𝐑𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐬 | 𝟏𝟖 +

𝐓 𝐖 𝐄 𝐍 𝐓 𝐘 - 𝐅 𝐈 𝐕 𝐄

Sevan

As I made my way down the hall, heading toward Dakota's playroom, I could already hear her little giggles spilling out. But as I got closer, I heard another set of giggles, higher-pitched, definitely not Dakota's. My brow furrowed. Who else was in there?

I stepped into the room and stopped, my eyes narrowing at the sight in front of me. There, sitting right next to Dakota, was a blonde little girl with striking blue eyes, looking like a miniature version of Olivia. She looked Dakota's age, maybe a little older, her chubby hands stacking large Lego blocks as the two of them giggled together.

I muttered under my breath, "Great, another surprise. Olivia had a child too."

I plastered a smile on my face as I watched them play, though my mind was racing. Dakota was having a blast, her cheeks rosy with laughter as she handed another block to the blonde girl. I glanced over at Savannah, who was sitting on the couch, legs crossed, flipping through one of Marilyn's Vogue magazines like she didn't have a care in the world.

Raising an eyebrow at her, I asked, "How long have they been playing?"

Savannah barely looked up from the glossy pages. "About an hour."

I nodded slowly, my eyes drifting back to the two girls. "And who brought this little one in here?"

"Olivia." Savannah answered nonchalantly, still absorbed in the magazine.

"Huh." I hummed, processing the situation, then decided to sit down on the floor next to the two girls. They barely acknowledged me at first, too caught up in their Lego masterpiece.

I turned to the little blonde girl, trying not to think too hard about the fact that she was definitely Olivia's. "What's your name, sweetheart?" I asked gently.

The girl blinked up at me with wide blue eyes, her little face lighting up with a shy smile. "Avery." she said softly, her voice sweet.

I smiled back. "That's a beautiful name."

Avery ducked her head shyly, her little fingers fidgeting with a Lego block. "Thank you." she whispered, before quickly turning her attention back to Dakota and their pile of blocks.

I watched them for a moment, my thoughts still swirling. Olivia had a daughter, and she hadn't said a word about it. What else hadn't she told me? I sighed quietly, not wanting to disturb the happy moment between the girls. They didn't need to feel the tension I was carrying around.

Dakota looked up at me suddenly, her wide grin making my heart melt. "Mama, look! We made a big tower!" She pointed to the colorful stack of Lego blocks they had constructed, wobbling slightly but still standing.

I chuckled softly. "That's amazing, baby girl. You two did a great job."

Avery glanced up at me again, a tiny smile pulling at her lips as if pleased by the praise. She seemed sweet, shy, but sweet. I couldn't help but wonder what kind of relationship she had with Olivia.

Savannah finally glanced up from her magazine, sensing that I was still deep in thought. "They're good together, huh?" she commented, nodding toward the girls.

"Yeah," I murmured, my mind still elsewhere.

Dakota and Avery, helping them stack more Legos as their tiny hands worked together, building some kind of wobbly fortress. Every now and then, Dakota would squeal in excitement, and Avery would shyly follow with her own quiet giggle. The two of them were surprisingly in sync, and I couldn't help but smile watching them.

Suddenly, a snort of laughter escaped me, breaking the peaceful moment. Savannah looked up from her magazine, raising an eyebrow. "What's so funny?"

I grinned, shaking my head in disbelief at my own thoughts. "Marilyn's going to have a heart attack when she finds out she's a grandma."

Savannah giggled at the thought, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Oh God, I can see it now." she said, her lips curling into a mischievous smile.

"Right? She'll be in complete denial." I chuckled, watching the girls as they worked on their block tower. But then, something else slipped out of my mouth before I could catch it. "And that means I'm going to be one too, since I'm planning to propose to Marilyn soon." The words tumbled out, and my eyes widened as I slapped a hand over my mouth in horror.

Savannah's eyes went as wide as saucers, excitement bubbling in them. "Wait, what? You're going to propose?"

I shot her a pointed look, warning her. "Shh! You can't tell her, Savannah. Not a word. It's supposed to be a surprise."

She gave me a mock-serious salute, still grinning like a kid on Christmas. "I won't say a thing, promise."

Before I could even recover from my accidental confession, I heard the sound of footsteps entering the room. I looked up just as Marilyn walked in, with Olivia trailing behind her. Nathan was nowhere in sight, which was a relief. I didn't want to deal with him right now.

Marilyn's eyes immediately softened, filling with tears as she caught sight of Avery. She stood still for a moment, taking it in, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Olivia called softly to her daughter, "Avery, come here, sweetie. This is your grandma."

Avery blinked up at her, and then her eyes shifted shyly to Marilyn. With a small, hesitant smile, she whispered, "Hi."

Marilyn crouched down to Avery's level, her voice gentle and full of emotion. "Hi, sweetheart. You're such a beautiful little girl." She opened her arms, and Avery giggled, running straight into her embrace. Marilyn scooped her up, squeezing her tightly and planting a kiss on the top of her head, her tears falling silently as she held the little girl close.

It was a tender moment, one I knew Marilyn had been waiting for without even realizing it. But as much as I was caught up in watching Marilyn meet her granddaughter, I noticed Olivia's eyes were trained on Dakota, her gaze softening in a way that tugged at my heart.

I leaned down and nudged Dakota gently. "Hey, baby girl, why don't you go say hi to your sister?"

Dakota's eyes widened in surprise, her little mouth dropping open. "Sister?" she asked, her head snapping toward Olivia.

Before I could explain further, Dakota was already up on her feet, sprinting toward Olivia at full speed. "Sissy!" she screamed, her voice ringing through the room.

Olivia chuckled, her own tears filling her eyes as she caught Dakota in her arms, scooping her up and holding her tight. "Hey, there." Olivia said softly, brushing a hand through Dakota's hair.

Dakota's tiny fingers played with Olivia's necklace, her eyes big and full of wonder. "We have the same lips." she said matter-of-factly, studying Olivia's face.

Olivia grinned, leaning in to kiss Dakota's forehead. "You're right, we do."

The two of them giggled together, and I could feel something stirring inside me, a hope, a tiny flicker of possibility. Despite everything that had happened between us all, in this moment, I could see it. I could see a family forming, a bond between Dakota and Olivia that could grow into something beautiful. If only we could get past our problems, sort out the mess we'd made of things, maybe, just maybe, we could be a real family.

Marilyn was still holding Avery close, her eyes shining with unshed tears, and when she looked at me, I saw the same hope reflected in her gaze. I swallowed hard, trying to keep my emotions in check, but the truth was, I wanted this too. I wanted this family.

Now all we had to do was figure out how to make it work.

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~ R