Violet
The last couple of months flew by.
Kelly's been growing a lot, both physically and emotionally. It's been amazing having her in the family. Everybody adores her, but it's Carl who has gotten especially attached to her. He protects her as if she were his and it's really wonderful to watch.
We threw her a baby shower because her family wasn't and she was given everything her baby girl will need.
Now that Nova, Ava and Kelly are back in school, Ian and I have been organizing everything to surprise Kelly. Her mother wouldn't allow the gifts we gave her in her house, so we had to keep everything. The crib, the decorations...so we decided to make use of them.
It will be amazing having the baby to take care of. It'll give me something to do now that I'm not teaching.
And now here I am, ecstatic because my cast is no longer on my leg. I am practically jumping out of my skin.
"How does that feel?" The physician asks as his hands examine my leg, moving it side to side. I smile.
"It feels great. I mean, it doesn't hurt." I answer. Lucy, Ian's mother, smiles excitedly down at me. Ian couldn't be here because he had to be at Headquarters to deal with some business. He had to choose whether he'd be an Alpha or not today. It's something he's been particularly quiet about lately.
He was furious when he saw the appointment had been for the same day, but I told him I'd call his mother and he calmed down some.
"Well, Ms. Sinclair, you are almost fully recovered. Congratulations." He says before going to his computer to type in his observations.
"I have a question, Doctor. I'm a dancer and I know the magnitude of my injuries...will I be able to dance again?" I ask a nervous, sick feeling in my gut at the thought of never dancing again. He turns his chair around and smiles at Lucy, then at me.
"Do you want to dance again, Ms. Sinclair?" He asks me, his dark, kind eyes looking into mine. I nod.
"It's my passion to dance. Of course I do." I say. He smiles, patting my leg gently.
"Then you will. See, many doctors will tell you that you can't do this or that because of your complication. I don't. I believe you can dance again. It will take therapy and if there are more complications, then surgery, but most importantly, it takes your dedication and determination. How much do you want to be a dancer again?" My eyes sting with overwhelming emotion.
"With everything I am." I whisper. He smiles wide, his eyes squinting in happiness.
"Everything you are includes your leg, Ms. Sinclair. You'll be dancing again. I guarantee it." He stands and so do I. Lucy behind me the whole time. I see where Ian gets his attentiveness.
"Thank you so much." I tell the doctor. He smiles.
"You are so very welcome. On this card is your next appointment. We will begin therapy. Soon you won't have to use those crutches." He says, handing me a small white card.
We thank him again and get on our way home.
"Are you comfortable there, honey?" Lucy asks, taking her eyes off the road for a moment.
"Yes, I am. It feels so good to be able to move it!" I say with a smile. She laughs.
"Oh, you should call Ian. He must be dying to know if they removed the cast or not." She suggests. "That boy is so in love with you he can't see straight." She sighs. I pick up my cellphone and look at her.
"I'm so grateful for him, for you guys." I say honestly. They have been so very wonderful to me.
"We are grateful for you, Violet. You have no idea how much you have changed all of our lives." As I am about to answer, my phone rings.
Nova.
That's strange. They are at school.
"It's Nova..." Lucy frowns. "Hello?" I answer.
"The hospital. Get to the hospital. The baby's coming!" I straighten in my seat.
"What? She's not due for another month!" I know I'm yelling, but I can't help it. Lucy's eyes widen. "Which hospital?" He tells me and I tell Lucy. She makes an illegal U turn and floors it.
Mike would be thrilled...
I hear Kelly's voice in the background. She's clearly in pain.
"Nova, is she okay? Are you in the ambulance?" He's panting, telling everything will be fine.
"Well, she bled and then her water broke and I have no idea what's going on." He says in a voice full of anguish.
God, please let them be okay. Please let them be okay.
"It's okay, Kells. She's just eager to see her mommy. It's going to be okay." Nova says reassuringly. "I have to go. Please tell the rest of the family. Get here soon." He doesn't wait for my response. I begin to furiously type that the baby is coming and which hospital she will be at so that Daniel, Mike, Isabelle, Layla and Bryce know. I send the messages and dial Ian. Ian will tell Becca and Carl.
