Discovering Happiness (Book 2)

Chapter 39- Ebony

I stirred the pain in my back from the movement making me moan softly. This recovery would be a bitch, but I was glad I at least had an opportunity to recover. I felt eyes on me so I opened one eye and then quickly the other. A beautiful little girl with dark black curls and pretty hazel eyes was staring at me. She was sitting on the bed and for a moment I thought maybe it was an angel coming to take me the sunlight suspiciously haloing around her. Not that I actually think I believe in all that. I just was probably high on morphine. But Fuck was it a bit scary and ethereal all at the same time.

"Oh you're awake!" The girl exclaimed in excitement. She looked so young maybe 5 or 6 but she sounded so much older. I immediately knew who she was. I sat up some, grimacing at the sharp pain that shot down my back.

"Harmony?" I asked a smile coming to my face, she was a gorgeous little girl. She beamed the mature look on her face adding a girlish hint to her.

"You know me, I wasn't sure if dad talked about me. Most men with children aren't super popular in the dating scene." She said shifting so we were comfortably facing each other. I grinned. I think women loved men with children but I didn't say that to her.

"All the time. I'm Ebony." I said extending my hand. She took it but instead of shaking it she just held it. Her eyes pooled up with tears.

"When I heard about the accident I got scared. He's the only person I have left." She said softly her bottom lip quivering. I sat up all the way and pulled her into my arms.

"Oh sweetie. He's okay. Car accidents are scary but he's okay and just will need time to recover." I told her. She willingly came into my arms crying softly. I stroked her hair and let her cry it out. Poor baby, I remember how I felt when I lost my parents. It wasn't the same as having a family member to raise you when you know you had parents at one point in time.she eventually signed burrowing her face against my chest. I smiled. She may be intellectually older than most 13 years old but she was still a child that needed love and affection

"We are here for you too!" l added softly, kissing the top of her head. We stayed like that for a long while before she finally pushed up looking me in the eyes. I reached up and wiped the tears off her cheeks.

"So are you going to be my mom now?" She asked almost shyly.

"Harmony." It was Leon's voice. We both looked towards the door to see him being rolled in by a nurse, Kyle close on there heels. He rushed over to my bedside, he looked exhausted, dark bags under his eyes. I knew for a fact that he didn't sleep. I reached up and touched his face. He covered my hand with his and closed his eyes releasing a long breath.

"You've been asleep for over 40 hours. We were getting a little worried." He said softly. That gave me pause. I thought it had been maybe the next morning but 2 days. Kyle looked at Harmony and something in his face changed. He reached out for her and picked her up. She settled comfortably in his arms. I could tell that over the last at least day she became very comfortable with Kyle.

"Harmony you are too old to be held." Leon said and he was aided into his bed. His eyes met mine and he smiled softly. I smiled back. Aside from the bandaged arm and some slight bruising on his face he looked well. "How are you feeling love?" He asked as the nurses pushed his bed up next to mine. Kyle must of paid alot of money for them to break all these codes because I knew for a fact this didn't happen.

"I'm okay. My back just stings a bit." I told him. He nodded reaching for my hand I turned so I was laying on my side facing him, taking his hand. The nurse came around and started changing my bandages. I noticed that Kyle took Harmony out of the room. I was glad I didn't want her to see this.

"She's beautiful." I tell him. He smiles tears springing to his eyes.

"Shes taken to Kyle like a moth to a flame. It's amazing to see them together. I've haven't seen her actually act her age probably since she was 3. She's always been so mature it was like my little girl was grown. But with Kyle it's like she  doesn't have to be mature and she can be a kid." He said softly his eyes coming back to me. His expression changed and concerned filled his eyes. We stared at each other silently until the nurse left the room and we were alone.  I knew this man loved me, but I also knew the love he had for his daughter was unmatched.

"We almost lost you." He choked out fresh tears rolling down his cheeks.

"But you saved me." I whispered the tears making my voice sound thick with emotion. I saw the flash of regret in his eyes before he looked back in the direction his daughter went. I knew why. He could have died protecting me, leaving his daughter alone in the world. That thought alone broke my heart, but I knew it broke his more.

"Leon." I whispered getting his attention back to me. "I know how important your daughter is to you, I never want you to feel guilty about putting her first. I know how much you love me and I know how much you love her. A father's love is the most special thing in the world. And I would never want to put myself in front of that love." I tell him. My father died when I was a little girl, around Harmony's age. So I know what pain she would go through if she lost her father.

We silently watched Kyle and Harmony talk in the hallway as if they had had known each other for years.

" You know, he wasn't lying when he said he really wanted kids." Leon said quietly. I smiled softly, it was something to behold watching how happy he looked to be with Harmony. "I'm sure she wouldn't mind having two dads." I looked at him and grinned.

"I'm sure she would love that." I told him. He was about to say something when Kyle and Harmony came back in giggling about something.

"Dad, I don't want to go away to school, I want to stay with our new family." Harmony said bounding over to the side of Leons bed. I knew Leon would give her anything she wanted but Kyle stepped in before Leon could say anything.

"The smartest girl in the entire world wants to give up going to the best school in the world for gifted children to stay with a bunch of old folks?" He asked her. He was leaning against the wall opposite our beds. She turned in faced him putting on a pouty face.

Leon's eyebrows shot up as if he's never seen that face before. Something told me that he hasn't.

"What if I go and when I come back y'all are gone?" She asked softly. I could see her lip quivering. Even though she was young I could tell she struggled with the abandonment of her mother. She was too smart to not know what happened.

Kyle walked over to her and went to his knees and sitting back so that they were eye to eye.

"Sweetheart, Ebony and I are not going to leave. We are here to stay. We love each other. True love never abandons no matter how tough life gets. And we will love you just as much. We'll be here for every holiday and event and award ceremony. You can get homesick and we will be there. Just because you are going away to school doesn't mean you aren't going to be part of this family." He said softly. He reached up and wiped the tear that was sliding down her cheek.

Leon had begun to cry silently as well. I squeezed his hand. He didn't have to do this alone anymore.

"And as long as your dad is okay with it, if you absolutely hate it there, I personally will spare no expense making sure you have the education you want where you want it." He added looking over at Leon who smiled through his tears. Kyle smiled back his eyes glistening. He looked back at Harmony and pulled her into his arms.

"Do you promise?" She asked into his neck.

"I promise."