Thank you! Enjoy!

Chapter 12

"Nana! Nana!" Gracie called out, rushing through the house and to the foyer to welcome John's mother into her home. The girls had only met Nora a few times, but she had immediately won the both of them over. When Arya asked her what to call her, she suggested Nana and both girls agreed. Much like she had with John, Gracie had claimed Nora as her own too. She quickly took Nora's hand and began to pull her into their home.

"Well, good evening to you too, Gracie," Nora kindly said. Anna gave a crooked smile.

"I'm sorry. She's a little excitable this evening," Anna stated. But Nora just shook her head to say it was no bother.

"I love it," she quietly admitted to Anna. "I'm finally someone's Nana." Her eyes were bright and Anna felt her body grow warm. It was such a wonderful feeling that people loved her girls so deeply and claimed them as their own. Her girls were finally getting to have that family she had so desperately wanted for them.

"Hi Nana!" Arya then greeted. She followed Gracie and Nora into the living room. Anna stayed back and then felt as John's hand came and slid around her back.

"They're so happy," Anna murmured, her eyes on her girls. Nora pulled out two small gifts and the girls squealed with excitement. "Oh boy," Anna chuckled.

"Forgive her," John whispered into her ear, before kissing the special spot on her neck and making her squirm slightly. "She is so thrilled to have grandchildren."

"I love it," Anna said. "They love it. It's just so new and different. I sometimes worry it'll fade away."

John pulled Anna closer and Anna rested her head against his chest.

"We won't," John promised. "I have no plans of ever leaving you."

"Good. I don't plan on letting you go."

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Over the weekend, they took a trip to the beach. It was a bit of a drive, so they woke up early and got onto the road. The girls were excited. Summer was almost over and they would be starting school in a week. This was their first holiday of the year. With everything, they hadn't had a chance to go anywhere.

They would be staying for just a few days, but it was still exciting. The girls chattered about, singing songs with Nora. Anna kept glancing back and thinking about how different this holiday felt than all the others they had been on. Even when she was married to Jake, the couple of trips they had taken had been stressful. All of the planning put on Anna's shoulders and it was her job to make sure everything was done perfectly while Jake just sat on the couch and watched television. She recalled the time she had to ask him four times to change Arya's diaper and then he went off on her for ruining his vacation.

The reminder made her body shake slightly, almost like that moment had happened again. John seemed to notice and he brought his hand over to her shoulder, giving it a gentle massage.

"Are you alright, my darling?" As he brought her back to her reality, she smiled.

"Yes," she stated. This trip had been John's idea. He planned most of it and just came to Anna about preferences of where to stay. In the end, they chose a house instead of a condo. That way they didn't have to worry about other people being loud around them. "I'm excited."

"Me too."

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

For their first night at the beach, John had planned to grill outside. He knew that they would all be tired from their trip and that the girls would want to at least go and walk down on the beach. So they would eat and then do their walk.

"You remember the plan?" He whispered to Gracie and Arya, as he flipped the burger on the grill. Arya brightly nodded and winked. Then Gracie covered her lips with her finger.

"Shh," she reminded them. "Secret."

"Right," John agreed. He glanced over toward Anna, who was sitting at the picnic table and chatting with his mother. He loved how the two of them got along so well. They had become close, as though they had known each other for years and not just a few weeks.

When dinner was made, the girls helped John take the food to the table. Then they all sat and enjoyed the food. He was anxious of what came next, knowing that it would change his life from here on out and praying that Anna felt the same as he did.

"Can we go on the walk now?" Arya asked.

"Yes," Anna answered. They had thrown their plates out and cleaned up the picnic table.

"Wait!" Gracie yelled, putting her hand up. Then the little girl ran into the house and Arya followed behind her. John laughed and he saw that Anna was confused.

"What's that all about?" Anna asked John. He feigned ignorance and shrugged his shoulders.

It took the girls a few minutes to come back outside, but when they did they were both wearing zip-up jackets.

"Girls, it's not cold outside," Anna said, narrowing her eyes.

