Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 51530 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 258(@200wpm)___ 206(@250wpm)___ 172(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51530 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 258(@200wpm)___ 206(@250wpm)___ 172(@300wpm)
The hour goes by quickly, and I’m waiting on the sidelines when the kids come off the mats. I hand Lily a cold bottle of water. The kids have not let her sit down one time. Her face is red and flushed, and she’s panting, but she looks like she’s having a good time. Fuck, I’m going to miss her. My heart is breaking, and it sucks acting like it’s not.
We walk side by side back to the party room. The kids and parents are all in front of us, and I know I shouldn’t be back here. I don’t trust myself not to beg her to stay with me.
“Thanks for getting Philip the job.”
I shrug. “He was the perfect candidate for it.”
Before we go through the door of the room, she stops and puts her hand on my arm. I have no strength to resist her, and her touching me is not helping matters. “Thank you for the gift too. It’s too much.”
Before I tell her she deserves it, she asks me, “Will you be mad if I don’t take it? At least not anytime soon?”
I search her face. “No. I won’t be mad.”
She nods. “Good. I don’t want to leave.”
She doesn’t say why, but I can guess. “Because your sister is staying in Whiskey Run now?”
She shakes her head. “No, because you and Ollie are here. I don’t want to leave either one of you.”
She holds her hand up and takes a step toward me, pressing her body to mine. “Don’t get me wrong. I want to learn to take pictures, but I can take classes online or at the college in Jasper. I want to travel and see the world, but I can do that a few weeks out of the year when Ollie’s on winter or summer break.”
I hold my breath, needing her to spell it out for me. “What does that mean, Lilian?”
“You need to know that I can’t walk away from you, Ford. I couldn’t do it. Before I knew about Philip’s job, I talked to my sister and told her I would help her get settled, but I wasn’t leaving you and Ollie.” She takes a deep breath and nervously says, “I love you, Ford. I love you and Ollie. I want to date you, and I don't want to hide what we have between us. I know I hurt you Friday, and I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
I grip on to her shoulders. “You love me?”
She bites her lip and nods.
I lift her up in my arms and spin her around. I kiss her until we’re both breathless.
My brother Lucas pokes his head out of the party room. “Ford, Lily! We’re about to sing happy birthday.”
I let Lily slide down my body and grab her hand. “We’ll finish this later.”
We walk back into the party hand in hand. Issi is lighting candles, and when she sees us come in the door, she winks at Lily and starts singing “Happy Birthday.” Both Lily and I sing along and watch as Ollie basks in being the center of attention. Lily takes pictures trying to capture it all. Ollie blows out the candles way before he should, but I don’t even care. Lily loves me, and that’s all I can focus on right now.
The kids devour the cake, and then Ollie starts opening presents. He likes the gift card that Lily got him, but he loves the pictures that she had printed from his school party. He flips through the book and comes over to Lily. She squats down on one knee, taking in his serious expression. “What’s wrong, Ollie?”
He shrugs, holding up the picture album. “I love this, but there’s not any pictures of me and you.”
Lily puts her hand to her chest, right over her heart. Her voice is thick when she asks him. “Do you want a picture of me and you?”
He nods, and Lily pulls the camera off her shoulder and hands it to Issi. “Will you take a picture of Ollie and me?”
She nods and points the camera at them as Lily wraps her arms around Ollie. They both smile and then make a funny face before Ollie looks up at me. “Now the three of us. Come on, Dad.”
I get down on one knee and wrap my arms around both of them. Who knew that today would work out like this and I’d be holding my whole heart in my arms?
The party is a complete hit, and as we’re cleaning up and piling everything into my car, Ollie is going on and on about how it was the best birthday party ever.
“I agree it was the best birthday party ever, but now it’s time for a nap.”
Ollie is shocked. “A nap? I’m six now. I don’t nap.”
Lily laughs next to us, and Ollie grabs her hand. “Dad, can Lily come over to our house?”