Alaina's POV

I smirked. “Obviously.”

Bella played with the strands of my hair, her big brown eyes blinking up at me. “Mama work?”

“Yes, baby, Mama’s working.”

She pouted, resting her head against my shoulder. “I stay?”

I smiled, rubbing her back. “Of course, you can stay.”

I carried her with me as I walked through the restaurant, checking on the last few tables before the next rush. Bella babbled happily, pointing at different things—the flowers on the tables, the bread baskets, even the paintings on the walls.

“Pretty,” she whispered.

I kissed her chubby cheek. “Yes, just like you.”

As I held her close, a deep sense of gratitude...