Page 68 of Paper Flowers (Stonebrook #1)

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

LUKE

I knew someday, Sadie would call Dayna mom .

I thought I was ready to hear it. But it caught me by surprise.

Not because it didn’t feel right–God, it felt so right–but because a part of me thought it would take longer.

That there would be a lead-up, a conversation, maybe even a moment of hesitation.

But there wasn’t. Even after a couple of weeks had gone by, we didn’t talk about it afterwards.

We let it sit between us–a quiet, beautiful moment wrapped in warmth and truth.

Sadie loves her without limits. And Dayna?

She never asked for a title. She just loved her back–with the kind of quiet, steady devotion that earns trust over time.

Sadie wanted to name what she already knew in her heart. She gave her the name.

Momma.

That’s what makes it so damn beautiful. It was hers to give. Now.. there’s only one more thing I need to do. In my heart, it’s already decided.

I want to marry Dayna.

“What time is Dayna coming home?” Sadie asks as I enter her room with her laundry basket on my hip.

Setting it down on the floor next to her closet and dresser, she joins me to help put her clothes away.

“She has a meeting tonight, and won’t be home until after dinner–what’s on your mind Sadie Girl? ”

She thinks for a moment while she reaches for her fuzzy socks.

She matches them and places them in the open top drawer.

I reach into her closest and grab a few hangers.

She stands to her full height ready to talk.

“We’re having meatloaf for dinner,” she states matter-of-factly, arms crossed over her chest like it’s the most urgent announcement of the day.

“And she loves that–I don’t want her to miss it!” She adds, with a hint of pout in her voice. Not quite fear, not even sadness–just that pure, heartfelt concern only a kid can have when someone they love might miss out on something good.

I crouch down to her level, resting my elbows on my knees. “You’re right, princess. She does love meatloaf.” I pause, brushing a curl behind her ear. “But she’s just at a meeting, and she’ll be home before bed. We’ll save her a big piece and warm it up for her, yeah?”

Sadie thinks about it, then gives a simple firm nod like we’ve struck a serious deal. “Okay. But make sure you don’t forget she likes the middle slices. She always gets the middle slices.”

I smile. “Deal.”

With the meatloaf crisis averted, we continue folding and putting away her laundry.

Sadie is talking to me about her day at school, especially the “gross” moment at lunchtime.

“Austin mixed his chocolate milk with spaghetti and thought he could get the cheesy sauce. But when he took a bite, he looked like he was going to be sick!” Sadie says with a shiver.

“Then Mr. Grant told him to go get another plate and not mix anything else.” She shakes her head and waves her pointer finger slowly side to side to drive her point.

Lunch duty feels like uncharted territory sometimes. Kids are always experimenting with weird food combinations. I once had a student dip carrots in their nacho cheese. He suggested I try it but I politely declined .

“Did you try it too?” I ask playfully as I close her dresser drawer.

“Ugh–no!” she gasps. Taking the last pair of jeans out of the laundry basket and she hands them to me.

I place them on the hanger in her closet.

I slid her closet door shut. “All set, Sadie Girl. Let’s go check on dinner.

” I reach out my hand for her to take. We walk down the stairs as she’s sliding her hand on the white banister.

Heading into the kitchen, she releases my hand and walks over to the home office and snags her coloring book and crayons.

I want to talk to her about how she’s feeling about Dayna. Gauge where she is about us all as a family, maybe hinting at her about marriage but not too much. I just don’t want her to accidentally let it slip that I’m planning to propose.

With the meatloaf on the cooling rack, I set a timer for the dinner rolls.

Sadie has climbed up the barstool at the kitchen island.

Her with her crayons and coloring book in her hands.

Trixie is already occupying the barstool next to her, the pink Triceratops has seen better days.

But that’s a conversation for another day.

Leaning my forearms on the counter, I take a moment to really look at my daughter sitting across from me.

The past year and a half hasn’t been easy on her, but she’s moved through it with the kind of strength I can only admire.

She has her mother’s hazel eyes and those same soft brown curls.

In so many ways, she’s a reflection of Juliette–not just in how she looks, but in how her heart shows up in everything she does.

Sometimes, I still don’t know how we ended up here–in the same town as Dayna Evans.

But deep down, I know it wasn’t just luck.

We were placed on this path for a reason.

When I look at Sadie, when I see the way she smiles at Dayna, I’m reminded that sometimes life gives you exactly what you need, even if you don’t see it coming.

