Chapter 20 - Nile

"You remember the plan, right?" Violet asked when we woke up for the day.

"Of course," I responded. "I can't wait."

Violet nodded, looking thoughtful with her arms crossed in front of her.

"Is everything okay, honey?" I asked. I moved to her and held her arms, rubbing them encouragingly.

"I just want to make sure Pen knows just how important she is. I don't want her to think anything will change between us with a new baby in the house," she said wistfully.

I hugged her, pulling her into my chest and moving my hands to her back. "She knows," I assured her. "I'll make you the same promise that we are making her: everything is going to be wonderful."

Violet smiled at me and took a reassuring breath. "Alright, let's do this," she said.

"Good morning, Daddy!" Penny said, bounding over to me when we got downstairs to the kitchen. "Can I have some cereal?"

I poured her a bowl of her favorite and made coffee for Violet and myself. We all sat together, and Violet and I exchanged a glance.

"Penny, Violet and I wanted to have a special day today," I began. "We can do whatever you want to do. The sky's the limit."

"It's not my birthday," she said, confused. "What's so special about today?"

"Because you're the most special little girl we know, and we want to spoil you silly," Violet said, pinching Penny's cheek.

Penny giggled at the playfulness but shook her head. "I don't need anything, though. I just want to be with you guys."

"And that is why you deserve the world," I told her. "How about we just start with a trip to the park?"

"I love the park!" Penny said.

"We know," Violet said with a laugh. "Come on, kiddo, hurry up with your cereal, and then we can get your shoes on!"

Penny ran and played enthusiastically at the park, swinging from the monkey bars and careening down the slides for hours. When she was finally all done playing, Violet suggested a stop at the ice cream store.

"Before lunch?" Penny questioned, giving me a side-eye.

"Why not?" I asked. "It's Penny Day, and my baby likes ice cream."

The three of us linked hands and walked to the ice cream store, pleased with ourselves for focusing on our time together as a family.

"What kind would you like, Pen?" Violet asked, looking at the selections behind the counter.

"I can't decide," Penny said. "Either chocolate, birthday cake, or cotton candy. What do you think, Daddy?"

"Excuse me," I said to the man working the register. "Can I please get a scoop each of chocolate, birthday cake, and cotton candy in a dish? And then a small chocolate chip cookie dough and a—"

I paused, looking to Violet for her order.

"Small raspberry cheesecake, please," she said.

The man dished up our order, and I paid him before we went to sit at a table outside.

"Don't you usually get mint?" I asked Violet as we sat down.

"Yeah. I just had a craving for this, I guess," she replied with a smile.

Penny only ate half of her ice cream before declaring that she was done and offering the rest to Violet and me.

"Let's go get some real food," Violet said.

"Penny, where would you like to go?" I asked.

Of course, Penny chose to eat at the diner. Somehow, she managed to eat an entire basket of fries and a few bites of chicken on top of the ice cream she'd consumed earlier.

Violet and I sipped on our coffee while we chatted with Penny, making sure she received all our attention. I had assured my mate that bringing a new baby into our lives wouldn't change things for Penelope, but we both knew that wasn't entirely true. It was vital to both of us that she would have only happy memories about the day she found out she was going to be a big sister.

When lunch was over, we had even more plans for spoiling my princess.

"We aren't going home?" Penny asked.

"Only if you want to, but I thought we could go to the bookstore so you could pick out a few new ones," I told her.

Penny agreed excitedly, and we spent a few hours perusing the local used shop. There were no big-box bookstores in town, but the secondhand store would often order new releases for display. At times, they had even purchased books with specific customers in mind, knowing that they were almost one hundred percent sure of the sale.

Such was the case today. The bookstore owner, Cassidy, greeted me immediately when we entered the store.

"Nile! We were hoping you'd stop in soon," she said.

"What have you got for me today, Cass?" I replied.

Cassidy was one of the first people I met when I came to Pinedale. In her late seventies, she could easily have retired by now, but she enjoyed her work. No one had a higher passion for education than she did, and she loved it when she was able to match people with books that fit their interests.

"A few, actually," she said, pulling a stack from under the counter. "These were the two we were talking about last time you were in. I ordered this artist's guide to Wyoming for Violet, and of course, there's one here for my favorite five-year-old."

Penny stood on her tiptoes at the tall counter so she could see the book that Cassidy had picked out for her. "What's it about?" she asked.

"A princess who fights dragons," Cassidy told her. "And then… well, I don't want to spoil it for you. Why don't you take it over there and find out?"

Penny snatched the illustrated hardcover and dragged Violet over to the comfortable bench where she liked to read when we visited. I watched as Violet read the story to Penny, her voice animated and Penny's eyes wide with excitement.

"It's good to see you two happy," Cassidy remarked.

"It's good to be happy," I said with a smile.

When the book was finished, Penny brought it over to me, asking if we could take it home with us. I added it to my pile of books to purchase and sent her off to look for any more she'd like to have. She came back a little while later with four more books.

"You've got some good ones there," Cassidy said proudly when she saw her selections. "You take good care of those."

"I will," Penny promised.

We grabbed our books and headed back home, all worn out from our day.

Penny wanted to read and play games when we got home, so we spent a calm afternoon in the living room together as a family. We had finished our third game when Penny let out a contented sigh and came over to stand in front of where Violet and I were sitting on the couch.

"Violet, Daddy, this has been the best day ever," Penny declared.

She wrapped her short arms as far around the both of us as she could reach, squeezing tight. Violet and I returned her hug, smiling gently at each other. We both knew it was time.

"We're so glad you had a great time, baby," I told her. "But Violet and I have something else we wanted to share with you."

"There's more?" Penny asked excitedly.

"Yep, and this surprise you get to keep for the rest of your life," Violet told her.

"Forever?" Penny asked, looking up at us with wonder in her eyes.

"That's right, kiddo," I said. "Because in just a few months, Violet is going to have a baby—your little brother or sister."

Penny's eyes got even wider, and then they began to water. One tear slipped down her cheek, and Violet and I both leaned in closer to her, lending our support.

"Pen, baby, what's wrong?" Violet asked. "Why are you crying?"

"I'm just… so… happy!" Penny gushed.

We both breathed a sigh of relief and pulled her into another group hug. For a long moment, we stood there—a family of three that was soon to become four.

"Is it a brother or a sister?" Penny asked once the tears had stopped.

"We aren't sure yet, baby," I responded. "But either way, I know you're going to be the best big sister in the entire world."

"I'm so excited to have a sibling," she said.

"We're excited that we get to give you one," Violet told her, tucking the girl's hair behind her ear and stroking her cheek fondly.

"Violet, I have a question," Penny said with a serious expression. "When the baby gets here, it's going to call you Mom, right?"

"Yes," Violet answered. I could hear the hesitation in her voice, but it was muted enough that Penny was unlikely to pick up on it. "I'm sure it'll start as ‘Mama' or ‘Mommy' first, but when the baby gets to be older like you, it will call me ‘Mom.'"

"Do you think I could call you Mom, too? Like the baby will?" Penny asked.

She and Violet were looking intently into each other's eyes, and I knew this would be a moment that all three of us would remember forever. Penny had never had the chance to call someone "Mom" before.

"Penny, I would love it if you called me ‘Mom,'" Violet said tenderly.

It was my turn to cry as I watched my mate and my daughter become a true family right in front of my eyes. They had chosen each other, day in and day out, for months. While their barriers were different than those Violet and I had faced, they had overcome their obstacles with the same amount of work and perseverance. She was a true mother to my daughter, and I couldn't ask for anything more.