Gone Country

Chapter 33 (Christmas Morning Blues)

"You want to do what?!"

My father's eyes were wide, amazed that I would even ask such a thing. I thought it was a great idea, but we would have to find someone else to play Cale's love interest cause it would be officially weird if they were legally my brothers and I was pretending to be in love with him.

"For Christmas, I want you to adopt the twins," I smiled. "It's the best present ever!"

He ran a hand down his face, the idea seeming to frustrate him. Was it that chaotic of a plan? "Charlotte, sweetie, I know you mean well, but they are grown men now."

He was probably right. Why would they possibly want to be adopted now? They could take care of themselves plenty, why would they be bothered? I picked at my food with my fork, suddenly uninterested in eating the filet mignon beautifully dressed in a creamy white cheddar sauce. How could I possibly eat now? I was too disappointed.

Dad had decided that the most expensive restaurant in LA was the only place worthy enough to have his daughter present. The little steak before me cost forty dollars alone. I didn't even want to know what his ribeye cost. "Come on, princess," he sighed, reaching across the table to caress my cheek when he saw how upset I was. "Cheer up, we'll find another great present for them."

But I didn't want a different present, he knew that. He stared at me, watching me refuse to eat and sulk in my chair. I had put a lot of thought in my gift for them, he couldn't blame me for feeling depressed after he crushed my hopes and dreams by telling me that they probably wouldn't even want it. He just broke my heart.

"Alright! I'll call some people and make it happen!" he exclaimed.

I perked up. "Really, daddy?"

"Yeah," he muttered. "I think I'll trade in a certain little girl who knows how to tug my heart strings, for a couple of grown twins I don't really have to worry about taking care of. A lot less hassle."

I stuck my tongue out at him, giggling at how my father shook his head at me, claiming that I was a troublemaker. "What can I say, I learned from the best," I told him with a innocent shrug.

"Yeah, you're mother got everything she wanted with those baby blue eyes of hers," he agreed. "Including you, because I wasn't sure I was ready to have kids until she hypnotized me with those gorgeous eyes of hers. You know what happened next."

I laughed, taking a bite of my food. "I know, dad, you took her up against the wall and I was created."

He proudly puffed out his chest at the mention. I will forever be scarred by that story and of how proud he is of it. "Dad, if you don't want to adopt the twins, we don't have to."

I watched him as his face twisted in thought. This wasn't just affecting me, it would mean that he would become a father again, without all of the wailing and diaper changing of course. His eyes fell on me as his lips began to tug upward in a smile. "They remind me a lot of Lillian," he confessed. "Especially Cale."

Thinking about it now, the kind hearted twins did have my mother's cheerful spirit and cheekiness, that I could not deny. "So you want to?" I prodded.

My father nodded, but his smile dropped as he let his eyes fall back down to where his food rested. "I think it's a great idea, but what if they decline when we ask?"

I really would be broken hearted then. "There's nothing we can do, dad, we'll just have to accept it."

Like me, he didn't seem completely sold on the idea. It had popped into my head out of nowhere and then I began to doubt it for the whole time I was showering and primping for this daddy-daughter date I was on. I thought that if I told my dad, he would be ecstatic over the idea and jump in to do it whether I was wary or not. Unfortunately, he was just as cautious as I was.