And If You Ask Me, I Will Stay.

Chapter Four.

After we stopped at McDonald's for dinner, it was close to nine when we got home.

Both of the girls were sleeping when we pulled up, so Declan and I unbuckled them and carried them inside.

Nicole met us at the door, taking a sleeping Emma from my arms. Her eyes moved to Declan, who was holding September. "I take it today went well?" She guessed.

I nodded with a light smile.

She assessed the situation once more, her expression somewhat disapproving, before she glanced at Emma. Her dark eyes softened noticeably. She held her daughter closer, murmuring, "Come on, M&M, let's get you ready for bed."

Nicole turned and carried Emma to her room. This left Declan and I with September.

"We'd better get Emmy to bed, too," I said softly.

He nodded, following me when I began to walk to September's room.

He passed her to me when we were in her room. I exchanged her day clothes for her pajamas, removed the braids from her hair and brushed it free of any tangles, then pulled back her comforter and tucked her into bed.

Her little eyelids fluttered open. "Mommy," She whispered tiredly.

I sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching for her hand. "I'm right here, baby."

Her little fingers wound loosely around mine. "Is Daddy still here?"

"He is."

"Can he sing to me tonight?"

I smiled and looked to Declan, who was at his usual spot, leaning against the door.

He blinked, hesitated for a moment, then crossed the room to us.

"What do you normally sing to her?" He asked, crouching beside the bed.

"Something different every night--unless she requests something." I glanced down at her with a smile and added, "But I think she's a little too out of it for that."

He chuckled quietly and nodded. His eyes wandered around the room as he thought of a song, before settling on the child drifting off to sleep. Lifting a hand, he brushed his finger tips across her high, faintly flushed cheek bones and began to sing.

"Pick up all your tears, throw 'em in the back seat, leave without a second glance. Somehow I'm to blame for this never ending race track you call life."

My body jerked slightly, my heart skipped around in my chest; my throat tightened. I listened as he sang Turn Right, listened to that heavenly voice of his. Turn Right was our song, something we'd decided on the first night we'd met.

Declan glanced at me, and I noticed that his eyes were back to that startlingly dark coffee color. Our gazes held as he sang through the chorus.

"So turn right into my arms. Turn right, you won't be alone. You might fall off this track some time; hope to see you at the finish line."

The corners of my mouth twitched into a brief smile. I'd always loved it when he would hit the high notes.

"Driving all your friends out at a speed they cannot follow, and soon you will be on your own. Somehow I'm to blame for this never ending race track you call life."

Our gazes broke and fell to September as he repeated the chorus. She was fast asleep now, her breathing slow and even. Declan continued to sing though, focusing those too dark eyes on me once more when he reached the bridge of the song.

"I did all I could, and I gave everything, but you had to go your way.. And that road was not for me."

His beautiful voice was back to it's normal pitch for the final chorus, and I was fighting back tears.