“Whatcha thinking about, Daddy? Wanna color with me and Trixie?” Sadie says as she pushes the box of crayons towards me.

Sadie rips out a page and slides it to me.

She’s sitting back on her knees with bracing an arm on the counter leaning over as she colors.

“I’m not much of a drawer, but practice makes perfect.

” I grab the torn-out page with ragged edges and pick up the green crayon, coloring in the green leaves on the dinosaur coloring page.

“Daddy, just try to stay inside the lines.” She says with a giggle, looking at me.

“Ha. Ha.” I deadpan, shaking my head with a smirk at her.

“Hey, Sadie Girl…can I ask you something?” I say casually–like if my heart isn’t demanding to break free from my chest. “What do you think about how things are going lately? With you, me, Dayna. Our home, all of it.” She squints at me with the same thinking face Dayna says we share. “What do you mean, Daddy?”

“I mean…does it feel good? Are you happy with how things are at home, with us?” I ask keeping my tone as natural as possible.

As if I’m not standing on the edge of a cliff.

Her smile is slow and sure. “I’m really happy.

” She shrugs one shoulder, picking up a pink crayon and starts to fill in the hearts around the cartoon T-Rex.

“I love our home. Maybe we can get a baby sister, or even a cute kitten. Do kittens stay little or do they grow to be cats?”

The baby sister suggestion hits hard. I’m trying, Sadie Girl. I really am.

“I love that you love our home and yeah, kittens grow into cats.”

“Okay ‘cause, I want one. Do you think he’ll like Trixie?”

Leaning my head on my hand I smile towards the stuffie. “If we get a kitten, I’m sure he’ll love her. I’m sure Trixie will love him too.” I say looking at the Triceratops stuffie.

“They’ll need to be best friends since they’ll be home while we’re at school. I think Dayna would like a kitten too. She’s really good at taking care of me, I know she’ll be happy to have a kitten.”

“I think so too.” I start fidgeting with the kitchen towel beside me, summoning the courage to say the thing I’ve been holding inside. I clear my throat and Sadie’s eyes meet mine.

“Are you okay, Daddy?”

I nod, taking a breath and I lean in a little closer, lowering my voice just above a whisper, like we’re sharing a secret. “You know how families come in all kinds of shapes? They don’t always look the same. Ours is kinda special, huh?” Sadie scrunches up her face thinking hard, then nods.

“Well…I’ve been thinking about asking Dayna a very important question.”

“What kind of question?” she asks, her crayon paused mid-heart and looks up at me.

“The kind where I ask her if she wants to be part of our family forever.”

Sadie’s hazel eyes grow impossibly wide. “Like…forever and ever-ever?”

“Yeah. Forever and ever-ever. What do you think about that?”

She doesn’t hesitate. “I think she’s already our forever.” Her voice is strong and steady. She peeks up at me with a grin.

“Me too, Sadie Girl, me too.” I walk around the counter and pick her up. Like I’ve done the other times after a conversation with Sadie. She squeals with delight.

“I love you to the World Series and back, Sadie Grace.”

“I love you to Centerfield and back, Daddy.”

The front door clicks shut and I blink awake on the couch. Sadie is curled up on one side of me, Trixie tucked on the other. My arms around both of them. I shift slightly–my neck is stiff, and my legs are tingling from being crossed too long on the ottoman.

“My Sweet Girl,” Dayna whispers, crouching beside us to kiss Sadie’s forehead. “Did she try to wait up for me?” Her gaze finds mine.

“Yeah,” I murmur, my voice thick with sleep. “I made meatloaf. She wanted to make sure you ate dinner.”

Dayna glances toward the kitchen. “It smells so good in here. You know I love when you make meatloaf.” Her voice is soft as she gently brushes a curl from Sadie’s face.

“Hi, Sweet Girl. I’m home.” Sadie stirs toward the sound of her voice.

“Let’s go tuck you in.” Dayna scoops her up, and Sadie immediately wraps her arms and legs around her.

Tiny and perfect, fitting against Dayna like she’s always belonged.

I wiggle Trixie besides them. “Can’t forget about Miss Trixie Beckett, now can we? ”

Dayna smiles. “Absolutely not.” She hoists Sadie and Trixie and heads upstairs.

I stretch out on the couch and glance at the clock–just shy of 10 PM.

I must’ve dozed off during the baseball game.

I head into the kitchen and begin fixing Dayna’s plate.

As I pour her a glass of water, the scent of strawberries drifts over me–and then her arms wrap around my waist from behind.