Picture Perfect: A Second Chance Secret Baby Romance

by Krista Carleson

  I reached Jessica’s place with a bouquet of roses, plus a new-found admiration for her. She raised our daughter all on her own, never asking for anything in return. I couldn’t stay mad at her. She didn’t deserve that.

  And when she opened the door, all I wanted was to pull her against me and tell her everything was going to be alright. She wasn’t going to raise our kid alone anymore.

  “Noah?” Her face broke into a smile, her gaze going between the roses and my eyes, but then she turned serious, as if she was wary of my presence. “What are you doing here?”

  “Can I come inside?”

  “Sure.” She stepped to the side to let me in.

  “These are for you.”

  “Aww thank you. They are beautiful.” She took them from me and closed the door, still looking insecure. “Maya is at daycare.”

  “I guessed she was there. She has a beautiful name.”

  “A beautiful name for a beautiful girl.”

  “I believe that, if she’s anything like you.”

  A gigantic smile illuminated her face as she put the bouquet on the coffee table in her living room. “Actually, she took after you.”

  A fluttery feeling settled in my chest, something deep within me warming. I couldn’t wait to see her.

  “I want you to know that I came here to apologize.”

  I approached her and wrapped my fingers around her hand, my eyes going over her flowery dress and a long braid she wore. She was more beautiful than ever.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “I’m sorry for acting like a jerk and for not listening to you. I felt mad and betrayed, but I know I exaggerated.”

  “I don’t want you to feel betrayed, Noah,” she was quick to reassure me. “You had the right to feel angry.”

  “I know, but it doesn’t really matter.” I planted a kiss on the back of her hand. “I thought a lot about our past and everything that happened between us, and now I see how unfair I have been. You had to raise her all on your own, and for that, I admire you so much.”

  I cupped her cheek. I wanted to give her and our daughter the world.

  “I want you, Jessica. I want both you and our daughter, and the past doesn’t matter. What matters now is to go forward and be happy. We can do this. Together. We’ll be a family.”

  Her eyes filled with tears, she jumped up to hug me and wrapped her legs around my waist. I held her against me, pressing my face into her neck with the need to get as close to her as I could.

  “I’m so happy to hear this! So, so happy!”

  She showered my face with kisses, giggling like a little girl. Her joy was infectious. I spun her around, laughing together with her. We ended on her couch and started kissing, our mouths fusing together, and her taste pervaded me, her body pressing against mine. Only now I saw that it would be impossible for me to live without her. She was so precious.

  And as I kissed her, I felt like I was on the top of the world. Nothing could compare to the feeling of holding the woman I loved in my arms. Nothing.

  She leaned away to look at me, her eyes glazed and lips a bit swollen from kissing. I liked this look the best on her.

  “A family,” she said and brushed away her happy tears from her cheeks. “I love the sound of it.”

  “Me too. We can do it, baby.”

  “It’s so hard for me to believe this. It feels too good to be true!”

  I left a kiss on her lips, her cheeks, and her forehead. “But it’s true, and it’s only the beginning.”

  “I can’t wait for Maya to see you.”

  I caught a strand of her hair and observed it, many thoughts rushing through my head at once. I couldn’t wait to see my daughter, but it would be a lie if I said I wasn’t nervous about her reaction.

  “Does Maya know about me?”

  “No. I didn’t tell her about you. All that she knows is that you’re far away and won’t come home anytime soon.”

  “How did she handle that?”

  She made a long sigh. “She handled it fine, but nothing beats having a father. You can imagine how confused she was to see other kids with their parents while knowing she can’t have that.”

  “She will have it now. She’ll never have to feel that way again.”

  “Thank you, Noah. I can’t even explain what this means to me. What this means to Maya. There was a time when I was afraid you wouldn’t accept her. I was ready for that option too. I was ready to hear that you didn’t want to know anything about her.”

  “How could you think something like that?”

  She made another sigh. “Think about it. There are so many single moms out there who struggle on their own because the fathers don’t care about their child. Besides, you have a different lifestyle. I thought there was no place in it for a kid.”

  I leaned in and kissed the top of her head. “Well, you were wrong. And I’m going to make sure both of you are happy and safe.”

  “You know, I was thinking. Maybe you can come with me to pick up Maya from her daycare. You can finally meet her.”

  She didn’t need to say it twice. “I would absolutely love that.”

  * * *

  I waited for Jessica in front of the daycare as she went inside to get Maya. I paced up and down the pavement, anxious to see my daughter.

  All the way here, Jessica was talking about Maya’s interests, favorite things to do, and much, much more, and I yearned to know everything about her, feeling sorry for not seeing her grow up.

  And then they were coming my way, and my heart literally missed a few beats as I took in a small bundle of sweetness. Nothing ever touched me the way she did as her curious hazel eyes met mine, and for a couple of seconds, I had difficulty breathing.

  My chest was burning with adoration as I looked at her dark hair so long that it reached her lower back or her face that was the same as mine. She was the replica of me. She was perfect.

