The sunlight streaming through the window hits my eyes, prompting a groan from me. I reach out for something but can’t find it. Finally, I open my eyes and glance around the room.
It’s empty. I got out of bed and put on some pajama pant and a shirt.
Emily is here, and going out in just my pajamas would not end well.
I make my way downstairs, slipping into some slippers along the way, and find everyone gathered in the kitchen, except for me.
“Good morning,” Nina says gently. I walk up, wrap my arms around her waist, and give her a kiss, surveying the others in the room.
“It doesn’t seem right kissing and romancing in front of the single people,” Emily stutters, and I raise my eyebrows in surprise.
“I thought you were with that blonde guy-James’ friend,” I say quietly, while Nina gently brushes my arm. Emily offers a shy, somewhat sad smile.
“Yes, I was,” she admits, taking a pancake from the stack and starting to eat.
“I prepared breakfast. I woke up before the everyone and didn’t want to disturb you,” Alex says, breaking the awkward silence.
I meet her gaze with a light smile. “Have I ever mentioned how beautiful my girlfriend is? You look adorable while you sleep.”
“Adorable?” Niall interjects. “Alex snores like a pig,” he exclaims incredulously, rolling my eyes at him.
“When he’s sleeping,” he continues, “because he barely makes it through three hours. That’s plenty if you happen to witness his opera performance,” he shrugs.
I turn to my little girl. “Do I snore?” I ask, and she smiles reassuringly.
“It’s not too bad. Honestly, it doesn’t bother me-if anything, it reassures me of your presence when I wake up in the middle of the night. You’re not that loud-Niall’s just exaggerating,” she explains simply, helping herself to some fruit.
Nina appears completely composed despite everything that occurred with her family yesterday.
She shows a maturity I hadn’t expected. Truthfully, any girl her age in her situation would be looking to get drunk or do something reckless. Teens these days can be pretty foolish, to put it bluntly.
We all sit down to breakfast, a rare moment of peace and happiness.
It felt like a real family gathering. Nina sat on my lap, with Niall across from us and Emily behind the bar to our left.
“Where’s Logan?” I inquire, sipping my coffee and feeling his absence.
“Clarissa came by to take him earlier. She confirmed he’s safe and sound and mentioned I might have him for a full day,” Niall replies cheerfully, and I nod with a sideways grin.
“Logan is such a lovely baby,” Nina praises him, and Niall just shrugs.
“What can I say? He looks a lot like me,” Niall jokes, and we all chuckle.
“You’re so full of yourself,” I laugh, and Niall feigns offense, shaking his head.
Nina leans against me, resting her head on my shoulder and wrapping her arms around my neck.
“Daddy, Emily and I want to hit the mall. Is that okay?” Nina whispers in my ear, and I nod.
“That sounds like a fantastic idea, sweetheart,” I agree, especially since my day at the office is packed, and I don’t want her to be bored. “Do you need Robert to drive you?”
Nina glances at Emily, who shrugs. She turns back to me and nods.
“If that’s alright,” she says, and I confirm.
We all get up and head to our rooms. I notice Nina putting on the same outfit from yesterday, which makes me frown.
“Do you remember I have a whole section of my closet filled with clothes for you?” I ask, feigning offense, and her cheeks flush.
I walk up to her, helping her take off her clothes. Once she’s in just her underwear, I can’t resist gently caressing her bare skin.
“Thank you,” she whispers, looking directly into my eyes. She places her hands on my chest, trailing down to the butterfly tattoo there. She studies it for a moment before kissing it.
“My grandmother designed it,” I share quietly, and she meets my gaze. “No one knew about it because the day before she passed away, she gave me the drawing and spoke three Latin words I didn’t understand until I graduated,” I confess. She listens intently. “Alis volat propriis.”
“Fly with your own wings,” my beautiful girl whispers back, maintaining eye contact.
“How did you know?”
“Latin is a dead language, but my mom is obsessed with it,” she replies, shaking her head slightly.
“She made me study it for as long as I can remember,” she adds with a laugh, prompting a small smile from me.
“And then what happened?” she asks, encouraging me to continue. I take a breath.
“My grandmother’s death hit me harder than I imagined. So the day after her funeral, I went to get this butterfly tattooed,” I tell her, and she looks at it again.
“Where’s the drawing?” she asks curiously.
“In a very secret place,” I whisper, then start to tickle her. She laughs and looks at me. “Alright, let’s get changed,” I suggest, giving her a playful spank. She squeals in surprise, and I chuckle.
We begin putting on our clothes. I stick to my usual elegant suit while Nina opts for ripped jeans, a black blouse, and white sneakers.
While I prefer her in skirts for convenience, she still looks stunning in this outfit. I pull out my wallet, searching for the card I prepared for her…
“What are you doing?” she asks, tilting her head.
“Looking for this,” I say, pulling out a sleek pink card with her name engraved on it. “This is yours. Use it for anything you need.”
She stares at it wide-eyed, then glances up at me.
“I can’t accept this,” she whispers, hesitating.
Yes, you can,” I insist, placing the card in her palm. “You belong to me, and what’s mine is yours.”
She smiles softly, but remains uncertain.
“Just use it wisely, okay?” I add with a smirk, finally making her laugh.
“I promise not to go overboard,” she says, tucking the card into her small purse.
I adjust my tie as we leave the room together. Emily is waiting by the door, dressed in her usual casual but stylish attire.
“Robert is ready for you,” I inform them, and they both nod. Nina walks over to me, wrapping her arms around my waist and gazing up at me.
“Have a good day at work,” she says softly.
I smile, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “You too, my love.”
Emily rolls her eyes but keeps quiet as Nina steps into the waiting car.
I watch as they drive away, feeling an unexpected warmth wash over me. It’s strange how quickly my life has transitioned from chaos to moments that feel almost ordinary.
I got into my car and drive to the office.