It was amazing what difference just two months could make in your life.

It was the height of the summer and here we were basking in our love and our new shared decision to be together.

At the last minute I stuck my tongue out at Derek, as he passed by me again, instead of pretending to trip him here in the middle of the street. He may not see the prank over the boxes and fall anyway. Perhaps moving day was enough of a strain without causing any more havoc, like a trip to the hospital for a broken wrist. But that didn’t stop us from our typical playful antics, or the kisses we stole from each other when we inevitably collided as we rushed in and out of doorways. We were moving so fast, it was as if we couldn’t wait for the day to be finally over and having the last box put in its rightful place.

But it wasn’t like we were moving far.

Derek’s place had sold for a great price. I did of course assign my own decorative touches and designer’s eye to help boost the asking price, and within a week he received an offer and I’d been hired to dress houses by the realtor, Barbara, Edgar’s wife.

We were turning out to be an amazing team, an unstoppable combination of practical and artistic skill. All three of us in fact.

“Here, Georgie!” Kadee shouted, meeting me in the doorway with a smile bigger than the box she carried.

“That looks heavy. Why don’t you bring that one over, I’ll grab this one?”

She blew out a breath, then gave me a serious and determined nod.

Custody of Kadee had been amazingly fast with the aid of Fiona’s great lawyer friend. But mostly because the honeymoon period for Karen and Brain had been shattered by his exposed adultery and Karen’s new purpose in life: Hollywood. Karen offered little resistance especially when Kadee wouldn’t stop asking to go “home” for the weekend to visit her dad. Karen also was apparently now only interested in her acting career even though there did not appear to be one forthcoming.

Thankfully, Kadee seemed no worse the wear for all this turmoil going on in her life. And I felt a pang of guilt that the poor child was being shipped to and fro, across the country, until the verdict finally came down. But now that she was here, with us, she was loving her new school, making new friends, and most importantly was reunited with Herbert… and her dad of course.

The past two weeks since her arrival the three of us had become so close knit, I could barely remember a time before we were all together. We’d become that heavenly family I had dreamed about the first night Derek had taken us out to the local restaurant.

“Wait, come here you,” I said, before Kadee had the chance to skip away and get back to work. She’d insisted on bringing her toys over to my—our house by herself. I bent down and wrapped my arms around her. She indulged me then placed a kiss on my cheek. I straightened her ponytail and reattached one of the fastening of her cute little dungarees that had come loose.

“We still have lots of boxes to go.”

“I know we do, but we’ll get it done. Don’t you worry. Did you pick out your room yet?”

Kadee nodded. “The one at the back so I can look at the garden.”

I smiled, somehow knowing she would pick that one. It had the cutest window seat, perfect for a little girl to sit on and look out at the world. To read and dream. A place of her own.

“Good choice. You won’t mind being next to the nursery then?” I said.

Kadee’s smooth forehead wrinkled as the words filtered through her quick brain. Then her eyes went wide and she glanced down at my stomach.

Leaning in closer, she cupped her hand like we were sharing a secret—which I supposed we were—and whispered in my ear. “Georgie, do you have a baby in your belly?”

I did likewise and cupped my hand over her ear. “Yes.” Then leaned backed and grinned. “Is that okay? Would you like a baby brother or sister?”

Kadee’s head bobbed so fast, then she brought her hands to her mouth and giggled. “A little brother, please.”

“It doesn’t exactly work like that, but I’ll try my best.”

I saw she had more to say and waited for her to find the courage. This had been a regular theme since Kadee moved to Hollow Point for good. She was still finding her feet, a little unsure of whether she’d be told off for speaking her mind, feeling like a nuisance for merely asking questions a bright child would. But we were not Karen and Brian, we wanted to nurture our precious girl, not let her wither like a plant without light.

“Georgie, when the baby arrives will I be able to call you mommy too?”

I struggled to keep my emotions from spilling down my face, my heart almost bursting from the innocence of her question.

“Baby-girl, if you want… you don’t have to wait.”

“Okay, Mommy,” she said and threw her arms around my neck. I snuggled into her telling myself not to cry during this perfect moment. To remember it and cherish it forever.

Across the front garden, I spotted Derek coming up the path and our eyes met. He shot me a wink, causing my eyes to light up and a mischievous thought to run through my head. I whispered in Kadee’s ear.

Now full of purpose Kadee sprinted towards her father.

“Daddy, daddy! Guess what?”

Derek shifted the box he was carrying to one side, and picked up Kadee with the other. “What? What have you two been whispering about?”

Kadee, unable to keep the secret any longer curled her hand in the familiar position around Derek’s ear. I got to my feet, and stood waiting on the porch, studying his face.

Just like Kadee’s had, his eyes sprang to life, the knowledge of what was to come dawning on him. Then the box was promptly discarded and he, with Kadee, in his arms now, approached with a cautious smile.

“Is it true, Georgie?” he whispered, his mouth dropping open.

“Of course it’s true, Daddy. Mommy never lies.”

Shocked Derek glanced from Kadee to me, a double whammy of information striking him. He’d wondered when Kadee might accept me as her new stepmom, but I’d told him it was far too soon. And yet Kadee was full of surprises.

“Georgie?” Derek repeated and I couldn’t hold out any longer.

I moved to stand with them, hugging them both. “I’m pregnant. It’s a good thing we have a spare bedroom, huh?”

“Well there goes my office,” he replied, still in shock I imagined, his eyes twinkling.

“You’re a handy-man aren’t you? I’m sure you can build an extension… Are you pleased?”

“That’s an understatement. This is the best day ever. I can’t believe it. I’m going to be a dad again. I love my girls so much.”

I nodded and pressed a kiss to his lips.

The weeks before Kadee’s arrival had been rather memorable, as we explored each room of the house, intimately. It was hard to know if Derek and I had spent more time working on the house or cementing our relationship together. So that it was unbreakable.

We all stood for a moment longer, Kadee still in Derek’s arms, my fingers entwined with his. We glanced up at the dream house that was filling up so fast, with love, with new beginnings.

It still needed a few finishing touches, but we were on the right path to make it perfect.

Looking back now on that first day when I arrived on Chestnut Grove and met the loves of my life, I could have never imagined how everything could change so dramatically. How, with them, I’d finally found my place and sense of purpose.

It was so good to be home.

* * *