In the last two months, everyone has been spending a lot of time at home. They always come unexpectedly. It has been wonderful seeing how we have gotten so close.
Mike and Becca are sort of official. Kelly has gotten even bigger. Nova and Ava are eager for the upcoming talent show. Isabelle and Layla are living together. Isabelle went back to her original job, as I am no longer going through detox. Daniel is mysterious, quiet.
Ian and I are inseparable. Well, we were. Up until today.
"How is she? What happened?" Lucy asks.
"Nova says she bled and her water broke. I don't know anything else. He's so scared. I wish I were there."
"Who's scared? What's going on?" Ian says, his voice loud and worried.
"Kelly's giving birth and Nova's with her in the ambulance. How long until you fly over here?" I ask. He sighs.
"I was scheduled in two hours, but I'll be on my way now. Goddamn it. I'm going to miss it!" I shake my head.
"It's okay. Just come home." I tell him, noticing by his breathing that he is angry.
"How was your appointment? Did they take the cast off?" He asks.
"Yes. It's off. I have an appointment for my first therapy." I say, a msile touching my lips.
"Oh, baby. I'm so glad. I'm sorry I couldn't be there!" I know he is smiling too.
"It's okay. Lucy has been wonderful. Please just get over here." He sighs.
"I will, sweet girl. I'll be on my way in a few minutes. I love you." I close my eyes and picture his beautiful smile as he says the words.
"I love you too." I say and we end the call. I then notice that we are almost at the hospital. "Lucy, where did you learn to drive like that?" I ask, trying hard not to laugh.
She does.
"Oh, honey. Anyone can drive illegally."
~
We walk through the doors of the hospital and ask where Kellymarie Evans was taken. She is in the OB/GYN area. We rush to it, I move as quickly as I can until we see Ava. She takes a huge breath of relief.
"How is she? Where did they take her?" I ask as we share hugs.
"She's scared, but she's hanging in there. She told us she had been hurting earlier, but she thought it was probably the pizza Nova fed her yesterday...but no. They were contractions. We went for a walk yesterday too. I think it all influenced. She's 4 centimeters dilated." Her words rush one over the other, her eyes are full of tears. She's worried sick.
"It's okay, Ava. It's just that the baby is coming. This is good." I try to reassure her.
"Yes, honey. Kelly and the baby will be fine." Lucy says, rubbing her arm.
"No...she bled a bit and she was in so much pain. I'm scared. I wish I could see her." Ava whispers, running a hand through her hair. Lucy hugs her and two hands grasp my shoulders.
"How is the mother-to-be?" Daniel's rich, thick accent is welcomed in my ears. I turn and give him a hug.
"Just so." I answer. "About to be a mother." He smiles, hazel eyes glittering in excitement.
"Hope she names the little miracle Danielle." He says, turning to Lucy. "Beau, magnifique, Lucía." He drawls before kissing both her cheeks. She turns beet red.
He looks at Ava and his face transforms. It's no longer charming, it's something I'm afraid to describe. He looks at her like he wants to pull her into his arms and let her know everything will be okay. Like he would love to take her pain away.
"Ma beauté." He says before kissing her cheeks too. Lucy puts a hand over her heart.
"I can't understand a word he says, but I absolutely love to listen to him speak." Lucy whispers as they hug. I nod, glad she doesn't know he just called her his beauty.
"I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but family members must sit in the waiting room. We promise we will inform you about everything, alright?" A sweet, tiny nurse tells us regretfully. We all nod and walk over to the waiting room, only to be followed by a frantic Nova.
"Hey, how is she?" I ask and he runs both hands through his hair.
"She's fine, but she's heartbroken. I called her mom and she said she was busy at work. I called that asshole too," The father, I assume. "and he said he couldn't make it." His chest heaves, his eyes blaze. He has never looked more like Ian tha n he does right now.
