The Merger (BWWM - Book #1 / Complete)

Chapter 17 - Finally

Layla's POV

"Layla, is what the officiant said true?"

"Yes, it is. That is her rightful last name. And before you ask, you are Braelyn's father and deserve it, Austin."

"Don't say it, Layla. Remember, that is in the past. I just want to say thank you. This is special, Layla."

"When you get back to New York, you just need to sign her birth certificate and they will give you a copy."

"Daddy, can you put me on your shoulders like Ryan?"

"Of course, baby girl."

"Everyone can start heading towards the reception."

"Hang on, Braelyn."

Yup, I will never forget this day - perfect and drama free.

Our reception area was beautiful - a large table with two head chairs, one for me and one for Ryan. Kam sat in the corner chair next to me. And, Cris sat on the corner chair next to Ryan. Braelyn sat with Día and Rocco. There were bright, vanilla scented candles over the area. And, even a dance floor was set up for us. There was a variety of dishes, as well as Diabetic for Kam and Cris. It was buffet style. My mom fixed Braelyn's plate.

"What would my beautiful wife like to eat?"

"Everything. Goodness, I am hungry." My handsome husband fixed me a plate, then fixed one for himself.

"Kam and Cris, how did you guys meet?"

"My friend, Tamia, wanted to cheer me up because of a bad break-up. She took me to Cris' club. He can tell you the next part."

"My security team and I pick who enters in the club. I saw Kamea and Tamia in line and knew I wanted her all to myself. So, I made sure they got in and had VIP seats right near me. We had a dance contest that night and Kamea danced to "Get Me Bodied" by Beyoncé. She won hands down. And I was very 'happy', if you know what I mean."

"Well, I don't want to brag, but dancing is a passion of mine. After that, I thought we would never see each other. At the time, I was a Dietitian. My boss wanted me to take a new patient. And guess who it was? Cris. From that day, on, he said he loved me, but I was hesitant. It took me two months to realize I loved him. He asked me to be his girlfriend, and then I asked if we could just go ahead and get married. I already knew that he was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. And, we did."

"You still dance? It's been a while since I did. And, it's not bragging. If you got it, use it."

"Well, I have one that you, Noeli and I could do for Ryan, Marco and Cris after your first dance. That should get you back in the groove. After your first dance, cut your cake so the kids can be focused on eating it and not watching the dance. How did you and Ryan meet?"

"We met at a party. My friend, Alicia, was dating Ryan's friend, Dean. Alicia invited me over, but don't get me started on what happened there. Anyway, Dean introduced us to some of his friends, one of which was Ryan. We instantly looked at each other, but at the time I was scared of a relationship. I'll let Ryan tell the rest."

"I had broken up with a cheating ex 2 months before we met. I was ready to find the woman I wanted to settle down with. When I saw Layla walk in, I was instantly attracted to her. I saw confidence, beauty, and smarts. She gave off a look of 'I don't have time for games when it comes to dating.' So, I knew I wanted to talk to her. I followed her after she went to the kitchen to get something to eat. Then I saw her go out on the balcony. I saw that as my shot. She told me she wasn't interested in dating and that she had a daughter. In my mind, I was willing to wait for her forever, if that is what it took to date her. We started talking and then we danced together. The cheating ex of mine somehow got in the party. She saw us dancing and came over and threw her drink on Layla. Layla was pissed and blurted out that we would be going out on a date and told my ex to back off. She wanted to try and give us a chance. We have been together since that day."