  She was holding Jessica by her hand, listening to something that Jess was saying to her, but eyes never left me. I couldn’t find the words, experiencing such strong emotions.

  They stopped in front of me, and Jessica knelt next to Maya. I had yet to move, each part of me filled with love for this little girl.

  “Maya, I know this may be too sudden, but meet Noah.” She motioned with her hand at me. “Noah is your daddy.”

  I squatted, ready to take her in my arms and show her how much she meant to me. “Hello, Maya,” I said in an unusually hoarse voice. “I’m Noah, your dad.”

  It took her a few seconds to make any reaction, which were the longest seconds of my life.

  But then, slowly, she smiled, and everything clicked into place. We were reunited at last.

  22

  Jessica

  * * *

  As I knelt next to my daughter and Noah and observed their first encounter, I experienced a myriad of feelings. I felt happiness, joy, relief, and hope. Hope that the future would bring nothing but good things. We were off to a good start.

  I was nervous about their meeting because I couldn’t predict Maya’s reaction, but when Noah told her he was her dad and she smiled the sweetest smile, everything in me exploded with glee, my eyes filling with tears to see Maya and Noah finally united.

  “Will you go away?” Maya asked Noah shyly, and my heart swelled. Oh, honey…

  “Noah is here to stay,” I told her, placing my hand on Noah’s shoulder. “From now on, we will be a family.”

  “We will?” She squealed and began jumping with joy. “Yay!”

  Noah smiled at her, his tender eyes showing the extent of his love for our little girl, and my heart swelled again.

  “Yes, I’m not going anywhere, Maya. We’re a family now.” Slowly, as if testing the waters, he opened his arms widely, inviting her to hug him.

  “Go on,” I encouraged her. “Give your dad a hug.”

  She didn’t need any more encouragement than that. With another squeal, she rushed into his arms and wound her tiny arms around his big fr
ame, and it was the most adorable thing I had ever seen. “Daddy!”

  Noah held her close, the tears appearing in his eyes when he met my gaze over her shoulder, and more tears poured out of mine. My family.

  “Don’t go away, daddy. Don’t ever go away.”

  “Never, sweetie. I love you,” he said into her hair. “I love you so much.”

  “I love you too.”

  Oh God. For how long had I dreamed about something like this? For how long had I hoped my daughter would have her father by her side? And now that it was happening, I felt like my heart was going to burst from happiness at any moment.

  “From now on,” he began, looking at me but talking to Maya. “I’ll do anything to make you two happy.”

  He reached out for me, and I caught his hand, never feeling happier than I was now.

  * * *

  I was surprised by how well Maya was handling this big change in our lives. She accepted him right away, happy to finally have her father and so curious to know more about him.

  When we came to my place, I grabbed my camera and made several shots of Noah and Maya together, each picture giving me more joy—especially the one of Noah holding Maya on his lap and hugging her with their faces pressed next to each other. It felt surreal. Like the sweetest dream, and I never wanted to wake up. Only, it was reality, and it was just the beginning.

  I couldn’t stop giggling, my step lighter as I moved around the kitchen to prepare a celebratory dinner. Noah wanted to take us out, but Maya insisted on a homemade pizza that was one of my specialties.

  “Now, I understand what you mean when you say it’s easy to spoil her,” Noah told me when Maya rushed over to her room to grab her favorite toys to show Noah. “It’s hard to say no to her.”

  “She can be persuasive, especially with that smile that’s just like yours.”

  He placed his hand on the small of my back and pulled me to him. “Thank you for giving a birth to such an adorable girl,” he told me, his eyes locked on mine. “I can’t even find the words to tell you how I feel right now.”

  “Same here,” I whispered into his lips and kissed him. “I’m so unbelievably happy.”

  “Daddy! Daddy!” Maya rushed into the kitchen, holding her Barbie dolls in her small hands. “Look!”

  He went down to his knees and took Barbie dolls from her, his tender smile getting to me. I could watch them like this forever.

  “Wow. They look nice. What are their names?”

  “This is Emily. And this is Anna. And this is Mary. They have a boyfriend.”

  Noah raised his eyebrow, glancing at me with a widening smile. “A boyfriend?”

  “Yes. He’s in my room, and he’s pretty. But not as pretty as you are, daddy.”

  I pressed my hand against my chest, feeling like I could start crying again at any moment. So, so adorable.

  Noah tapped her nose. “But do you know who the prettiest is?” Maya shook her head vigorously. “You.”

  With a grin, I continued making pizza, floating on a cloud of joy and exhilaration as they talked about Maya’s toys.

  * * *

  Since Maya spent the whole evening playing with Noah, she got tired quickly and was ready to sleep much earlier than usual. We went to her bedroom and tucked her into bed together.

  “Daddy, will you read me a story?” She was peeking from under the covers, carrying a goofy smile.

  “I read her bedtime stories almost every night. It’s the easiest way for her to fall asleep,” I told him and handed him the book from the nightstand.

  He took the book and opened on a random page. “Of course, love. What story do you want me to read?”

  “The Cat in the Hat.”