"Fils de pute. Je l'espère, qui'il pourrit en enfer." Daniel curses angrily.
No, you don't need to know what he said.
"Can I see her?" I ask Nova. He nods.
"Actually, she asked for you. That's why I'm here. There can only be two people with her." He looks at wants you in there the rest of the group. "I'm sorry for being hasty. Hi, Grandma. Hi, Dan. She's 5 centimeters now and those contractions are coming in fast." He explains.
"That's alright, honey. Go." Lucy says with a sweet smile. He nods and we make our way to Kelly.
She's in the middle of a contraction when we come in and my heart jumps in my chest when her head rises and her contorted face transforms into a smile when her eyes land on me.
I smile back.
"We have a very eager little girl, huh?" I ask, rushing to her side and kissing her sweaty forehead. She tries to laugh, but her face pinches in pain and she holds her breath.
Nova holds her hand and touches her hair.
"Kells, deep breaths. Holding your breath won't help." He tells her. She nods, taking deep breaths. "Good girl." He whispers.
"Shut up, Nova." She whispers back as the contractions subside. I take her other hand, watching Nova's amused expression.
"I was told women during labor get mean. I guess that's true." He tells me with a shrug. Kelly just breathes and squeezes our hands. Nurses study the machines she's attached to, but stay quiet. I wish they would say something.
"You guys know when you have the hiccups? And you sort of feel one coming on and you wait, but nothing happens and when you least expect it, it happens? That's how I feel right now." She says. I kiss her blonde hair and smile.
"Well, these hiccups are bringing us a little angel, so it's worth it." I tell her. She smiles, then frowns.
"God, I still have no name for her! What kind of a mother am I?" She asks, looking at her belly. Nova chuckles.
"That's okay. Maybe when you look at her, you'll know just what to name her." He says. She nods.
"Okay. Okay. O—shit, oh my God!" She throws her head back and squeezes my hand hard. It's unusual for things like this to be funny, but Nova and I laugh. She takes a few breaths and looks at both of us. "Yes. Laugh at my pain. That's just perfect." But she also pants out a laughs.
The monitors she is connected to begin to act up and a doctor rushes over.
"Ms. Evans, your baby is suffering of what we call fetal arrhythmia. Her heart rate is lowering dangerously with every contraction. We have to perform a C-section. Right now." Kelly pants in fear, her eyes widening.
"Will she be okay?" She says, tears running down her face. The doctor nods.
"If we do this now she will. Come on. You can have one person come with you. The baby's father?" He asks looking at Nova, who nods.
"Yeah, yeah. I want to be there." He says quickly. I feel tears in my own eyes as I kiss her head and tell her everything will be okay. They rush her to an operating room and I walk back to the waiting room.
Everybody, but Ian is here and I can't hear their questions.
I'm so scared for her. I'm so scared she'll lose what I lost.
I sit, put my head in my hands and pray.
Ian
Ian, be here as soon as you can.
Violet is worried sick. She isn't even speaking.
Kelly had to get a C-section. Baby was having complications.
Baby was born.
Where are you?
I run through the hospital, searching for the OB/GYN area. Carl and Becca are behind me, telling me to calm down. Everyone's messages made me panic. I couldn't wait to get off the damned plane and get here.
I reach the waiting room and Violet immediately spots me. I breathe easy for the first time in hours and pull her in for a hug. Her smell invades my senses, calming me.
"How are Kelly and the baby?" I ask her, giving Layla and Isabelle. I hug Ava and shake Daniel's hand.
"The baby was born about two hours ago. Kelly is fine, she's asleep. The baby had some trouble with her heart, so that's why they did a C-section and now she's in an incubator. She's having some trouble breathing. But she's alright. She is 16 inches long and weighs 4.5 pounds. She's a tiny little thing. We got a glimpse of her on Nova's phone." She says looking between Becca, Carl and me. Becca sits on Mike's lap, kissing his cheek. Carl's eyebrows are furrowed in worry as he listens to Violet.
