Chantelle pulled out of the embrace and frowned up at Emily, her blue eyes betraying her skepticism. She was only seven years old but had already learned to be suspicious and distrustful of adults.
“Are you sending me back to Tennessee?” Chantelle said boldly, tipping her chin up with fake nonchalance.
“No!” Daniel exclaimed, shaking his head. If it hadn’t been such a sad statement to make, it would have been comical. Seeking to end Chantelle’s sense of doom as immediately as possible, Daniel crouched down so he was eye level with his daughter, took both her hands in his, and then, with a large breath, exclaimed, “Emily and I are getting married.”
There was a moment of hesitation as Chantelle took in the news. Then the fear melted from her expression and her eyes widened with astonishment. A huge grin spread across her face.
“Really?” she squealed, gazing at them in wonder.
“Yes, really,” Emily said.
She held out her hand so Chantelle could see the ring. Chantelle’s eyes grew even wider as she stared as though in disbelief at the beautiful ring sparkling on Emily’s finger. Chantelle held Emily’s hand tightly.
“I thought…” she stammered. “I thought you were getting rid of me. But actually, it came true.”
“What came true?” Emily asked curiously.
“My Thanksgiving wish,” Chantelle said. She was still clutching Emily’s hand, and her grip tightened. “I wished that you would get married so that we could be a family forever.”
At the sound of Chantelle’s earnest revelation, a lump formed in Emily’s throat. She caught Daniel’s eye. By the expression on his face she could tell that his heart was melting just as much as hers was.
In that moment, Emily felt more blessed than ever before in her life. Somehow the stars had aligned and sent her Daniel to be loved by and Chantelle to be humbled by. Everything felt right.
“Can I be the one to tell everyone?” Chantelle asked suddenly.
“You mean everyone in there?” Emily asked, pointing toward the dining room door from where the sounds of laughter and chatter emanated.
“Uh-huh. Is that okay, or did you want to make the announcement yourself?”
“Please go ahead!” Emily exclaimed, relieved that she wouldn’t have to be the one to do it.
“Can I do it right now this second?” Chantelle asked, jumping up and down.
Emily grinned. Chantelle’s reaction had made her more than ready for this moment. Seeing her excitement and joy had nullified Emily’s nerves. As long as Chantelle was happy, then other people’s reactions didn’t matter as much!
“Right now this second,” Emily repeated.
On hearing Emily’s affirmation, Chantelle squealed and rushed off down the corridor. She was so quick, Daniel and Emily had to hop-skip to keep up with her. Then she burst into the dining room so abruptly that everyone turned around in surprise at the sudden intrusion. At the top of her lungs, Chantelle shouted:
“They’re getting married! They’re getting married!”
Standing at the threshold of the door, Emily and Daniel waited through the seconds of shock as people acknowledged Chantelle’s shouting.
Then they watched the surprised expressions appear on the faces of their friends and neighbors: from Cynthia’s exaggerated gasp, to the flutter of Vanessa’s hand to her mouth.
People started to burst into huge grins. Yvonne and Kieran, Suzanna and Wesley, all the people they had grown to love and call friends began to clap.
“Congratulations!” Yvonne cried, the first to run up to Emily and embrace her.
Kieran was just behind. He shook Daniel’s hand, then hugged Emily once Yvonne had let her go. Everyone took it in turns, coming up to Daniel and Emily with hugs and kisses, well wishes and exclamations of joy. Emily felt the love of her community surround her. She’d never felt so supported. What on earth had she been worrying about?
“We need to toast the happy couple,” Derek Hansen announced in his strong, mayoral voice.
People began filling their glasses with champagne. A glass was thrust into Emily’s hand. Beside her, Serena filled a champagne flute with cola so Chantelle could join in. Emily found her mind flitting all over the place, she was so overwhelmed with a sense of euphoria. It felt like she was in a dream.
Then everyone’s glasses were high in the air, the light from the chandelier making a thousand spots of light dance across the walls, floor, and ceiling.
“To Emily and Daniel,” Mayor Hansen called out. Then to Daniel, he added, “To finding one’s soul mate,” and to Emily, “And to following one’s dream.”
Everyone cheered and clinked glasses as Emily wiped the tears of joy from her eyes.
It was the best Thanksgiving she had ever had.
The party stretched on well into the night. It was filled with friendship and joy, and Emily was happier than she’d ever thought possible, not to mention thankful. But finally the party wound down, the guests trickled out into the crisp night, and a hush fell over the inn.
Even when she and Daniel had turned in for bed, Emily felt herself still buzzing with energy. Her head was swimming, and she tossed and turned, unable to shut it down.
“Can’t sleep?” Daniel said, half his face concealed by the fluffy pillow it rested upon. Then he grinned. “Me neither.”
Emily turned to face him. She ran her fingers across his bare, muscular chest. “I can’t stop thinking about the future,” she said. “I’m so excited.”
Daniel reached out and stroked Emily’s cheek. “I know something that might take your mind off things,” he said. Then he pressed his lips to hers.
Emily sunk into the kiss, feeling all her thoughts melt away as her body was completely taken over with sensation. She pulled Daniel close to her, feeling his heart beating against her own. Daniel always ignited a fiery passion within her but what she felt now was beyond anything she’d ever felt before.
Just then, their bedroom door flew open. A shard of light from the corridor outside burst into the room like a spotlight. Emily and Daniel sprang apart.
Standing in the doorway was Chantelle.
“I can’t sleep!” she declared, running in.
Emily laughed. “Well, that makes all of us, then,” she said.
Chantelle leapt into the bed with Emily and Daniel, snuggling right in between them. Emily couldn’t help but laugh. Chantelle was the only thing that could interrupt her and Daniel’s lovemaking without frustrating her.
“When you and Daddy are married, will that mean you’re my mommy forever?” Chantelle asked.
Emily nodded. But then she wondered. She and Daniel had been speaking to their friend Richard, who was a family attorney, about whether they could officially adopt Chantelle. Would being married strengthen their case against Chantelle’s birth mother? Sheila was a drug user with no fixed abode, two things that already worked in their favor. Would their marriage help her adopt Chantelle?
She looked at Daniel and Chantelle, both now slipping into slumber. The sight overjoyed Emily. In that moment, she doubled her resolve to look into legal proceedings. The sooner the better. She wanted them to be a proper family more than anything she’d ever wanted in the world. With the ring sparkling on her finger, she felt closer than ever to making that dream a reality.
CHAPTER TWO
Emily woke the morning after Thanksgiving to a feeling of elation. She had never felt so happy.