Beautiful to Me. (20 page)

             
Ava was drinking her chocolate milk through a purple straw pretty quickly.

             
“Are you going to get a head ache drinking that so fast?” I asked her concerned.

             
Ava froze, taking her lips carefully off the straw and mouthed the word “nope.” with a pop.”

             
“Okay then, here we go.” Ivy said, rolling her eyes as she picked Ava up and brought her into the living room for the three of us to sit down on the couch together.

             
We plopped Ava in between us both and Ivy began.

             
“Ava…” Ivy paused.

             
“Mommy.” Ava said making me laugh and Ivy rolled her eyes.

             
“Where did you pick up all this drama?” Ivy asked Ava. Ava shrugged and took her lips off her straw again and tapped her little chin with her chubby finger. “Hmmm… I think Uncle Johnny.” Ava stated as a matter of fact.

             
I threw my head back and laughed. “Got to love children’s honesty.” I barked out loud between laughs.

             
“Do I get to pick a name to call him Mommy? Because he won’t tell me his name.” Ava leaned into her mother and whispered even though I could still hear her talk.

             
“Ok, about that. Remember when I told you that Mr. Cavalier was my special friend?” Ivy asked.

             
Ava nodded. “That’s his name Mr. Cawaweer.”

             
“Right, well, we were friends in school before you were born. And… Well, we loved each other very much.” Ivy started to looked nervous.

             
“And we still love each other.” I added grabbing Ivy’s hand and kissing the palm of her hand.

             
“Anyway…” Ivy blew some hair from her face, making Ava giggle. And right before Ivy began to speak again, Ava looked over at me and then back to her mother and back to me and blinked a couple times.

             
“Are you my daddy?” Ava point blank asked without saying another word to explain to her how this situation.

             
I looked at Ava in complete shock. I did the same lost look back at Ivy who raised her eye brows and motioned for me to say something. I looked back at Ava who was still looking up at me with the same eyes that I had.

             
“I am Ava. I’m your Daddy.” I confessed, not knowing what to do or say next. Leave it to a child to put everyone at ease without realizing it. Ava carefully looked back at her mother and handed her the chocolate milk. And then stood up on the couch to be at eye level with me. Ava literally had melted my heart with what she said and did at that moment. She took both her little chubby cool hands from holding the milk and placed them on both my cheeks and smiled. “I knew you were my daddy.” And then she jumped into my lap and wrapped her little arms around my neck and I let out a long breath that I didn’t know I was holding. I wrapped my arms around her tiny little body and carefully squeezed her and held the back of her head and rocked her. When I opened my eyes, I seen Ivy was crying and so was I. Ava pulled away from me and looked very serious. “I told you I was right about the chocolate milk.” She informed me as she nodded up and down again, making all of us laugh.

             
“How did you know I was your daddy?” I asked her still holding her in my arms, and her wrapped around my neck. Her chocolate warm breath puffing out onto my face was the best scent and feeling I ever had up until that moment.

             
“Well, mommy told me all about my daddy.”

             
“Really? Like what?” I asked looking at Ivy, and back to Ava.

             
Ava, smashed the palm of her tiny hand across her face to move the curl’s of her long hair off away from her nose and shook her head then. Making me bit down, smashing my lips together so I wouldn’t start to laugh at how cute this little angel was.

             
“Mommy told me all about you. She always told me that you and me had the same eyes and bowf of our eyes are bowf green. See…” She nearly poked her eye out, pulling her eye lid back. “And then she told me that she only loved you and never anyone else and that every time she had pizza she thought of you.” Ava shrugged her little shoulders, like it was no big deal.

             
“Besides, Mommy never went out with anyone except Uncle Craig and Uncle Johnny. And she always told me that she would never bring anyone new over unless they were going to be important to me too. And until she seen you yesterday, no one ever else came over here except Uncle Craig and Uncle Johnny. And they are like Mommy’s brothers and they love each other. They love Mommy but only like a sister. Mommy told me all the time that you were her prince and some day you would ride in on your horse and come to meet me and you would love me. Do you love me Daddy?” Ava finally ended with that question, making me cry for not only asking me that, but everything she just told me her Mother said about me. Ivy was still crying and chuckling here and there.

             
I looked back down to my beautiful daughter and told her what was in my heart. “I’ve loved you before I even met you Ava. I’m sorry it took me so long to finally find you, but I had a very important job, and now I am finally here to stay with you and your Mommy if that is ok.” I told her.

