Chapter 19 - One Year Later
One year after the night Serena attacked Lily, Victor returned home early.
This time, no briefcase fell.
No one screamed.
He opened the door and heard music.
Oliver was dancing badly in the living room.
Lily danced beside him.
Victor leaned against the doorway.
Oliver spotted him.
“Daddy!”
The two-year-old ran across the room.
Victor lifted him.
“Hey, troublemaker.”
Oliver pointed toward Lily.
“Lily cake.”
Victor looked at her.
“Cake?”
She looked guilty.
“He helped.”
Victor examined the chocolate fingerprints on Oliver’s shirt.
“I can see that.”
Lily walked closer.
“Today’s a special day.”
Victor frowned.
“What did I forget?”
“Nothing.”
She handed him an envelope.
Victor opened it.
Inside was an adoption eligibility report.
He looked at her.
Lily spoke carefully.
“Your attorney asked whether I would consider becoming Oliver’s legal guardian if anything ever happened to you.”
Victor stared.
“I told Naomi not to pressure you.”
“She didn’t.”
Victor looked at the document again.
“You agreed?”
Lily nodded.
Victor became emotional.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
Oliver reached toward Lily.
She took him.
Victor watched them together.
Then he removed something from his jacket.
A small velvet box.
Lily’s eyes widened.
“Victor.”
“Don’t panic.”
“That sentence has never helped anyone.”
He laughed.
Then he opened the box.
Inside was not a diamond ring.
It was a small silver key.
Lily stared at it.
“What is that?”
Victor smiled.
“The front-door key.”
“I already have one.”
“That one belongs to an employee.”
Lily slowly understood.
“This one belongs to family.”
Her eyes filled.
Victor continued.
“I’m not asking you to replace Claire.”
“I never will.”
“I know.”
“I’m not asking you to stay because Oliver needs you.”
Lily stared at him.
“I’m asking because I need you.”
Silence filled the room.
Victor took a breath.
“I love you.”
Lily closed her eyes.
Oliver looked between them.
Then he slapped both hands together.
“Yay!”
Lily laughed through her tears.
Victor smiled.
“That’s one vote.”
She looked at him.
“You’re ridiculous.”
“Is that a yes?”
“You didn’t ask a question.”
Victor realized she was right.
He laughed nervously.
“Lily Carter, will you build a life with me?”
She looked toward Oliver.
Then back at Victor.
“Yes.”
Victor kissed her gently.
Oliver immediately pushed between them.
“My Lily.”
Victor laughed.
“Our Lily.”
Lily wrapped both of them in her arms.
A year earlier, she had used that same body to shield Oliver from danger.
Now she held him inside something completely different.
A family built not from blood.
Not from money.
May you like
Not from obligation.
But from choice.
