After the Drift

Chapter Forty: The New New Normal

I stood there looking at the man who was picking up the little girl I knew so well.

How was this even possible?

Through all the horror, death and loss. Somehow, I had the man who held my heart and the little girl it belonged to.

Mira turned to me with wide eyes and a huge smile. "Mommy! He's the man from the pictures! You said daddy died...how..." Her mind couldn't process what was happening any better than mine could. She stared back into his eyes, a complete look of wonder never leaving her young face.

He turned and looked at me. The stubble starting to show a little darker than a few days ago when we had been reunited. His eyes as wide as hers, his thoughts were clear- daddy?

I tucked a lock of hair back behind my ear out of nervousness.

When I had finally returned after surviving my traumatic injuries, Thea and Donovan officially adopted me and Mira. Our names stayed the same, but we were then entitled to whatever they had once they passed.

I had talked with them, as well as Carlos and Emmy about what to do. I just wanted her to be happy. They all knew that nothing would stop me from achieving that.

Thea and Donovan Frost became the grandparents they had always wanted to be.

Carlos and Emmy became the Uncle and Auntie who would help whenever I needed a moment to ground myself. Eventually their children became the cousins I had hoped she would have to grow up with.

Every other Sunday, the house was chaos with four kids above the age of eight running around with another slightly younger one sitting happily in their Grammy Thea's lap. Family breakfasts were the highlight of everyones' week.

The family I had now, albeit not by blood, was everything I could ever ask for.

I hoped my parents and sister looked down on us both with pride and acceptance of what had come to pass. I only told Mira of how much her family loved her.

I had decided that Mira wouldn't know about everything that happened until she was at an age to fully understand the gravity of it all. Who her real parents were, what they had done, what I had done in saving the world. It was all coming soon, I knew that.

I just wanted her to have a quiet childhood, free from the pain of the past, at least for a little while. We both needed that reprieve.

I understood when some criticized my choice. But my mind never wavered.

I had also chosen to tell her that the man in all the pictures I had, the jacket that hung in the bedroom closet had belonged to and who my heart belonged to, was her daddy.

A man who would have been proud of her, that saved the world and loved her mother more than any other. She would always quip, "Until me!" I would nod and agree while blinking back tears.

She would sit and have tea parties with a teddy dressed in that jacket and a part of my heart wanted so badly for it to be true.

I looked up from my thoughts to see Chuck with tears glimmering in his eyes. "I'm home, love. Just got lost for far too long." This earned him a hug around the neck with all the strength in her little body. "I missed you, daddy." I saw him take a shuttering breath and hug her back just as tightly.

Hot tears started trickling down my cheeks, my eyes meeting his. His held love, acceptance and pride. I knew mine mirrored the exact same thing.

My past almost thirty years were such shit, I knew, I absolutely knew, the next thirty plus were going to be the best years of my life.

I chuckled at my sappiness and went to hug both the loves of my life. Chuck immediately pulled me to him, Mira trapped in the middle, giggling, and kissed the stuffing out of us.

"So Mira, what do you think about a Spring weddin'?"

I heard an excited gasp and turned my wide eyes towards Chuck, who grinned shamelessly.

Oh yes, these were the best days of my life.