Follow Your Heart [Rydon]

Chapter 17: Parents

fast forwarding a little because it's been forever since I updated this (almost a year) so idek what to do with it anymore. might be coming to an end soon -maybe this chapter- cause i don't feel like i used to about it. thanks for reading it though!

also im sorry if anything in this chapter doesn't add up with previous chapters. i read through some of them to catch up, so hopefully it should be fine. c:

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It's been a a little over two years since now since Lacie passed. Toward the end of Sarah's pregnancy, her parents convinced her to sign over her rights to me, and she hasn't seen the baby since giving birth. Turns out the baby was mine after all. 

Sarah didn't want anything to do with naming the baby. She didn't sign the birth certificate or anything like that. I've got the baby's hospital bands, feet prints, blankets, and the little pink hat from the day she was born.

She's two now. Just turned two last month, and she looks so much like Lacie. So I gave her that name, after my little sister. I also gave her Ryan's last name, because whenever we get married, I plan on taking his name. He cried when I told him she had his last name. 

My parents finally came around and said I could move back in if I wanted to, but Ryan's mom helped us get an apartment after graduation and that's where we've been ever since. With our baby girl. He's amazing with her, I love seeing the two of them together.

Ryan loves Lacie more than anything, that's for sure. He'd do anything in the world to make sure she has everything she needs. I can't thank him enough for being here with me, helping through this parenting thing, and loving the both of us unconditionally. His mom is also a big help. She keeps Lacie on weekends sometimes, to give Ryan and I some alone time. She considers herself as Lacie's grandma and Lacie loves her like one. She doesn't know any different.

Her hair is the same color as mine but her eyes are blue like Sarah's. I get upset sometimes, thinking about how Sarah gave up on her. How she let her parents convince her to sign away her rights. She'll probably never see Lacie. Once Lacie is old enough to understand, or when she starts questioning why she has two dads, or asks who her mom is, I plan to tell her the truth about it. Hopefully Sarah has the chance to see this beautiful little girl. Lacie deserves to know who her birth mother is.

Just before Sarah gave birth, she and I had pictures done. It was shortly after she told me she was going to sign over her rights to me, and she wanted to get the photos done so the baby could look back at them and know that Sarah did love her even if she gave up being her mom.

Ryan was more than happy to take the pictures. He's a natural behind that camera. The pictures were amazing and I have them all in a photo album for Lacie when she's older.

I've been planning to propose to him, actually, and I have an idea of how to do it. I just hope he says yes.

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Lacie and I went to the mall earlier this morning while Ryan was at work, still at the bookstore, and I bought Ryan an engagement ring. I've never taken off the promise ring he got me for Christmas a couple years ago, and Ryan hasn't taken his off either. At least I'm pretty sure he hasn't.

"Ooh." Lacie smiles brightly at all of the jewelry in the store. I smiled at her and kissed the top of her head.

"What do you think daddy would like?" I ask her, knowing she won't give me an answer that isn't babble. She's starting to talk, but not really putting together sentences that make sense. I look into the case and decide on a plain silver band.

The woman behind the counter smiles at me and gets the ring into a box and I pay for it.

As Lacie as I are leaving the mall, I hear my name in a familiar voice that I haven't heard since the day Lacie was born.