The Thunder Rolls

Chapter 13

My mind was the clearest it had been in months, probably years. It wasn't racing and it wasn't trying to figure everything out, it was content. I sat up searching for my shirt on the barn floor. Dean rubbed his hand up my back and I turned and smiled at him.

"So if that didn't make it clear, I'm falling in love with you too"

He sat up and kissed me.

"It made it clear but I definitely like hearing you say it."

" good" I kissed him back

I stood up and pulled my shorts on. Roman lifted his head for a Second over by the door, then went back to sleep.

"So, we still need to figure out what to tell Stella"

" yea. Tell me if I'm wrong or out of place but, based on what you've said about your ex, I've done more raising of her just in two weeks and what little I've even done than he has."

" yes that's true"

" ok now being a sperm donor doesnt make you a dad, just cus you couldn't leave for 2 years and she did end up knowing him we shouldn't fault her by making her think that that excuse of a man is her daddy right? Or do you feel different? "

" no I agree I just didn't want to confuse her. She already thinks he is mean. I'd rather her think he didn't mean anything and was a mean person, than have me teaching her he was her father so you need to like him cus he helped make you even though she saw how horrible he was that's confusing to her. I can explain it when she's older and let her decide, tell her the whole story."

" she deserves a daddy that is going to love her, be there for her and help raise her, I want to be that guy. I'm not going anywhere, I'm not going to hit you, I'm not going to ignore her, I'm going to be in the picture"

" so then we sit her down and we tell her that Austin was not nice to mommy or her and it's ok if she doesn't want him to be her daddy?"

" I think so. She doesn't need daddy issues"

" then we tell her that Dean loves her," I continued

"And Dean loves her momma"

"... And Dean loves her momma, and he's not going to be mean, and he's not going to go anywhere and it's ok to love him." I repeated with a smile.

He stood up and walked over to the window where I stood and rubbed his hand through my hair

" it's going to be ok. If we're lucky, one day I'm all she will ever know, there will be no memory of any other man and life will be perfect"

" It already is."

" I'd change a few things but yea it's pretty darn close."

"Wait? What would you change?"

" we should go check on the crockpot."

I stirred the crockpot and it smelled wonderful. We took another shower to get the dirt and dust from the barn off us for dinner. I was so excited for dinner I felt like time was creeping by, it was only three. Stella woke up and I straightened her outfit out. I put on a sun dress and we set outside and decided to talk to Stella before she asked any more questions at dinner tonight

We told her everything we discussed in the barn she shook her head the entire time, smiling from ear to ear like she had just received a giant gift.

" so do you have any questions?"

"Ummm, can I call Deany daddy now?"

Dean and I looked at each other, why hadn't we talked about that question.

" Stella, you call me whatever you want to call me. What makes you happy?"

"Daddy! Cus I have no daddy, so Deany is daddy. Deany is nice, Deany is daddy."

Yea I started to cry, I made it week and a half without crying I was doing better.

"Then you can call me daddy, Stella."

She jumped in his arms, smile so huge, looking at me over his shoulder, and I knew that things would change from that moment.

She jumped down and ran to her tire swing. Dean had lowered it so she could swing herself, Roman followed of course.

" I think I might cry myself to sleep tonight, that was the cutest thing ever, and kinda sad at the same time when she said she didn't have a daddy" he told me his back still turned to me.

"Way ahead of you I already cried a little"

He turned and faced me his eyes red. He was tearing up. I wrapped my arms around his waist

" oh my god Dean, it's ok. Look how happy you made her, She isn't sad anymore"

" that's the point, it is was so sad when she said that but she is so happy now, I'm just happy she's happy. I'm really happy."

We sat on the swing and watched her chase Roman. Soon our friends would arrive but in this moment we were just us, just a family.

"Why did you say it wasn't perfect?"

" I knew you'd take it wrong, I didn't mean it like that, just there are a few things that I would in time make different. Just leave it at that Harlow. There is nothing wrong with anything. I love it all."

"Ok." I had no idea what he was talking about but I trusted him.