Page 112 of Meant for Mayhem

“Dada.”

Everything inside me stopped.

Shannon let go, letting Leena climb into my lap where my daughter stood on my legs, patting my chest repeatedly.

“Dada.”

“Did she…” I swallowed against the sudden catch in my throat. “Was that⁠—”

“That was a word.” Shannon’s eyes filled as she smiled at me. “She looked right at you and said it twice with intention.”

Relief rushed through me so fast I had to look away.

Shannon had told me to be patient. That Leena was still young, and she understood far more than she could say. Every time she repeated it, I believed her.

But believing Leena would be okay hadn’t stopped me from worrying that I’d missed some crucial step that could have made this easier for her. Or that I was still missing something now.

I pulled Leena against my chest and pressed my lips to the top of her head. “That’s right, Leena. I’m your Dada.”

She grabbed my shirt with both fists, smiling up at me.

“Dada.”

A quiet laugh broke out of me.

Shannon wiped beneath one eye, pretending she wasn’t crying even as another tear slid down the other cheek. “See? I told you it would take time. She needed to feel safe.”

The word lodged itself in my chest, not sure if Shannon was talking about herself or my daughter. Maybe both.

Logan had turned around at some point, his chin resting on his hands while he watched. Carter and Nolan watched from the aisle too, but no one said anything. They let us sit in the weight of this monumental moment.

Leena leaned away from me and patted Shannon’s cheek.

“Who’s that?” Shannon pointed at me when Leena settled back in her lap.

Leena grinned. “Dada.”

“That’s right.” Shannon’s voice cracked as she looked at me. “That’s Dada.”

I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into me before she could object. Shannon came easily, resting her head against my shoulder while Leena sat between us, entirely unaware that she’d given me the most precious gift.

For a while, neither of us said anything. I held my daughter, Shannon’s hand resting over mine, and let the relief settle somewhere deep.

Leena had found her first word, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the one that had slipped out of me.

Mama.

23

After that first road trip, life settled into a somewhat chaotic but easy routine. Most mornings I worked from the small desk tucked into the corner of my bedroom, trying to squeeze in patients before Leena woke up. Luckily, my clients were all over the country, so I chose East Coast patients when I could.

Mikko left for the rink before the sun, then came home for lunch. I finished notes while he and Leena rested in the afternoons, then closed my laptop at the end of the day. This was the first time in years I didn’t have another job to clock into at night, or, at least, not the same kind.

Taking care of Leena didn’t feel like a job, not when I walked out into the kitchen to find her waiting for me with both arms already raised and Mikko cooking dinner for us.

It was domestic bliss and more than a little weird, especially considering what I’d thought my life in Denver would be like. There were no double shifts. No loud neighbors through paper-thin walls. No dinners alone. No anything alone, not unless I wanted it.

And the fact that I didn’t want to be alone?