Chapter twenty-seven

"What are you doing, baby girl?" I laugh as my daughter buries herself in the clothes scattered across the bed.

I'm packing our things since Abuela will be coming home tomorrow. Donnie and Ash went on a campus tour to Tennessee for the next few days. Things have been tense around here after Donnie's parents learned about my pregnancy. On the other hand, Ash was excited that he was going to be an uncle and assured us we had his support.

"Come here." I reach for my baby girl. She lets out a high-pitched giggle and tries to crawl away from me.

"I gotcha!" I scoop her up and kiss her cheek, nose, and chin.

"Sadie?" Charles calls out behind the door.

"Come in," I call out, untangling my daughter's hands from my hair.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."

"You're not interrupting me. Please come in." I take a seat on the ottoman with Sophie on my lap.

"You're leaving?" He points to the clothes on the bed and the suitcase on the floor.

"Yeah, Abuela is coming home tomorrow afternoon."

He nods and sits on the edge of the bed. Charles rests one leg over his knee and grabs his ankle.

"I wanted to apologize to you. I didn't react properly when you informed us you were pregnant. I am happy you have found each other again."But…

"Please understand my concerns are coming from a good place. Donovan has been through a lot, especially when he thought he lost you for good. He was a mess, but he came back to life ever since you came back. He was the same happy boy I remembered the first time I met him."

I smile and look down at Sophia, who stares at me with a wide, toothy grin. I tap her nose and pull her closer to me.

"I understand, Charles. You want the best for him, but so do I," I respond.

"You do?" he asks with wide eyes.

I chuckle. "Yes, I do. I don't want him to give up his future, but I also know that it will hurt him if he misses out on the baby's first kick, getting up in the middle of the night to bring my favorite strawberry shake, and the moment my water breaks." I lift Sophia until her feet bounce on my thighs.

"He just wants to be part of every moment. The long-distance will kill him, but it will also affect me. I love him, and I want to be with him."

His warm-hearted smile instantly catches my attention. "Maybe we can meet in the middle."