Page 101 of Rising Star

I shrugged. “No. He had other plans. He promised a raincheck, though.” I wiggled my eyebrows. “Let’s get you out of those pajamas and dress you into something a bit more fashionable. I have great expectations for later.”

She frowned. “Why? I love these PJs. They would make a great motherhood fashion statement.”

“Suit yourself, babe. I’ll never complain. But I thought maybe we could eat out or something.” And because there are people downstairs, and I’m pretty sure you’d kill me if I let you walk down dressed like this. Without asking further questions, she put on the powder-blue cotton maxi dress I brought her. She braided her hair quickly and added a touch of gloss to her lips and a coat of mascara.

“How do I look?”

“Perfect.”

And I made sure to tell her every day. Because to me, no none had ever looked so beautiful as this woman. Inside and out. The one I still had no idea how she could love an old man like me. Well, not old, but older. Back when we started dating, she said age was just a number, and I couldn’t agree more. Madison and I, we just fit. From the first time we saw each other, I’d never looked at another woman the way I looked at her. We were two halves of the same heart. If that made sense.

With her hand firmly resting in mine, we made our way down the stairs. My fiancée stopped on the last step, taking everybody in. Our children. Riley, Devon, and their daughter, Briana. Carter and April, Aisha and Gavin, and all their kids. Emily and Becks, who got engaged last summer. And some of Mikaella’s and Justine’s friends from down the street.

“What did I miss?” Madison asked, strangling my hand in hers. “It’s not my birthday.” Questions and surprise shone from her eyes. Without a word, I pointed with my chin to the banner the girls had painted earlier, now hanging over the back door.

Maddie, would you agree to become our mama? For real. And forever.

The love of my life cupped her mouth as tears flowed down her face.

“For real?” she asked in a small voice. Justine and Mikaella, who held Austin in her arms, neared us.

“We do,” our eldest daughter said.

“All three of us,” Justine added.

“Do you want to be our mama? Like in that movie you like so much? Where the couple adopted those orphan siblings?”

Madison bobbed her head, her emotions preventing her from speaking.

She opened her arms and pulled our children to her heart.

“Is it for real?” Her eyes met mine.

“Yes. We all agreed it was about time. Also, there’s something else we meant to ask you?”

She arched a brow, drying her tears with her fingers.

“Yes,” Justine said, clapping her hands.

I dropped to one knee. “Madison Prescott, I’ve been loving you since the day we met. I was stubborn and stupid back then and tried to push you away. To keep my feelings tightly chained. Lucky for me, I realized I was being an idiot and came back to my senses just in time. Now that we’re about to have four children together, I think we should officialize our love. I know technically we’re already engaged, but let’s get married—with all our children—so we’ll remember this night forever. The one where you agreed to become my wife and the mother of our children. Madison, will you marry me?” I steadied my breathing. “Please say yes.”

She let out a cry. Then, through sobs, her shoulders heaving, she whispered, “Yes. Oh, Sam. I do. I love you all so much. Official or not, you’re all already mine.”

“We love you so much,” I said as we kissed, her lips trembling under mine. “I love you so freaking much.”

Opening an arm to welcome the girls, I lifted Austin from Mikaella, and we all hugged one another.

“I heard those guys even baked a cake for the occasion. At least that’s what they said to convince me to come over,” Riley announced with a wink.

“Cake. Cake. Cake. Yes, we baked a cake,” Justine singsonged, her happiness still contagious even though she was older. “And we made you gifts.”

Their mama squatted and grabbed both our girls’ hands in hers. “Justine, Mikaella, I’ll always be your mama. Whether or not I adopt you two, you’ll always be mine in my heart.”

“We wished for it. Many times. We asked Daddy, and he agreed we’d wasted too much time already. Do you agree to become our mama, Maddie?”

Another batch of tears filled Madison’s eyes. “Yes. There’s nothing that would make me prouder and happier. This is the most incredible day of my life. Gosh, I love you two so much.” They all hugged as I stood there, my son in my arms, wiping my own teary eyes, my heart racing in my chest, blissfully happy. “Now let’s taste that cake. I’m starving.”

Carter and April joined us a while later. “Maddie, I got your message. About helping out with our charity. When you’re ready to discuss how you see things from your end, just reach out, and we’ll set up a meeting,” Carter said.