Our family practically takes the entire waiting room. Layla and Isabelle sit beside Ava and Daniel, who has his arm around her. She looks like she's freezing. Mike sits next to Layla, as she is the one at the edge of the row.
"Oh, but is the baby going to be okay?" Becca asks with wide green eyes. Mike rubs her back.
"Doctor said she may develop asthma, but other than that, everything is fine. She has been breathing fine for a while and she will be okay." Violet says with a smile. I notice she's wearing a dress and her skin is cold. I take off my suit and put it around her shoulders. I take in her cast-less leg and smile.
"Did she name her? Which name did she choose?" Carl asks. Every one laughs.
"Nova said when she looked at the baby she sobbed and said 'Oh, Nova. She looks like an Amaia. Don't you think?'." Layla says with a big smile. I like to see her in her usual tank tops. She shows off her scarred shoulder with pride.
"Amaia?" Carl asks with a smile of his own. "That's a fine name." He says with a nod. He looks so happy, so full of life right now. Mike is smiling up at him which tells me he sees it too.
He must feel like he's becoming a grandfather for the third time.
"She followed it with Mikaela. She said she wanted her to be as funny as Mike was." Ava says from her chair with a huge smile. Amaia Mikaela."
"Fuck yeah!" Mike exclaims. The other family members in the waiting room give us disapproving looks as we all laugh. "And I didn't even suggest my name. She chose it all by herself." Mike says with a smug look. Becca laughs before kissing his temple.
"Should have been Amaia Rebecca, though." She says with a shrug, making everyone else laugh.
"Amaia Mikaela. That's a fine name." Carl says with a chuckle. "When can we see her?" He asks.
"We can't see her right now. Plus Nova's already giving the entire hospital hell. We have to wait here until they tell us more." Isabelle says. I take her in.
"You're wearing scrubs. Act like you're a nurse from this hospital and get us some information." I suggest. She laughs.
"You, Ian Hayden, are a horrible influence. How dare you say such things?" Mother. I turn and kiss her cheek.
"Sorry, Mom." I mutter, hugging my father.
"Has Nova come back to say anything else?" My mother asks everyone. Lots of heads shake.
"Oh, there he is." Daniel says and everybody stiffens and stares expectantly. Nova smiles when he notices we all arrived.
"I'm so glad everyone is here." He says, pulling me in for a hug. He holds on for a bit too long and squeezes me too tight. I hold onto him and realization hits when he shakes.
He's crying.
"Hey, what's wrong?" I whisper. He shakes again, pulling away. His eyes are bloodshot and tears run down his face.
"She's so beautiful, Dad. And Kelly's so happy. I came here because they took Amaia to Kelly's room so she could feed her. I wanted them to have a moment." He says, wiping his eyes. He looks around. "Sorry for the waterworks. Been holding it back for hours now." Everyone smiles at him.
"Can we see them?" Ava asks, hope in her eyes. He nods.
"Yes, but I think they should spend some time alone." Nova answers. "She was so relieved to see Amaia that she didn't even notice when I left." Everyone sighs happily and talk among themselves.
Violet stiffens beside me and I follow her gaze. It lands on a blonde, polished looking woman. She walks with confidence and class, making her way to us.
"How is my daughter?" She asks Violet, who glares at her with such intensity that it scares me. I am terrified of what she might do or say because she is utterly still ad her breathing is labored.
"Your daughter went into labor five hours ago. Where were you?" Violet spits. The woman raises her chin.
"I was at work. Some of us still do that, you know." She replies. Violet flinches, which spikes at my anger. I can feel it, bubbling up, ready to explode. "Kellymarie bothered me all night last night, all morning and even called from school. She was driving me crazy and I was late to work because of her. Was I supposed to come running? I'm not the one who was going to help deliver it." She says with a nonchalant shrug.
If she were a man...
"It is a baby girl and you mean to tell me that she told you about her pains last night, this morning and even in school and you ignored her?" Nova practically growls. The woman nods.
