"You sure you don't want me to stay?" Seb asks as he fiddles with his tie in the mirror of our bedroom. He looks amazing in a full suit, showcasing his big build, and it makes him seem a lot older.

"No, you need to go and help Harley. It's only my dad," I tell him as I come over to stand in front of him.

Jake is sleeping in the Moses basket by the bed, after a long feed. Seb watches as I pull my dress back over my breasts, and his eyes darken. With the help of my local midwife, I finally got Jake breast-feeding instead of just feeding from a bottle. Jake is a greedy boy, so he likes to have them both, which surprised the midwife and us. Well, not Seb, who said he is like him about food.

"I'm suddenly very jealous of my son," he tells me as he steps closer.

"Really?" I laugh as he kisses me. The kiss is sweet, with enough pressure to let me know how much he wants me.

"Yes," he says and moves away to the door.

I follow him downstairs, being sure to grab the video baby monitor and switching it on.

"If he so much as says anything bad to you, I want to know," Seb warns as he opens the front door.

"He won't. I know this is difficult, but I'm giving him a chance. Like I did with you," I say.

He presses a gentle kiss on my forehead as he says, "Any man is lucky for a chance to be in your life, May." 

I blush under his compliment, and he chuckles. I give him a playful shove toward the door, and he relents by finally going out. As soon as the door shuts, I start worrying about this meeting. 

I'm lucky that my dad pulls up a few moments later, and I open the door for him after he knocks. 

"Hey, Dad." I smile.

"Can I come in?" he asks, looking nervous.

Dad looks much better than I've ever seen him. Dressed in his usual brown suit and checked vest over a white shirt, but his usually pale skin is darker, and he doesn't look so tired. The main thing I notice is that he doesn't smell like alcohol, like he typically does.

"Yes, you look good, Dad," I tell him, and I walk into the lounge, and my dad follows.

He sits on the couch, looking around the room. The room is slightly messy, with baby blankets on the sofa and some cups I have been meaning to take out.

"The house suits you, Maisy. I'm glad you look so happy," he tells me.

"Thanks. Seb asked me to marry him, and I said yes," I start the conversation I wanted to have with him. I show him my ring, and my dad starts grinning. I look down at my ring, it still feels strange to see it on my finger.

"I'm glad he asked. That boy is good for you,” he says. “What happened to that girl who threatened you?”

“She is in a local mental hospital getting treatment. Once her parents found out what was going on, they came back and we came to an agreement. We agreed that they are taking her away once she is out, if I don’t press charges,” I say, but I don’t add that we found out that Elena found Arthur when she looked for her real parents.

Arthur and his sister grew up in a bad neighbourhood, and his sister put Elena up for adoption when she fell pregnant, and she died not long after due to drugs. Elena’s adoptive parents told us all this, and we were a little shocked. Seb wonders if the mental illness Elena clearly has runs in the family, and that might be why Arthur is so crazy.

“I’m glad she is getting help, but, honestly, I want to kill the girl for hurting you,” he says, and I nod.

“I understand that. Just the thought that she could have taken Jake, and I couldn’t have stopped her keeps me up at night,” I tell him.

“I want to tell you something, if you will let me," he asks.

"What?" I ask as my dad gets up off the other couch and takes the empty seat next to me. I let him take my hands into his as he starts to talk.

"I was a terrible father, and I was lost to alcohol more than I could admit before. I've not touched a drop for ninety-two days, and I won't." He sighs as I gasp, a little in shock.

"I'm in a little, local group, which I attend every week, and I have put our old home up for sale. Your mother isn't taking it well. I have bought a new house in town. It's a small two bedroom house by the bakery, and it's good for me," he says, waiting for my approval, I think.

"That's, well, I'm shocked, Dad," I blurt out.

"I don't expect you to forgive me, or want me in your life. But, I'm going to do everything I can to be a real dad to you," he says.

"I do forgive you, Dad," I tell him, and he bursts into tears.

I wrap my arms around his chest and hug my dad as he cries. Eventually, he stops, and I start telling him why.

"I'm proud of you for everything you've changed in your life. I know it wasn't easy, and I want you in my life. I want my dad to walk me down the aisle, and I want my son to know his granddad." 

"Thank you, my little Maisy," he says, and I pull away, my heart feels like it’s being squeezed at the use of my old nickname he used to call me.

"So, is that a yes? Will you walk me up the aisle?" I ask, feeling a little nervous. 

"I would be beyond honoured," he says and kisses my forehead.

The baby monitor starts going off at that point with the sound of Jake crying.

"I will be right back," I say with an excited smile at my dad, who nods with a matching happy face. I change Jake’s dirty nappy and bring him downstairs to my dad, who lights up at the sight of my tiny baby in my arms.

"Being a mother suits you. Can I hold him please?" my dad asks, and I hand him over gently. My dad slowly rocks Jake in his arms, humming a familiar song, and eventually, Jake falls asleep.

"You used to love that song when you were a baby. I spent hours humming it to you when you woke up in the night," Dad tells me fondly.

"I'm surprised he slept for you, he only seems to like me, Harley, or his dad getting him to sleep," I tell my dad, who beams as he looks at Jake.

"If you need any help, day or night, I'm one phone call away," he replies.

"Thank you." I smile.

We spend the rest of the afternoon talking about Jake and about what we have both been up to. Seb comes home to find my dad cuddling a sleeping Jake. I hear him and my dad talk for a bit before he comes to find me cooking some dinner in the kitchen.

"That smells amazing, as usual," Seb says as he looks through the cooker glass at the two handmade pizzas cooking.

"With my dad helping, I managed to cook a little easier," I say as he comes over. I finish washing up and turn just in time to give him a hug.

"Everything going okay?" Seb asks. 

"More than okay. I've forgiven him," I say.

"Good," Seb says and takes my hand. We walk into the living room to see my dad watching TV on the sofa with a sleeping Jake on his chest.

"Dad is staying for dinner," I tell Seb as he sits on the other sofa, and I sit next to him.

"Nice to see you again, Mr. Reynolds," Seb says. 

"Call me Dad, you’re going to be family soon," my dad replies.

"All right, but maybe we can call you Grandpa?" Seb grins.

"I can get used to it." My dad laughs quietly. 

"So, what are we watching?" Seb asks.

"I'm not sure what the name is, but there are these two men, who are in love with this one girl," Dad says. 

"Sounds good," Seb says as I hold in a laugh.

"Oh, one is a vampire and one is a werewolf," my dad explains.

"Dear god, you've converted your dad into liking vampires now," Seb says to me with a shocked expression.

"I like the werewolf. I should because my grandson is clearly named after him," my dad says seriously, as I laugh, and he presses play as Seb glares at me.

“There’s no way you would have let me call him Edward.” I wink.