Page 139 of Made for Wilde

“Got a minute?”

Koda’s eyes meet mine with a silent question.

I nod slightly and encourage him to go. Whatever needs to be said between them, it’s time.

They step outside the room, just visible through the partially open door. I can’t hear what’s being said, but I watch as my father speaks earnestly. His hand eventually comes to rest on Koda’s shoulder. Koda nods and says something that makes Dad’s expression soften completely.

Then, in a move that takes my breath away, my father pulls Koda into a fierce embrace.

Twenty years of friendship.

Eight months of betrayal and anger.

And now, reconciliation.

“Would you look at that,” Dana murmurs. She follows my gaze while expertly cradling Elaine. “Miracles do happen.”

I blink back tears and watch the two men who mean everything to me finally heal the rift that my choices created.

When they return to the room, something has changed. The last remnants of tension have disappeared and are replaced by the easy camaraderie they’ve shared since before I was born.

“Everything okay?” I ask as Koda returns to my side.

He nods. A small smile plays at the corners of his mouth.

“Everything’s perfect.”

Dana reluctantly surrenders Elaine back to Dad, who cradles her with growing confidence.

“Your mother would be so proud of you, sweetheart,” he says. He looks up from Elaine’s face to mine. “So proud of the woman you’ve become, the mother you’ll be.”

The mention of my mother sends a pang through my heart. Bittersweet rather than painful.

I wish she could be here to meet her granddaughter, to see me graduate, to know the man I’ve chosen to build my life with. But in a way, she is here, in the name we’ve given our daughter.

“I think it’s time to give Mom and Dad some time alone with this little angel,” Dana says. Her intuition is perfect as always. She kisses my cheek, then Elaine’s forehead, before gathering her purse. “I’ll be back tomorrow with actual food. Hospital cuisine isn’t fit for new mothers.”

Dad carefully places Elaine back in my arms. His hands linger for a moment as if reluctant to let go.

“I’ll be at the cabin tomorrow to help get things ready for when you come home.” He leans down to kiss my forehead, then surprises me by clasping Koda’s hand firmly. “Take care of my girls.”

“With my life,” Koda promises, and I know he means it.

After they leave, silence settles over the room again. Koda slides onto the bed beside me with one arm around my shoulders. His other hand gently strokes Elaine’s cheek as she sleeps against my chest.

“We did it,” I whisper and lean into his solid warmth. “Despite everything. All the secrets, all the drama, all the pain. We made it here.”

Koda’s lips brush my temple. His breath is warm against my skin.

“I never doubted we would.”

I look down at our daughter, this perfect blend of us both, and feel a sense of completion I’ve never known before. Nine months ago, I was Charlotte Palmer, beauty school student with a dangerous crush on her dad’s best friend.

Now I’m someone’s mother, someone’s partner, the center of a family we’ve built despite every obstacle.

“I love you,” Koda murmurs against my hair. “Both of you. More than I ever thought possible.”

Elaine stirs in her sleep. Her tiny fingers flex against my skin as if reaching for her father’s voice. Koda’s large hand engulfs her tiny one, a contrast that brings fresh tears to my eyes.