Love Makes Us One (Part 2 of Four Makes One) Ronnie's Story(Completed)

Chapter 21 - Just When I thought it Was Over

Ronnie

When I pick up the girls today, Amy comes out looking sad and Meg is holding her hand.

"What happened?" I ask when they reach me.

Amy hands me a note. I look at it and it's a flyer for a father/daughter dance the week after next. I look back at her and she's silently crying. Meg is hugging her at this point.

"I don't have a father to take me so I can't go," my poor baby is miserable.

I squat down and hug her and Meg together since Meg still has her arms around her. I feel for my little one.

"You'll be able to go to the dance. Any one of your uncles will be happy to take you," I soothe.

"They aren't my father. It won't work." Her body is shaking with her sobs now.

I realize that we are still at the school and take them to the car, getting them settled inside, "We'll talk about this when we get home, okay?" They both nod and I notice that Meg holds her hand all the way home. I love that Amy has someone close to her who loves her so much. She's sniffling and I hurry a little faster so that I can hug her again. My poor baby is despondent.

We finally make it home and inside. I pull Amy into my lap and hug her as the sobs shake her small body. When she finishes crying, I give her one last quick hug and pull back a little to look in to her eyes, "Pumpkin, one of your uncles will be more than happy to take you. Haven't they been like your dads?"

"Y-yes," she sniffles.

"Then you can ask one of them later. I'm sure they wouldn't miss this for anything," I cajole.

She nods and I feel Meg move closer than she already is to me. I put an arm around her and pull her to me. Her arm goes around the back of my waist and the other one reaches to grab Amy's hand.

"Mommy, where's my daddy?" Amy asks. Damn.

I close my eyes for a second as I come up with the best answer for her, "Your father wasn't able to take care of you, so he left. He'd rather not be around if he couldn't take care of you."

"Did you love him?" she asks.

"I did. But sometimes things beyond your control happens and your life goes in different directions, which you can't manage. This was one of those times," I rub her back. I really hope this answer is good enough for her.

She leans into my shoulder, "Mommy?"

"Yes."

"I'm glad you're my mommy. I love you." Her free hand goes around my neck. We stay like that for a while until Solomon walks inside the room.

"What happened?" He takes in our position and looks at all of us individually.

Meg jumps up out of her seat and runs over to him giving him a big hug, "Hi daddy. There's a father/daughter dance the week after next and Amy doesn't have a daddy to take her. Will you take her with us?"

Solomon's about to answer when Amy interrupts, "No. You take your daddy. You shouldn't have to share him with me."

He takes Meg's hand and they hurry over. Then he squats in front of us, "Amy, I would be proud to take you along with Meg. I consider you my daughter too." He softly wipes a lingering tear from her face.

"I know, but I want Meg to have you all to herself that night. I'll have one of my uncles to take me." She leans forward in my lap and gives him a hug.