             
Ava nodded really fast and jumped back up into my arms. “I love you too Daddy.”

Ivy

Finally a Family.

             
We made it to Florida that morning and waiting for us at the Airport terminal was Dominic’s parents.

             
A great deal of people had already recognized Dominic for the team and position he played and signed a bunch of autographs in both Dallas and Tampa airports. We finally found his parents and his mother looked like she never aged. Dominic’s father was in a wheel chair but still looking remarkable. Time was kind to them both.

             
Dominic took off and whisked his mother in the air and twirled her around a couple times before placing her  back down on the ground while she was still laughing. He went up to his father and gave him a hug and kiss as well before turning towards me and Ava.

             
“Ivy, is that you sweetheart?” She asked quietly with a quivering lower lip and eyes that immediately pooled with tears. I nodded.

             
“Honey, look who is here? It’s Ivy, Joseph.” She pulled me and Ava over towards them all. Before I realized it, Dominic picked Ava out of my arms and Mrs. Cavalier wrapped her arms around me tightly. Crying and laughing. She started kissing me all over my face and I went over to Dominic’s father.

             
“Hi Mr. Cavalier.” I said.

             
Mr. Cavalier began to cry himself and I leaned into his waiting open arms. “Baby, I am so happy to finally see you again.” He said as I finally pulled away from his heart felt warm embrace.

             
Both his parents looked back at Dominic and then at Ava.

             
“And who is this beautiful little angel?” Dominic’s mother asked, smiling at Ava. Ava stole the show of course. She wrapped her arms around Dominic’s neck and just said what really brought it all home for me. Keeping her head against Dominic’s chest, and his arm protectively around her to keep her feeling safe, Ava just told them. “This is my Daddy.” She offered the introduction of Dominic to his parents. Clearly making his poor mother nearly passing out. “You are? What is your name?” Dominic’s mom asked her as she continued to cry as I did as well. “My name is Ava.” She proudly told them, making Dominic’s mother stagger a little before I jumped over to hold her arm making sure she wouldn’t fall.

             
“Ava…” Mrs. C whispered and looked at Dominic and then me. I nodded and she looked back at Dominic and he nodded. “Can I hold you? I’m your Grandma. And this is your Grandpa. We have been waiting so long for you. Finally you are here like an angel from Heaven.” Mrs. C. said to Ava. Ava nodded and scooped Ava up into her arms and cradled her like no one was going to come close to Ava. Dominic came over towards me, wrapping his arm around my waist as Mrs. C. whisked Ava over to her Grandpa, and Dominic leaned in and kissed my temple. I don’t think we will get her back until we board the plan to go back home.” He whispered, making me laugh.

             
Once we were headed back, promising to see them the following month out by us to stay, Ava was now boarding with her own personal designer pink luggage, thanks to Grandma and Grandpa. Along with the new 5 piece luggage set, was a full new wardrobe that barely fit in the five piece luggage set.

             
The night before we came home, Dominic proposed and we married the following month since we no longer had any reason to wait any longer. We were reunited and whole once again.

             
Lucky for us, we got married when we did. Mitchell and Joseph were born 8 months after we were married. Apparently the swimmers that Dominic carries are pretty potent little guys, making the mad dash to my eggs. We probably conceived the little dare devils the first night we made love.

             
Five years later, we are having a family reunion and here I am waddling around, ready to pop again. I told Dominic that this was it! NO MORE! After Molly was born, I was getting my tubes tied. Thank God I only had Ava by herself when I was alone.

             
My mother moved to Greece with her new bazillion-aire and younger, MUCH younger husband. And lucky for us, Dominic was traded to Tampa and we had a house built on the beach in Ft. Myers Beach. Including an in-laws suite for my in-laws. I was ready to go after Dominic with scissors threatening to cut off one of his nuts, and I would allow him to pick which one I was snipping off if he even so much as hugged me. I seem to catch myself pregnant every time I came near that dirty rat. I don’t understand why he seems to try to convince me that I look sexy pregnant. When I all I see is a beached whale.

But life is good and I couldn
’t be happier. Thank God for how everything turned out. My once family of me and Ava, only us two, was now six and if you throw in the dog that Ava supposedly “found” and two in-laws we were a cozy 9.5. I say the .5 because guess what??? We just found out tinkerbell is having puppies. Yay. I just know Dominic got that dog for Ava. But she and he both have their little secrets together. I deserve it. Ava was my secret for five years, how can I blame him? Besides, he would remind me of me five year secret if I pushed it.

The End…