Luckless Lover

chapter 21

Steff's pov

Tuesday afternoon the bakery was slow. Around five p.m. only five or so people are there. Steff and Aly were up late and Zake didn't call or text and still hadn't.

Steff gave Scott a paid day of so she had no one to talk to. Everyone else was in the back. Steff had just set the container of dishes by the sink when the bell on the door dinged.

"Daddy!" She heard Aly say from her spot at the counter.

"What?" Steff whispered to herself as she went out. Zake was in front of the door hugging Aly. "Zake!" She said going up to hug him too.

"How are my girls?" He said hugging them.

"Why are you back so soon?" Steff asked kissing him.

"They didn't need me anymore." He put Aly down and picked up his bags. "I'm gonna put these upstairs and then we can go out to do something fun."

"Okay." She went to the door. "I'm closing anyway." She flipped the sign off and locked up. They went up turning off the lights on the way.

After he put his bags in her room they left. An amusement park had just opened up down the street so they went there. The rides were varied. The cannon, a roller coaster, a carousel, and many others. Aly loved the carousel.

Around nine the three of them went home. Aly fell asleep on Zake's shoulder. He put Aly in her bed and came back out to the living room. Steff stood by the door to the bakery.

"You wanna help me wash the dishes?"

"Sure." He took her hand and they both went downstairs.

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Zake's pov

Jose kept texting him, they talked about their girls and children.

Jose: I still find it hard to believe that Aly isn't Steff's. Does she look like Rian?

Zake: No not at all. Only her hair. And barely that.

Jose: Wow.

Zake: Steff is a really good person. She basically is Aly's mom. She is very nice to Aly. 

Jose: That's good bro.

The next week passed in a blur. On Monday Jose texted him while he was in the shower.  When he got out he saw Steff sitting on the bed with her arms folded and a scowl on her face.

"What's going on?" He said and saw his phone on the bed next to her.

"You got a text." She said and he picked his phone up off the bed.

Jose: Hey man, I know that you said you didn't want to work in Florida but I need you. I hate asking but, will you please reconsider?

Zake laughed at her. "Why are you laughing? You lied to me." She pouted. he gave her the phone so she could read all the messages. She read aloud the ones from Zake.

"Steff is a really good person. She basically is Aly's mom. She is very nice to Aly." Snd "My favorite thing, that she does, is when we watch movies she falls asleep on my chest." And "Today Steff and Aly were in the kitchen cooking, Aly stood on her little pink stool and Steff was cooking the eggs, they looked like a scene out of a movie. I love waking up to their smiles."

When she had finnished reading the texts she looked up at Zake. He shrugged, "I lied because I didn't want you to think it's your fault. I quit because I didn't want to live without you." He stood up and got the ring from his dresser. He had hid it behind a picture of the three of them. He knelt on one knee. "I was going to ask Aly first but I think now is a good time."

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Steff's pov

"I think now is a good time." He opened the box revealing a beautiful diamond ring. "Steff, will you marry me?"

She put a hand over her mouth. Tears filled her eyes and her voice cracked. "Yes." She nodded. "Yes!" He put the ring on her finger and stood up. She hugged him and cried on his shoulder. 

He sighed "Thank you." He pulled her back and kissed her lips. "I love you, Steff."

"I love you too, Zake." 

Aly came hopping in and Steff went into the bathroom. She heard Zake talking to Aly saying, "We have a surprise for you."

"Yay!" Aly sang.

Steff splashed water on her face a couple of times and dried her tears. She went back out and saw that they had gone out to the kitchen. She got dressed in her white cut off shorts and a red tank. 

Aly and Zake were in the kitchen eating oatmeal with dehidrated strawberries. She served herself a bowl. She sat by Zake and he held her hand while he wispered in her ear. "Do you want to tell her or do you want me to?" 

"You."

"Okay." He looked at Aly. "So Aly, do you want a new mommy?"

"Yeah." She looked confused. 

"Who do you want to be your new mommy?"

"Steff." She said pointing at her. 

"Really?" Steff looked up at her. 

"Yeah." 

"Okay." Zake said smiling. "Steff can be your new mommy."

"Really?" Aly clapped her hands. "But you said she has to get married to you first."

"Yeah." h5e kissed Steff's temple. "We will get married."

"But where's the ring?"

Steff held out her hand for Aly to see. Aly only gave her confident grin. They finnished eating and started the dishes when a knock came from the bakery door. Aly jumped up from her coloring to answer it. 

"Kendra!"Aly's voice carried into the kitchen. "Hi Addy." Aly took Kendra's hand and they went to Aly's coloring.

"Well I fell loved." Addy said. steff went out to say hi. "Hey steff. Can Kendra watch Mollie here? I need to get back to work."

"Yeah."

"Hold on." Addy took her hand, examining her new jewlry. "Zake!"

"Yes?" He came out of the kitchen as casually as he can. 

"What is this?" She held up Steff's hand.

"I do beleive it is a ring." He smiled.

"You proposed to her!?" She let go of Steff's hand. "Finally."

Steff went over to stand by Zake. She kissed his chin. "Yeah." She looked at Addy. "Don't call anyone yet. I want to."

"Okay." 

They went through the day fast. She and Zake called everyone after work. they finished the calls at ten. Aly had already gone to bed when they were done so they went straight to bed.