Dear Bella: A Family Justice Novella by Suzanne Halliday

Author:Suzanne Halliday [Halliday, Suzanne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: A Family Justice Novella
Publisher: Suzanne Halliday
Published: 2016-12-14T18:30:00+00:00

BELLA WAS ROLLING on the floor with George, her animated giggles filled the house with the sound of joy.

Brody watched from the kitchen and felt his whole body fill with warmth and a sense of real contentment.

“Daddy! Look,” Bella hollered.

Poor George. Somehow she’d managed to get a pair of reindeer antlers on the squirming pooch. He’d taken her gift shopping at the mall where they happened upon a kiosk selling holiday crap for pets. The antlers joined a Christmas collar hung with a silver bell and a stocking crammed with dog toys and treats.

Snatching a dishtowel off the stove handle, he wiped his hands, grabbed the bowl of popcorn he’d made them and headed for the big sectional sofa. Setting the heavy stoneware popcorn bowl on the coffee table, he quickly scanned the downstairs to see if they were alone. Heather had gone upstairs some time ago to shower. She’d reappear in time for Bella’s nighttime routine but for now it looked like it was just him and his daughter.

“Honey, come here,”

Bella got up from the floor and scrambled around the corner of the spaceship size sofa with the dog fast on her heels. Launching into his arms, Brody hugged her tight before seating her close to him. Scooping a plastic cup into the popcorn, he handed it off to her, made one for himself and then relaxed against the sofa back.

“You want to practice for Christmas morning again?” he asked.

Bella glanced around. She was a great one for keeping conversations personal and private. Whispering with intense gravity she assured him her part in the special plan they made for Christmas morning was in the bag. Not only was she ready and confident, Brody could see how completely invested she was emotionally. This wasn’t holiday fun and games for her any more than it was for him.

The only questions his sassy kid asked had been about semantics and titles. Could she start calling Heather ‘Mommy’ right away, or did she have to wait? Brody hoped the love he had for Heather would help little Bella be open to matters of the heart when she was older. It’s a tough thing for one so young to know that her biological parents weren’t even friends. He didn’t want her to be scarred by Tracey’s motherless behavior and totally selfish instincts. Bella’s eagerness to cast Heather in the role of mom gave him more than a little confidence that in the long run everything would work out.

He was thinking the universe worked in interesting ways when Bella munched a handful of popcorn and asked, “After we have a wedding, can we get a baby too?”

Brody almost aspirated a popcorn chunk. Thinking it adorable that she said we about his and Heather’s wedding, he wasn’t prepared for the follow-up we question. She didn’t wait for an answer. Not Bella, nope. She was already making plans.

“Babies are cool. Did you know Dylan can kick a ball? Aunt Lacey says he likes round things. Cheerios are round,” she added matter-of-factly as though the simple statement explained everything.

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