Pieces Of Us - Until I Find You Again // Book Two

Chapter 27

I finished buckling Lucy's shoe, setting her foot against the bed gently as I clapped my hands for her to give me her other foot.  She looked quite adorable in her little sundress.  We'd picked it out together this morning while Emily got ready in my bathroom.  Lucy flopped her other foot into my hand and giggled.  I shook my head,

"What are you laughin' at young lady?"

"You're funny, Daddy."

I nodded, finishing her other shoe.  I looked up at her,

"You remember what we talked about?"

She nodded, sliding down off the bed.  Her skirt flipped up to show her underwear as she did so,

"Best behavior."

I nodded, pulling her skirt down,

"Let's keep the flashing to a minimum today.  Don't give your mum any reason to be stressed out?  Ok?"  Lucy nodded and gave me a fist bump.  I lifted my hand to her blonde curls as I stood up, "Go sit on the couch and don't get dirty ok?  I'm gonna grab Noah and then we're outta here."

Lucy nodded and ran out into the front room.

I sighed, shaking my head as I walked out of her room and towards Noah's room.  He was standing in his crib, holding onto the railing as a huge smile stretched across his face when he saw me.  I smiled,

"Hey there, Lil Man.  Thanks for stayin' clean.  You look like a right little gentleman, your mum will be proud."

I grabbed him out of his crib and kissed the side of his head as he grabbed at my curls.  I checked to make sure Lucy had done what I asked.  God love her, she was sitting on the couch, reading through one of her books while singing at the top of her lungs.  That's my girl.

I walked into my room.  Emily was standing in the bathroom, trying to latch a necklace around her neck.  I could easily see she was nervous and unable to get it on.  She was all thumbs.  I set Noah on the bed and jogged towards her,

"Lemme do that."

She passed the necklace to me which I latched on the first try.  I put my hands on her shoulders and kissed the back of her head,

"Relax."  I whispered. 

She had been on edge since last night.  I could tell she was getting more and more nervous as the time for us to meet her parents got closer.  I knew they would instantly fall in love with their grandchildren so the only thing I could think of for why she was seemingly so scared was what they would think of me. 

Did they know what I'd done?  If they watched the news just like everyone else in the world did, there was no way they didn't know.  I would just need to convince them that I was in love with their daughter.  I'd convinced Em I was, how hard could her parents be?

"It's gonna be ok."

She looked down at the bathroom counter,

"I keep telling myself that.  I wish it would stick."

I turned her around to face me,

"Look, you already had a meal with them, right?  And it went fine.  What's to be nervous about then?"

She looked up at me and I knew then that they were well aware of my extracurricular activity,

"You know what's to be nervous about."  She whispered.

I slid my hands onto her shoulders,

"Em, that's not yours to deal with.  It's mine.  I did it.  I'll own it."