in the times when I woke up in the middle of the night to an empty bed, only to find that she was fast asleep after she’d crawled into Ava’s crib with her. Or when Charlotte threw a half-birthday party for Ava because she felt that every milestone should be celebrated together as a family. There were tons of little moments—and big ones—that made me fall even more in love with Charlotte.

I’m so in love with her that I’m planning to propose to her sometime this summer. I’m working with Lucy to figure out the perfect time and somehow trying to make it a surprise for Charlotte, even though she’s impossible to surprise. I would’ve proposed to her sooner, but Charlotte’s insisted that we should at least be in a relationship for a year before getting engaged. As soon as we hit that year mark this summer, I’ll be popping the question. I don’t want to wait any longer to put a ring on her finger.

“C’mon, just put your finger in it. I promise it’s yummy,” Charlotte coaxes, stepping forward and attempting to push Ava’s hand into the frosting.

Ava immediately lets out a cry of protest.

Charlotte and I both laugh. Ava never likes to be messy, and we knew she might not be into the smash cake for herfirst birthday, but Charlotte was insistent we needed the photos anyway.

Charlotte dips her finger into the pink frosting and holds it up to Ava’s mouth. Ava stares at Charlotte curiously.

“Taste it,” Char tells her, pushing her finger a little closer. Ava stares a little bit longer before she finally opens her mouth.

The moment the icing hits her tongue, her entire face lights up.

“Oh my God,” Charlotte mutters, a radiant smile on her face.

Deciding she actually does like frosting, Ava takes us both by surprise—instead of putting her hands in the cake and eating, she just leans down and takes a bite out of it.

“Ava!” we both say in unison, followed by laughter.

Charlotte immediately grabs her camera, and the familiar sound of clicking fills the space as Ava sticks her entire face in the smash cake.

“This is so good.” Charlotte laughs, continuing to take photo after photo of our daughter.

I watch, unable to wipe the smile from my face. It’s really sad to think about how little Ava was when she first came into my life and how big she is now. She says words—my favorite beingDada,of course—and crawls everywhere and will be walking any day now. Her cheeks aren’t as round as they used to be, and the giant bows that used to be as big as her face don’t look so big on her. She has little opinions and loves to snuggle and suddenly hates the car, and it’s bittersweet to think of how quickly time has passed and how big she’s gotten.

“Nice job, baby girl,” I marvel. Ava still completely buries her face in the cake. You’d never know that moments ago, she didn’t even want to touch it.

Charlotte continues to get all the pictures she needs as Ava chows down on the cake. Eventually, she decides she’s all done, and she pushes the cake off the high chair and lifts her arms up.

“Mama,” she declares, making it known she wants Charlotte to pick her up.

Charlotte gasps and it feels like my heart takes flight from inside my chest.