Page 115 of Puck Me, Baby

“Uh-ha.” She nodded and blinked her long lashes. “Please?”

“Wait here one second,” I instructed her. “And no peeking.”

I hopped up and dashed out of the room to duck into our bedroom, where I pulled out the purple princess dress I’d sewn for her.

“Dad, Daddy, Papa,” I called out as I headed back toward Charlie’s room.

They converged on me, and I showed them the dress before they piled onto Charlie’s bed, sweeping her up and kissing and cuddling her. I wasn’t sure how, but she was upside down and thrown over Jacques’s shoulder, probably trying to escape from them. She was in fits of giggles that quickly morphed to snorts when Zeus started jumping in circles and letting out excited yips every time she squealed.

“Oh Charlie,” I called from the doorway. I held up the coat hanger with the dress hanging off it. There was a lot of scrambling and an ear-piercing squeal a second later.

“’Melia, Mommy!” Charlie was shucking her pajamas and holding her arms up so she could try the dress on before I could even cover my ears to protect them from the ear-splitting sound.

I slipped it over her head and adjusted the tulle. She looked like a lavender marshmallow—absolutely adorable.

“Oh, wow,” Linc gasped. “Amelia to the rescue!”

“I want to be Gracie,” Trav said.

Jacques jostled him and added, “Well, I’m Taylor.”

“In that case, I’m Frankie,” Linc huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Looks like I’m the fairy godmother, then,” I sighed. The boys had no idea, but I’d already planned to go as the fairy godmother. I even had the outfit.

It was another thirty minutes before we could get Charlie to finally settle enough that we could turn out the light. I went to pull the door closed, leaving it ajar when Charlie said, “Mommy, it’d be fun if Pa, Dad, and Daddy came as princesses and you as Fairy Godmother.”

“It would, wouldn’t it.” I smiled. “Goodnight, Peanut. Sweet dreams.”

“Sleep tight, Mommy.”

***

“Mommy, look,” Charlie gasped. The lobby of the movie theatre was decorated in purple with a life-sized cutout of Amelia and her princess friends in full battle gear—princess gowns and camo paint on their faces—the same paint we had on. Waiting near the wall of movie posters was a crowd of people, and as we got closer, I saw who was at the center—Jacques, Trav, and Linc—but it was Cara who people were gushing over. My girl had made it big, and I was so proud of her.

“Oh, Charlie, look how handsome the princes are.” I pointed to Monroe, Alec, Kamirah, and Chris in tuxedos. Charlie stopped in her tracks, her mouth an “O” and her eyes wide.

“Hux! Roe! ’Mirah! Minns!” she squealed and waved her hands to get their attention.

“Attention, ladies and gentlemen and honored guests. Announcing Princess Amelia the Brave,” Roe called out in a booming voice. The people in the lobby went silent, and all eyes were on us.

Charlie took off, a puff of purple satin and tulle scampering down the carpeted foyer. She tripped and tumbled, rolling and landing flat on her back. It wasn’t the first time she’d fallen over—she was on skates the moment she could walk. Tumbles were a part of daily life in our household.

Giggles erupted, and she held her hands up. “Cara!” she squealed. Then she gasped, and her eyes widened comically. I helped her to her feet, and her gaze bounced between her three dads.

She was silent.

“You… you,” she whispered.

Then she let loose an ear-splitting squeal that only little girls could pull off. She bounced on her toes and launched herself at Jacques, who was dressed in a full ballgown alongside Linc and Trav—dressed in their own ballgown costumes. They made quite the trio. Camera flashes went off, and more than one person was recording. It was going to be all over social media within moments, and I would download every video.

Jacques lifted Charlie and twirled her in the air above his head, our little girl giggling the whole time. I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face. I couldn’t have asked for anything better than this.

“Well done, Mom.” Alec nudged me, and I grinned at the mobile phone he was holding up.

The gathered crowd cheered, and I joined in, clapping and cheering for Amelia, Frankie, Taylor, and Gracie.

“Think we pulled it off?” I asked, already knowing the answer. The smile on my little girl’s face told me everything I needed to know.

“Without a doubt,” Roe said, taking Cara’s hand and hooking it through his elbow.

Trav popped Charlie onto his shoulders and started toward the theater. We were off to see a movie with a little girl who had all three of her dads wrapped around her little fingers. From the moment she was born, they were smitten.

I was just as in love. They’d given me a second chance to live a life that I loved. My family was my everything, and my life was so full because of them. I pinched myself some days, still unable to believe that this was my reality. I could never have imagined that accepting Jacques’s invitation to drinks only a few short years ago was the catalyst for a change so drastic that every one of my dreams would come true. I woke up every morning counting my blessings and went to sleep thankful for every moment with them—the three greatest loves of my life and my daughters.

I would spend the rest of my life doing exactly the same thing—living, loving, and enjoying this wonderful journey we were on.

And they lived happily ever after.

***