He Loves Me

Chapter Thirty-five

Ten Years Later
About ten years have gone by. A lot has changed with life and work. Alyssa is the new store director. I am the front end manager. Ryan is my assistant front end manager and also the cart running manager (which I made a thing when I became front end manager). Ryan and I are now 29. 

Ryan and I are now the fathers to two incredible daughters, appropriately named Laura and Alyssa, ages five and three. We were also able to buy our own house. A beautiful one with a big backyard. We decided to buy a house when we adopted our daughters. We will always love Ryan's apartment because it means so much to us but we wanted a place for our children to be able to run around, make friends, play in the driveway and in the backyard and all that fun stuff.

We adopted Laura at birth. Laura was born to a woman who had an abusive husband. She was in the middle of divorcing her husband when Laura was born. She couldn't afford to have a child at the time and didn't want the guy having any custody of her. She put her up for adoption right away. Ryan and I jumped at the chance to adopt. We were 24 years old at the time. We were there for her birth. We both burst into tears when she was first placed in our arms. Her birth mom blessed us to the moon and back. She had no problem with us being gay. All she wanted was for the baby to go to a loving home where she would be safe. We love Laura to death.

Alyssa was born to a drug addict couple. She was born in Las Vegas. We've had her for about a month now. We had heard from some friends that live there that the couple was putting her in an orphanage. Ryan and I planned the trip out to Vegas to adopt her. We were 26. We fell in love the minute we met her. We spent a month there getting to know her. Every day we would go to the orphanage. When she saw us, she would run up to both of us with a huge smile on her face. That's when we knew we had to adopt her. The day she became our daughter, she wouldn't let go of Ryan. The day we told her she could now call us daddy, she said she finally felt like she had a family.

Laura and Grant have taken on the titles of aunt and uncle to our children. They have loved them from the minute they first met. They are such an incredible aunt and uncle. Laura is the owner of her own successful home furnishing store and married to Grant, who is now an attorney for victims of sexual abuse and kidnapping. Both Laura and Grant are 31 now. They also bought of house too. They live right next to us. They now have a four year old boy named Liam.  

Grant's brother also moved back to town with his wife. They live next to Laura and Grant. Ryan and I have gotten to know them pretty well and we're pretty good friends with them. It's a row of three houses of best friends. 

Ryan's uncle has taken on the title of our children's grandfather. Ryan's parents don't even know he's a dad now. He won't tell them and neither will his uncle. The minute he met them, he fell in love. He's the best grandfather ever. He babysits every now and then. He's a busy guy. He is now a judge. Top judge in the town. He still makes time for us. 

Ryan and I come home after a night out together. It's the first night we've had out in a very long time. Alyssa, Laura and Grant are babysitting our daughters.They both run up to us when they see us come home. Excitement on their faces when the see us.

"Daddy and daddy. You're back" Laura says excitedly as she runs to me. Alyssa runs to Ryan. We pick them up when they get to us.

"Yes we are back, sweetheart. Did you two have fun with Miss Alyssa, aunt Laura and uncle Grant?" I ask as I kiss her forehead.

"Yes we did. We had mac and cheese and watched Frozen" Laura says.

"Were you two on your best behavior like we talked about today?" Ryan asks Alyssa.

"Yes we were, daddy" Alyssa says back to him. Both Ryan and I look at adult Alyssa, Laura and Grant. They both nod their heads with smiles.

"Good. I'm proud of both of you" Ryan says with a smile. He kisses her on the cheek.

I pay Laura and Alyssa for babysitting. "Thank you both for babysitting. I'm so glad we can count on you for that" I tell them.

"Of course, Evan. It's our pleasure. Anytime you need us to babysit just ask" Alyssa says.

"Girls, what do you say to Miss Alyssa?" I ask our daughters.

"Thank you, Miss Alyssa" they both say.

"You are both so welcome. I am very excited for the next time I get to babysit you again" she says with a smile. Ryan and I share a hug with her before she leaves.

"I'll see you two tomorrow" she says to me. It's Ryan's turn to stay home with the girls. Since I'm the front end manager I can only stay home on the days that I have off. Ryan goes in on the days I don't. He stays with the girls most of the time. Alright with me. I love being able to come home to my family. It's what I've always wanted. My own family.  

"Sounds good. Thanks again, Alyssa" I say back to her with a smile.

Laura and Grant stay for a few minutes before they leave. "Well we should probably get going. Grant has a huge case tomorrow and I have several orders that need to be picked up early tomorrow morning" Laura says.

"Girls, what do you say to aunt Laura and uncle Grant?" Ryan asks.

"Thank you aunt Laura and uncle Grant" they say.

"Of course. You're very welcome" Grant says.

"We'll see you two soon" Laura says. Both of them smiling

As soon as they leave Ryan and I put the girls to bed. We kiss both of them on their faces. We do this every night with them. It makes us feel so much better knowing that our daughters have dads that will always be there for them. Ryan and I didn't have that for very long and I'm so glad that our children will have it. I know that my mom and dad would have loved to see me become a father. I know that they would have loved Laura and Alyssa with all their hearts.

"Goodnight girls. We love you both very much. We'll see both of you in the morning" Ryan says lovingly.

"Goodnight daddy and daddy. We love you both too" Laura says.

Ryan and I walk out of their room and go to our bedroom. We put our pajama bottoms on and get into bed and of course make out for a while.

Ryan looks at me with a smile. "Evan, after all that's happened in the last ten years, would you say that you're finally happy and in a better place?" Ryan asks me.

"I am more than happy and in a much better place" I say positively.

"Good. That's all I've ever wanted. It makes me feel at peace knowing you're in a better place. I love you, Evan. Always have. Always will" Ryan says with a smile.

"I love you too, Ryan. You're the love of my life" I say back to him.

We kiss and then go to sleep. For the first time ever. I finally have a place in the world and I couldn't be happier.

My life really has gotten so much better. Becoming a father really helped the most. Having two kids look at you knowing that they need and depend on you is something that can't be replaced by anything. It's taught me to appreciate life and to know that everything is precious. I love my daughters with all my heart. Now I know how my mom and dad always felt. If anything that happened to me happens to them, I will find the person and tare them limb to limb. I don't think I'll ever tell them what happened to me. Not now anyway. Maybe I'll wait until they're old enough to know. Maybe I'll never tell them. Who knows. Every time they call me daddy makes me a better person each time. Ryan agrees.

I never thought I'd say this but...I love my life.