My heart grew wings at the sight. He seemed good with all children, but when it came to June and Paul, he had an extra level of interest, and I wondered if he felt what I felt deep down in my soul. What God had nudged to me in the operating room when I’d given birth.
That my children would behischildren one day.
It was too heavy a thought to think about right now. I hadn’t even gone on a date with the man.
“They’ll love those,” I told him, unable to keep the smile off my face.
He grinned right back at me, and we were just stuck in a stare, smiling at each other.
“I like all versions of you, Ella, but this one might be my favorite.”
I inwardly swooned at his words. “Awe? Not the one who wore pajamas for months and slammed the door in your face when you tried to do a kindness and chop wood for me?” I joked.
But his face took on a serious look. “I liked that one, too, but I didn’t like seeing her in pain.”
I nodded, reaching out to grasp his fingers and squeeze. “I’m not in pain anymore,” I told him.
He threaded his fingers through mine, and it all felt so effortless, like we were always meant to be holding hands this way. Like God had designed it.
The cab pulled up to my mom’s house, and I wassnapped from my trance. Jaqueline was in the garden with June Bug and Paulie.
After paying for the taxi, Seth grabbed his bag and stepped in through the white fence behind me. Jaqueline greeted us and then said she had to step inside to check on lunch, and I watched as Seth grew misty-eyed looking at the twins.
He kneeled on one knee and held out the two cows. “Hey, I have something for you.”
I had video-chatted with Seth and Maggie a few times, but I doubted they remembered him. They were in that shy stranger-danger phase, and Paulie crawled right to me and hugged my legs as if seeking shelter from the scary, tall man.
Seth laughed.
But June. She cocked her head to the side as if concentrating hard. Then she waddled unsteadily over to Seth, and his face lit up. He held the toy out to her, but she bypassed it and opened her arms, hugging him.
A small sob escaped my throat. The moment was so beautiful andsounlike June.
I saw tears fill Seth’s eyes, and he reached down and picked June up, holding her closely. She rested her head on his shoulder, and I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing.
June was my shy one, and Paulie was wild. But both were afraid of people they had never met. I stood there frozen for a moment, not wanting to break up whatever this was. He finally set her down, pure joy on his face as he handed her the stuffed cow, which she greedily took and hugged.
“Hi, June. I’m Seth,” he told her. “I met you the dayyou were born.”
She gave him a gummy smile and then looked at me, pointing to me with her chubby finger.
“Ma-ma,” she said.
I gasped, and Seth looked at me with shock.
“Was that her first time saying that?” he asked.
I nodded, crouching down as June walked over to me.
“Mama. Yes, I’m your mama.”
I couldn’t believe it. I’d been trying to get the twins to say mama for weeks, and she just did it the second Seth got here.
“You’re good luck,” I told him.
He was looking at me with a twinkle in his eye. “Will you go on a date with me? Here in Paris.”
I didn’t even need to think about my answer.
