I hear Sophia’s voice the minute the door opens and my stomach twists with nerves. “Well, I’m hoping that we can at least move all the furniture here by the end of the weekend so that by Monday, the kids can start coming here. I am so ready to get this daycare center open once and for all.”

From where I’m sitting, I can only see her darkened silhouette. She’s carrying a huge box down the hallway from the front door leading toward the kitchen.

“Don’t get me wrong. I’m tired but I just want to move forward with this, y’know? I just want to make it happen, finally.”

She stops dead in her tracks and Nova halts behind her when their eyes fall on the open door.

The box falls from her hands with a thud. And she just stands there.

My heart trips all over itself as I rise to my feet and take a step closer. “Hi.” I peel my fingers from the front pocket of my jeans to give her a two-finger salute.

She’s still frozen in place.

Nova nudges her forward with her shoulder. “Go on. Check it out,” her friend prods.

Summoning my courage, I step into the hallway of the daycare center and take Sophia’s trembling hand. Now, that I’m standing closer to her, I can clearly see the shock on her face. “Wanna take a closer look?” I ask with a wide grin as I throw a glance at the handmade playground filling up the backyard.

Finally, she moves from where she’s standing, allowing me to lead her outside. “What is this?” she asks, her eyes wide with awe as she scans the huge sand pit where the wooden swing set and playhouse sit. There’s also a slide and a rock climbing wall. Everything those kids could possibly want.

“I built you a playground,” I say proudly. Over my shoulder I see Nova quietly close the door to give us some privacy. Then she slowly creeps away with a massive grin on her face. I’ll have to thank my partners-in-crime later.

She is in absolute shock and I’m in love with the look on her face right now. “You did this?”

I nod. “Charlie and Leo stood back with their arms folded and watched me do it. They didn’t lift a finger.” I tease.

“Oh my god.” She steps down into the sandbox and runs her fingers over the frame of the slide set. My heart thumps as I watch her sit in the swing and give it a go.

Our eyes meet and she giggles as she soars through the air.

“Wow. Oh my god, Archie.” The swing slows down and her feet graze the sand. “Thank you. But why did you do this?”

I shrug. “So you don’t have to get a mud bath on the side of the road every time you try to take them to the park.”

She shakes her head again, brushing away the shock. “Wow. Thank you.”

When the swing stops completely, we stay there, eyes locked together. There’s so much emotion in the air, so many words unsaid.

I can’t hold back a second longer. “Sophia, I am so, so, so sorry that I let you and River down. I’ve been kicking myself about it since the moment I walked out. I shouldn’t have done that. I was scared but I should have stayed and fought my way through it instead of leaving.”

“Why did you do that, Archie? I was willing to fight side by side with you but you just left me hanging.” She stares me straight in the eye. I can tell she’s doing her best to be strong. Not to cry.

“It was my pride,” I admit as I sink to my knees in front of her swing. I dig into the depths of my soul for the truth. “See, here’s the thing. I wanna carry you, Sophia. You and River. I want to toss you both over my shoulder and carry you across the battlefield. Even though you're kicking and screaming that you can stand on your own two feet. I want to be your hero.” I blow out a breath. “But I've had to admit some painful shit to myself over the past few days. I do want to carry you. I want to take care of you. But I'm not strong enough. I'm broken and I can't do it all on my own the way I want to…” I take her hands in mine. “But maybe we can do it together. Maybe we can be a team.”

That gets her attention. She looks up at me. “The Dream Team?” she laughs softly.

The sound makes my heart soar with hope. Maybe she won’t turn me down. Maybe she’ll give me a chance. “I’ll take care of you. I’ll do anything for you...But tell me you'll take care of me, too. I need you. I need you to be there for me, too. I'm not as strong as I'd like to be but with your strength, with your love, I'm unconquerable.” 

With shaking hands, she touches my face. Her eyes connect with mine. “I’m in, Archie. Forever. I’m in. No matter what. Just don’t you ever doubt that again. Don’t you ever leave me.”

I lock my arms around her with no intentions of ever, ever letting go. I slide my lips over hers and groan at the sweet taste of forever. “I’m not leaving, Daisy. Never again. You’re my magic. You’re my redemption. You’re the girl of my fucking dreams.”