  “The Cat in the Hat it is.”

  Noah wasn’t even three minutes into reading, his voice gentle and soothing, when she fell asleep. My lips curled into a smile when I saw the way Noah observed her sleeping face, his hand holding Maya’s.

  “Does she always fall asleep this fast?” he whispered.

  “Not really. I guess the excitement wore her down.”

  “She’s so sweet and smart. And how she looked at me when she talked about her Barbie dolls...” He let out a quiet chuckle. “So cute.”

  “Yep. She’s like that when she’s really excited about something.”

  “I want to make up for lost time.”

  “You’ll have a plenty of time to do that. Now that you’re here, get ready to be dragged to the zoo every once in a while.”

  He grinned at me and removed a strand of my hair from my face. “I can’t wait. Maybe we can go on a safari one day. Now that’s where the real fun is.”

  The thing was—I could easily imagine that. Noah and I going through the wilderness with our daughter, sharing our love for nature and exploring.

  “I just love that idea. I’ll take you up on that offer. Come on. Let’s go.”

  We sneaked out of her room as quietly as possible and went into the kitchen. Noah pressed me against the kitchen island and caged me in between his arms, bringing his lips to my neck.

  “I wanted to kiss you so badly the whole evening,” he said and continued kissing me, reaching my ear. “I had a great time with Maya.”

  “I’ve never seen her so happy and animated. Usually, she’s not good with strangers and needs some time to warm up to them, but she treated you as if she knows you well.”

  He pulled away and met my gaze. “She will know me well. We won’t ever be separated again.” He took my hand and kissed the back of it. “Jess, what I’m going to say may seem sudden, but I really hope you’ll agree.”

  “Yes?”

  “Move in with me.”

  I raised my eyebrows, staring at him in surprise. “You’re asking me to move in with you? You really mean that?”

  “Yes. I want to live with you and Maya.” He placed his hands on my cheeks and smiled at me, looking at me ever so tenderly. “I love you, Jessica.”

  I gasped, my pulse accelerating rapidly. Oh gosh. He loved me.

  I grinned at him, wanting to cry from happiness. What was going on with me? These days, I was feeling quite emotional.

  “I love you too, Noah. For a while now. And yes—I want to move to your place.”

  “Yes!” He fisted the air in celebration and hugged me, holding me flush against him. “Thank you, Jessica. Thank you for everything.”

  “No, thank you. You’re making me feel happier than I ever was.”

  I kissed him, letting him pick me up and drop me on the counter. Now that Maya was asleep, we could have some time alone, and what was the best way to celebrate than sex?

  “I want you,” I told him. “Make love to me.”

  He smirked. “You’re reading my mind.”

  He brought his lips to mine and kissed me like he wanted forever with me, and I drowned in the potent feelings. We’d come a long way, managing to conquer the obstacles between us, and I knew the future was going to be even better.

  Now all those days when I felt lonely or filled with despair felt like an ancient past, but because of them, I appreciated Noah even more. And now that Maya and I were going to live with him, I could just imagine how thrilled she would be about it.

  “Let’s go to the bedroom,” he said into my lips and picked me up, promising to make me feel real good. And I just couldn’t wait.

  Epilogue

  One Year Later

  Jessica

  * * *

  Australia was a great place to visit at this time of the year, especially when you were on a honeymoon.

  Noah and I had married a couple of days ago, and we chose the place where we had met five years ago as our honeymoon destination.

  It brought back memories, reminding me of the passionate night when Noah stole a piece of my heart, and it was somehow magical. It would always hold a special place for me.

  We visited the same beach where we’d surfed and collided into each other, reminiscing about those moments and comparing the
m with the present.

  The past year was the best year of my life, and we couldn’t be happier. Maya and Noah bonded from day one, and each new day brought more memories to be stored in my mind forever. I was touched every time I saw them spend time together, considering myself lucky to have found Noah after those four years.

  Who would have thought that one photography gig could change my life so drastically?

  It was early in the morning when Noah and I went surfing. The waves and the weather conditions were perfect, and we spent the whole morning chasing the waves, competing who could surf longer without falling or who could catch the bigger wave.

  Maya was staying with my sister, or should I say, my sister her boyfriend Nick’s place. They’d been living together for several months already, and I was sure he was going to propose to her any day now. I was happy for her because they got along well, and I could see from a mile away that Nick truly loved her.

  As for Noah, his business went better than he had thought it would. He had a great year and managed to open more hotels than he had predicted and restored some old ones, bringing them their old glory. He had proved to his board members that he was the right man for the business and that he was capable of running it, but he didn’t let his work rule his life.

  Staying true to his word, Noah managed to run the business and do what he loved, often traveling around the world with me and doing crazy stuff. We went diving, bungee jumping, mountain climbing, jumping from a plane, and surfing a few times this last year, each time visiting new places and meeting new people.

  Being able to see the world again and take photos shifted my focus from weddings and engagement parties to editorial images of nature. I was selling my photos to a couple of established magazines, which brought in good cash and helped me open my own photography firm. It was a dream come true.