I grinned at Blake. "So there's hope?"
"Of course there is. I believe that people can change, or at the very least, we can teach them how to interact with us."
I parked at my house and threw the truck into Park. "I'm going to transfer her to her crib. Can you get the door for me?"
"Of course," Blake said, getting out of the truck.
I grabbed the car seat and carried it inside. Then I set it on the floor of Lilliana's bedroom, careful to unbuckle her without jostling her too much. Then I cradled her against my chest.
I met Blake's gaze over Lilliana's head. There was something in her expression I couldn't get a read on. But I was focused on getting Lilliana into her crib without waking her. I walked softly across the carpet and slowly lowered her onto the mattress. I turned on her sleep noise machine and slowly backed out of the room.
In the hallway, I whispered, "I think we're in the clear."
Blake grinned. "You want to sit out back and listen to the waves?"
"I'd love that," I found myself saying, even though I knew it wasn't a good idea to socialize with Blake outside of her nannying duties.
We headed downstairs, and I grabbed two wine glasses along with a bottle of white wine. I needed something tonight.
Tomorrow, I'd need to give Lilliana back, and I didn't know when I'd see her again.
Outside, I poured two small glasses of wine that we could sip while we enjoyed the evening.
Blake swirled the liquid in her glass, sipping it before leaning back on the couch cushions and closing her eyes. "You're so lucky to live on the beach. I can't even imagine what this must be like, knowing you own a slice of heaven."
Her skin was tan from the sun and her hair in what my younger sister would call beach waves, but it seemed to be natural for Blake. She was effortlessly beautiful and fit in here as if she'd grown up on the island.
"I never thought about it like that. I grew up on the beach, so it was only natural that I live here now. When we were looking at houses, we were more concerned with blocking off the access to the pool and renovating the house so that it would be safe when Lilliana started to crawl and walk."
Blake opened her eyes, meeting my gaze. "You're such a good dad."
I felt a pang of regret when she said that. "I wasn't always a good dad. I let Oakley have too much power. I gave into her so that she wouldn't follow through on her threats. Then I realized by not standing strong I was hurting Lilliana."
"Lilliana deserves to have both parents in her life, and Oakley was thwarting that. You didn't do anything wrong. You learned a new way to handle the situation, and you're currently exploring that. I don't think you have anything to feel bad about. Besides, Lilliana was so young, she didn't know what was going on. You preserved your time with her as much as possible, and now that she's older, you're pursuing a different path. It's not wrong."
I let out the breath I felt like I'd been holding since Oakley told me she was pregnant. "That's nice to hear."
"It's the truth. You have nothing to feel bad about. You're doing the best you can, and as you learn more, you'll do things differently. There's nothing wrong with that. That's growth."
"I'd do anything for Lilliana. I want to protect her from anyone who would hurt her, including Oakley. But there's only so much I can do; she's her biological mother after all."
"You can limit the effects as much as possible, and you're going to have to do some work when Lilliana's with you. But I think she's going to see the difference in your parenting styles at some point."
"What if she prefers living with Oakley, and the courts let her decide?"
"They will when she's a teenager, but I think by then she'll realize which parent is stable. Kids crave rules and consistency, even if they don't act like it. There's always the possibility that Oakley could grow up and stop playing these games."
"We can hope for that then."
Blake lifted her wine glass. "To Lilliana."
I lifted my glass and clinked it against hers. "To Lilliana."
I sipped the wine, settling into the cushions, listening to the sound of the waves hitting the shore. I was content to sit out here and enjoy the evening, knowing my daughter was safely sleeping in her bed.
"Are you worried about Lilliana going back tomorrow?" Blake asked softly, and I appreciated her concern.
"I worry about when I'll see her again. Will Oakley punish me by keeping her longer? We don't have a court-ordered agreement so technically we have joint custody. She could keep her as long as she wanted. She doesn't have to let me see her. At least not without a visitation agreement."
