The tenderness I had for these tiny beings was overwhelming at times. I didn’t think I could love anything or anybody more than I loved my wife, but their birth proved me wrong. It was as if my heart expanded—and the happiness and devotion they brought forth strengthened and grew the love I was capable of giving. The love Alex had helped me discover.
A quiet squeak of the floorboards had me looking up. Alex was leaning on the doorframe, a gentle smile on her face.
“I thought I’d find you in here.”
“Just checking on the chicklets.” I kissed Hope’s head. “Noelle was obviously fighting dragons again, but I tucked her back in. Joy was good, but Hope was a little restless and fussing. I thought I could settle her down.”
Alex crossed over, standing in front of us. Leaning down, she ran her finger over Hope’s downy head. “Dylan,” she murmured. “We have monitors you know. I heard her, ah, ‘fussing.’”
I grinned, not at all upset she caught me.
She bent down, brushing her lips over mine. “You’re such a good daddy. But you’re going to spoil them.”
“I want to spoil them, Alex. I never want them to doubt how much they are loved.”
“They never will, Dylan. They will never experience the kind of neglect you did. You’re too full of love for us to let that happen.”
My emotions were dangerously close to the surface tonight. My eyes burned with unshed tears as I gazed at my wife—the woman who had changed my life, and shown me how to truly live.
Her eyes widened at the sight of my tears, and she slipped my daughter out of my embrace and nestled her back into her safe crib. I held out my arms, and Alex climbed on my lap, fitting her body to mine, drawing my head to her shoulder.
“What is it?” She ran her fingers through my hair.
“Do you know what today is, Alex?”
“Tuesday?”
I chuckled and kissed her soft skin. Glancing up, I met her concerned gaze. “Three years ago, I arrived in this province with one intention: meeting with George to buy his property.” I smiled at her. “I walked into the Sleepy Moose Inn, and lost my heart instead.”
“You got what you came for,” she reminded me.
“I got a lot more than I expected. I fell in love with a bossy little slip of a woman who thought I was an ath-hole, but loved me anyway.”
She giggled at the memory of that first night. “You were rather bossy yourself.”
“I was lost. It was the only way I could deal with the world and nobody figured it out.”
She cupped my cheek, wiping the lone tear that had trickled down my face.
“You gave me everything, Alex. You showed me what love was. With you, I got a new life, a family, and for the first time in my life—I wasn’t alone.” I touched her lips with mine. “You are my life. Our family is my life.”
“I know.”
“I love you.”
She sighed and guided my head back to her shoulder. “I love you too, Dylan. We all love you.”
I held her close.
“You want to go back to bed?” she whispered.
“No.”
I felt her smile. “You want to go to the kitchen and have a snack?”
“Yes.”
“Noelle and I made your favorites this afternoon.”