"Well, I didn't think it was coming so soon. I thought she was just being dramatic." She says with another shrug. Isabelle storms off, cursing. Layla goes after her and everyone else just stares in disbelief.
"Listen to me, Melody, your daughter had to get a C-section. Your granddaughter was having trouble with her heart and she wouldn't make it through natural birth. Do you understand what could have happened to Kelly if you ignored her tonight too?" Violet asks the woman whose name apparently is Melody.
"Oh, give me a fucking break. You are not about to give me a lecture on how to be a mother. It's not my fault Kellymarie turned out to be a whore and got herself pregnant." I don't think she got the last word in before Violet went at her, ready to claw her eyes out. Melody cries out in fear, stepping back.
"Let me go! I'm going to fucking kill her!" She yells. Melody holds a hand to her face, looking at Violet as if she were crazy.
"I just want to see my daughter." Melody says. Violet struggles against me harder and I squeezed her waist enough to make her stop. She doesn't need this now.
"I always knew you were a bitch." Violet says. "Just get the fuck out of here before you get need a hospital room of your own." She warns.
"I am not leaving." She answers, eyes full of fear.
"Melody, my dear, I suggest you leave or get away before Ian lets go off her and she bashes your head in." Mother says, walking up next to me. My father holds onto my mother's shaking shoulders. She's beyond furious.
"Who do you people think you are?" Melody yells. "Who?"
"Who do we think we are?" Mike asks, making her gaze drop to meet his. "We are the family your daughter needed. We did what you didn't do. You don't deserve to be here." He says venomously. Becca just glares at the woman.
"I don't care! I did not come here to waste my time. I want to see her." Ava is just about to speak when Becca walks up to Melody. I let go of Violet and grab her instead. She struggles, and because she is trained, she manages to get out of my hold. Her arm goes back in a punch and I take it.
"No!" I shout, putting her behind me. She ignores me, going after Melody again.
"No, Rebecca! It's not worth it." She stops and looks back at Mike.
"She takes a deep breath and stands back. I turn to face Melody and take a few steps toward her. She seems to shrink within herself.
"Your daughter just made you a grandmother. She brought a little miracle into this world and that means shit to you? The real question is who are you?" She flinches. "I have a daughter and a son and if either of them were to have a child now, I wouldn't abandon them. I would support them. How could you just ignore your pregnant daughter when she's telling you she's in pain? You were pregnant once, for fuck's sake!" My voice gets louder with every word. She flinches again.
"I,...I—" She looks down, apparently ashamed. She has nothing to say.
"Look, just sit," I look behind me at Violet and Becca and how angry they still look. "away from us. And listen to me, Nova will ask Kelly if she wants to see you. You will only see her if she says yes." I pause, lowering my head so that our gazes meet. Her brown eyes are so like Kelly's...her daughter took after her. "And is she doesn't want to go home to you, she will come to ours. Do you understand me?" She nods and looks away. "Do you understand me?" Harsher this time.
"Yes." She turns to Nova. "Please tell her I'm sorry. Tell her I want to see her...and the baby." She begs. He nods and walks away stiffly. I walk back to my woman and observe as Melody walks takes a seat several feet from us.
We all decide to take a seat and calm ourselves. Today is a beautiful day, we shouldn't spoil it.
Nova gets back quickly and looks resentfully at Melody, who was looking pointedly at the floor.
"She said she wants to see Violet...Dad too.. She kept quiet when I mentioned you." He tells her. Violet stands at the mention of her name. I stand beside her.
"We can both go in?" I ask. He nods.
"Room 215." He tells us and smiles. "Just wait 'til you see her. Looks just like her mommy." I pat his shoulder and Violet and I make our way through the hospital. I knock on room 215's door.
"Come in." Says a muffled voice. I open the door, allowing Violet to go in first.
There she is. Sitting up right with a tiny squirming little thing wrapped in a white blanket. Kelly looks up at us and smiles.
The mated hair, the bags under her eyes and her pale skin make her look very tired, but she looks happy.
