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"Baby, why don't you take a break?"
Rowan frowns, his hands drawing back from his project. "But it has to be perfect, Dessa," he says, trying it again, but when he does, the flowers don't stick and float down onto the coffee table.
"I know, but they're not sticking, and you're getting frustrated, come outside for a bit, mostly everyone's here,"
He makes a disapproving sound but gets up. He's been trying to make our daughter a flower crown for the past hour to no avail. It was hurting to watch his face flood with disappointment every time a flower fell off.
"Where's my princess?" he asks, walking out of the sliding door.
"Daddy!" Rowan kneels before our daughter, Alina, can crash into him. She giggles as he throws her into the air, then smacks a kiss onto her cheek. I smile at the interaction.
Rowan and I had Alina just a year after we graduated from college. It was completely unplanned after one night when Uncle Cal dragged the family to a bar to celebrate us graduating and my official takeover as the leader of the Russian mafia and the queen of the underworld and we let the alcohol influence us but I wouldn't take it back for anything.
Especially during our gender reveal when we found out it was a girl, Rowan ran down the entire block, screaming he was going to be a girl dad. I laughed so hard, my water broke right then and there. No one told me child birth was so fucking painful though.
I feel an arm around my shoulder and look up at my dad. "Hi,"
"Hi," he kisses my cheek. "How's everything?"
"Good, I'm managing better than I thought I would, you didn't mention it'd be this easy,"
"Only you would think that," he says, shaking his head. Ever since he handed the leader position down to me, he's been more hands on with mom and Devon, my little brother, and the newest addition to the Harris family that was added a few months after I left for college. He still helps when I absolutely need it though.
"I'm proud of you," he mumbles. "I didn't get to watch you grow up but watching you go from the kid you were when I first found you to the woman you are now, it feels like a different kind of experience to get to watch that,"
"Stop it, don't make me cry,"
He laughs, squeezing me tighter. His arms loosen but I keep my arms around his waist, burying my face into his shoulder. "Seriously, thank you for saving me,"
"I'd do it again in a heartbeat, I love you,"
"I love you too, dad,"
"What about me? No love for mom?" Mom slips under dad's arm with a teasing smile. I shake my head and stretch my arm to bring her into the hug. "You know I love you too,"
"Of course, I just wanted to hear it,"
"I want a hug too!" Devon crashes into the back of my legs. He giggles, bouncing on his toes. I scoop him up and tickle his stomach. His legs kick as he squeals and tries to push my hands away.
