“I tried to convince him,” Lexi groaned. “But he had already applied to UCLA.”

“They had a great program.” He grinned. “And I knew you wanted to go to Los Angeles.”

“But we weren’t even a couple when you applied.” Lexi shook her head.

“Maybe I’m psychic.” He grinned. “It was inevitable that we would be together.”

“I guess.” Lexi walked over to him and he pulled her in for a kiss.

“Maybe you can drive Shelby and me to visit them, now you have a car?” I laughed and changed the subject and Anna grinned at me.

“If you’re a good boy, I might just do that.” She smiled and, as our eyes meet, my heart jumped. All of a sudden I wished it were just us in the room. I wanted to ask her if she would give me another chance. I wanted to know if she thought that she could see herself as a mother to Shelby and as a wife to me. I wanted to ask her if she would make an honest man out of me. I felt that deep, guttural feeling in my stomach and I knew, without a doubt, what Luke has most probably known all his life about Lexi. I knew that Anna was the one for me. I knew that there was no second best. There was no other. She was my soul mate. She was my other half. I tried to hide a sigh, as I kept quiet. I had to go slow, I knew that. But I also knew that I would do everything in my power to win her heart.

“Aunty Anna, Aunty Anna.” Shelby ran into the room and threw herself into Anna’s arms. Bongo came running behind her and crashed into Anna and Shelby, and I watched as they fell to the side. I rushed over to grab both of them and I could feel Anna’s heart beating as I held her in my arms briefly.

“Thanks Bryce. You’re a regular knight in shining armor.”

“Anything for a damsel in distress.”

“You are silly, Papa.” Shelby laughed and patted Bongo’s head. “Naughty Bongo.”

“Do you remember how to get him to sit and roll-over, Shelby?” Anna bent down and smiled. “Do you remember what I taught you?”

Shelby nodded shyly and put her hand out. “Sit Bongo,” she whispered. Bongo looked up at his name and jumped up with his tongue hanging out.

Anna whispered to Shelby, “One more time.”

“Sit Bongo.” Shelby’s voice was firm and Bongo hesitated for a few seconds but then sat down. “Good boy, Bongo.” She grinned and patted his head.

“I did it, Aunty Anna.”

“Yes you did, wonderfully.”

“Maybe you’d like to come over to dinner next week, Anna, and help Shelby and me a bit more. Now we’re going to be his fulltime parents?” I asked her with my heart in my mouth.

“Sure. I’ll even bring some special treats.”

“Awesome.” I grinned and I couldn’t keep the excitement out of my voice. I didn’t want to work myself up too much, but I really thought that there could be something really special there between Anna and I.

“Bryce, I wanted to tell you something.” Anna walked over and looked at me with a serious expression on her face. “I don’t know if you remember a few months ago, when you asked me if I thought you would make a good dad or brother?”

“I remember.” I nodded.

“I wanted to tell you then that I wasn’t sure, but I hoped in my heart that you would.”

“You hoped I would?” I stared at her, confused.

“I hoped you would because I wanted you to prove my initial impression of you wrong.”

“And now?”

“And now you’ve far surpassed anything I could have ever dreamed of.” She smiled at me. “You’re a great father and a great brother.”

“And one day, maybe even a great husband.” I whispered softly and she gasped and her eyes lit up.

“Have you heard from your dad recently, Bryce?” Luke looked at me with a concerned expression and I shook my head in frustration, slightly upset that he had ruined my moment with Anna.

“I think he’s in South America. Once David told him about all the evidence we had piled up on him, he quit and left. For good.”

“Good riddance,” Lexi said, softly, before looking at me. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. I have my real family. That’s all I need.”

“Can you believe it?” Lexi laughed, “We’re all kinda related.”

“Thanks to Shelby,” Luke grinned and rubbed her hair.

“Do I get a candy?” she grinned. “Please?”

“No, sweetheart.” Lexi picked her up. “But you get something even better. You get the three of us, all here to love you for the rest of your life.” She kissed Shelby’s cheek and then looked at Anna. “Actually,” she grinned, “You get all four of us. For a lifetime.”

“And I get to be your flower girl too, right?” She danced around excitedly. “I get to throw flowers.”

“Yes, my love. We’re all one big happy family now.”

“My own forever family?” Shelby looked around the room and grinned before running back to me. “And you’re my papa.” I picked her up and held her close.

“I’m your papa, your brother, your Brycey, your everything, darling. I’m anything and everything you want me to be.”

“I love you, Papa.”

“I love you too, my darling.”

“You made all my dreams come true, Papa,” she whispered into my ear and I felt the tears prick my eyelids.

“And you made all my dreams come true as well, my beautiful girl. You healed my broken heart, my love. You healed my broken heart.”