"Sweetheart." I say after a long moment contemplating her and the way she holds her baby to her breast. She has covered herself with a blanket. Violet speechlessly walks to right side of the bed and kisses Kelly's head. "Congratulations."
"Thank you, Ian." Kelly whispers. "Thank you for coming." I also kiss her head and smile.
"I wouldn't miss this for the world. How are you? How is she?" I ask. Her smile is so big, so happy. It's amazing to watch.
"I'm tired, but I'm great. She...she is learning. She's been having a hard time." She says, and I look away as she fixes herself so that her breast is in her gown. I look back and find the baby staring right at me.
She is so very beautiful.
"Oh, Kelly. She is gorgeous." Violet whispers with tears in her eyes. "Those are your eyes." She says. And it's true.
The big, beautiful light brown eyes looking into mine are just like her mother's.
The little girl has a head full of raven hair and deep brown eyes. Her dark coloring must be from her father's side, but there is no doubt those eyes and that face is all Kelly.
"I feel like she has something to say to me." I say making Kelly and Violet laugh.
"Maybe it's because you and Nova look alike. Or because of how much you guys talked to her...just now, when Nova was here, he spoke and her eyes opened wide and she saw him. She smiled for the first time. She recognized his voice. Maybe he recognizes you too." She tells us, tears rolling down her cheeks. "God, Amaia and I are so lucky." She sobs, caressing the beautiful little creature. Violet hugs her as best as she can and cries with her.
I feel tears sting in my own eyes.
"No, sweetheart. We are the lucky ones." I say, squeezing her knee softly. She smiles and sobs at the same time. I also hug her, kissing her temple and Amaia's soft head. "Everyone's outside. Would you like them to come in?" I ask her and she nods.
"Please ask Carl and Mike to come together. Do they know about her second name?" She asks as Violet wipes her tears away. She's quiet, but her eyes say more than words ever could. Kelly squeezes her hand.
"They do. Nova told us. Mike is fucking ecstatic." I flinch and look down at the wide awake and attentive baby. "I should probably stop cursing now, huh?" Kelly giggles, the shaking of her body startling Amaia.
Her little face pinches and she fusses, threating to cry.
"It's okay, baby girl." Violet whispers. Amaia looks for her voice and my woman moves so that the baby can see her. "Hi, baby." The words comes out in a soft, laugh. Amaia's eyes get big before a smile stretches her little mouth. We all laugh.
"We'll be back after everyone's seen you, okay?" Violet asks Kelly. She nods, her attention on her daughter.
"Don't let my mother in." She says just as we are walking out of her room.
"Are you sure?" I ask. She nods, sheer seriousness etched to every feature on her face.
"There's something I haven't talked to you guys about...When everyone has seen Amaia and you both come back in, I'd like to talk." Violet and I nod simultaneously.
"Whatever you need. You can tell us anything." Violet says. Kelly nods, smiling.
"I know." She whispers and we walk out.
We take a few steps before Violet breaks down. She begins to sob. Each harsh, deep, breathtaking sob breaks my heart. I pull her to my chest and rub her back, run my fingers through her hair.
"Baby, I'm sorry. What can I do?" I ask, wanting it to stop. She looks up at me with a smile.
"These are happy tears, Ian. I am just so happy." She whispers before sobbing again.
Happy tears. Thank God.
"So am I, sweet girl. So am I." I say, smiling. She looks up at me and I wipe her tears away. "We're practically grandparents now. Are you feeling old?" My questions makes her laugh.
"No way." She answers as we resume walking. "I mean you are old. I'm still young." I laugh, but give her a warning look.
"Hey, now." She laughs again and everything is right with the world.
"Why were you crying? Is she okay?" Nova asks bolting from his chair when we reach the waiting room. Violet sits to rest her leg, nodding.
"Down, tiger. Everything is fine." I say and he sits back down. Layla and Isabelle are back, although Isabelle is still not over her anger. She's glaring openly at Melody. "Where are Ava and Daniel?" I ask looking around.
"Having dinner. Ava hasn't eaten and he insisted she have something. They're at the cafeteria." I nod.
"Well, Kelly wants to see Mike and Carl next, so don't keep her waiting." I tell the men. They rush down the hallway. "I will be right back." I tell everyone. Violet frowns.
"Where are you going?" She asks. I bend to kiss her head.
"To the cafeteria. I have to talk to Daniel about something." I explain. She nods and smiles, but it's not genuine.
"Okay." She says and moves to the seat next to Layla. I frown, but walk away.
That was more than strange. I'll have to ask later.
I get to the cafeteria and find them sitting at the one table that's against a wall. I stop when I see Daniel's hand reach up to caress Ava's face. She closes her eyes and rests her head against the hand.
He speaks, a look on his face I'm not sure I know how to describe. She nods, removing his hand from her face and looking down.
What the fuck is going on here?
I walk over and smile at them. Ava's face darkens, recognizing my smile. She knows it's not friendly.
"Something going on?" I ask looking between them. They look at each other.
I try to push the horrible thoughts away, try to keep the anger at bay. I've been doing well these last few months.
"No. I was crying and Daniel comforted me. He was just about to get you, actually." Ava says, standing up. She could be lying, but she had definitely been crying. Her face is red and tear streaked. I open my mouth to talk, but she continues. "I need to talk to Violet about something. I'll be right back." She says quickly and leaves. I take her seat and look into Daniel's hazel eyes.
"Is that true?" I ask him. He nods.
"A lot of shit happened at school today before Kelly's water broke and I guess it all piled up inside her. She broke down, but she just calmed down. I was going to look for you, but I guess you found us first." He drawls in that thick accent, making it hard to understand. Spending three months with Daniel almost at his breaking point was enough to get to know him well. His accent thickens when he's feeling something.
"What's going on? You two were cozy. Too cozy." Before he could open his mouth, I added, "I'm giving you the chance to be honest. You lie to me and I find out, things will be much worse." His eyes harden, the unusual mix of gray, blue, brown and green in his eyes intensifying.
"We were not cozy, Ian. Couples are cozy. I was giving her the comfort she needed, I was being there for her. Do not forget I have known her for years while helping Violet with her classes and I have earned Avalon's trust as well as her affection, as she has mine." I nod and sigh.
What the fuck am I thinking?
"I'm sorry, man. I'm just jet lagged and starved." I say. He shakes his head with a lopsided smile.
"It is no problem, my friend. Tell me what's troubling you." I chuckle as he leans in and studies me further.
"I wanted to ask you a question because I have been thinking about it for a while now and I couldn't take the step without talking to you." He remains silent, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "I wanted to ask for Violet's hand." His eyes widen and a grin spreads across his face slowly.
"You want to propose." It's not a question, but I nod.
"Yes. But I wanted to talk to you about it first. You have taken care of her for years...I wanted to know if you thought it would be a good time to do it. I'm asking for her hand." I repeat. He laughs and nods.
"Of course this is a great time to propose! I approve. I completely and utterly approve." He says standing. I also stand. He hugs me, slapping my back hard. I return the favor, laughing because even though I would still marry her if he had said something else, it felt good to have his approval.
Because when you marry a woman, you marry her family. And if you don't have their approval, your marriage will have serious issues. No matter what, the family will always influence.
"Thank you, Daniel. Really." He shakes his head, smile still on his face.
"You have nothing to thank me for. I must thank you. You make her so happy. I will never be able to thank you enough for what you did and do for her." I nod, unable to stop smiling.
We walk back to the waiting room where everyone gathers and talks as we visit Kelly in pairs.
Before we know it, we have to leave the hospital. Everyone fusses about Amaia and Kelly's happiness. As we are getting ready to leave the waiting room, Nova argues that he wanted to stay, so he does.
My girls and I get home to have a very late dinner and rest.
I hold Violet close to me, kissing her over and over as she sleeps a deep, peaceful sleep and smile.
I am going to take out the ring I have had on hold for a month now.
I'm proposing to the love of my life.