"Mum, the breeze! Did you know that it's breezier by the beach?" Arya questioned, unfazed.

"Well, I guess. Alright, let's go for our walk."

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Despite that it was still summer time, the beach wasn't very crowded. They saw very few people while they walked along the water. Gracie and Arya would put their feet in every so often and then begin to giggle as a wave would splash them to their knees.

"Tomorrow, we'll come and play all day at the beach," Nora told the two girls.

"I can't wait!" Arya exclaimed, reaching her arms out to her sides and beginning to spin. Gracie followed suit. Gracie was the first one to fall with Arya a moment afterwards, making all three of the adults chuckle.

"Oh, dizzy!" Gracie declared, as she tried to stand.

"Here," Anna offered. She lifted her little girl up and dusted the sand off her bottom, before pulling her into her arms.

They continued to walk along the path. Then John randomly stopped. He placed his hands in his pockets and turned around.

"Yes," he just said. "This is the spot."

"What?" Anna asked, confused. Gracie begged to be put down and Anna did as her daughter wanted.

Before Anna knew it, both girls were over by John and taking off their jackets and John was down on one knee. The girls had shirts on that said: Will you marry John?

Anna bit down on her lower lip and her cheeks blushed, before her hands came up to cover her mouth.

"Oh my god," Anna muttered, her heart skipping a beat.

"My darling," John began. "Would you do me the honor of being my wife? Of spending the rest of my life with me?"

"Mum! Will you? Will you marry John?" Arya added.

"Marry John!" Gracie commanded.

Anna laughed, stepping forward slightly. Then she nodded and dropped her hands from her face.

"Yes," she happily said. She brought her hands down to John's and lifted him up so that their lips could meet. "Yes," she said again. "I'll marry you."

"Yay!" The girls exclaimed behind them. Anna and John laughed.

"I can't wait to marry you."

"I can't wait either."

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

A few weeks later, John was working on reorganizing the basement. Much hadn't been done since Martha's death other than Laura and Anna choosing a few things that they wanted to keep. Going through everything was too hard for Anna, so John offered to clean it up. He started his new job at the hospital next week.

As he went through Martha's clothes, he placed them in a large box. Most everything would be donated. Once the downstairs was cleaned, Anna said she wanted to turn it into a play area for her girls. They had the guest room (his old room) for any guests that came to visit. And as the girls grew older, Anna was sure they would like their own space in the house.

He heard a door slam and he peeked out the window. Arya was running fast from the car and to the backyard. As Anna stepped out of the car, she had a solemn look on her face. John walked out of Martha's bedroom and out the door to go outside to see if he could help. He saw that Anna was pulling Gracie out of her seat and that she was holding a big toy.

"What's happened?" John asked.

"No show!" Gracie stated. "But mummy let me pick a toy!"

"Jake didn't show up today. He texted me after we had waited an hour," Anna explained. "I took them to the toy store in hopes of cheering them up, but Arya is very disappointed. I need to go and talk with her. Can you take Gracie upstairs?"

"Why don't you let me talk with Arya, alright?"

Anna inhaled sharply, but then nodded.

"Alright."

Anna lifted Gracie up into her hands and walked upstairs. John sighed. He rubbed his hands together and walked out into the backyard. Arya was on the swings just sitting there and kicking her feet against the grass. John took the seat next to her.

"I know it hurts to be disappointed," John started. Arya glanced up and he could see there were tears in her eyes. John wished he could have a few moments alone with Jake for how he'd hurt her.

"Why doesn't he care about us?" Arya asked.

"Oh sweet girl," John murmured. "He doesn't deserve you or Gracie. He is your father and you can't change that. I'm sure he loves you in his own way. But some people are selfish, Arya."

"Yeah, I know," Arya grumbled. "I have a brother, did you know that?"

"Yes," John uneasily answered.

"My dad doesn't even see him, at all. Why did he even have kids if he didn't want to see them?"
"I don't know, sweetheart."

"But you want us, right?"

"Oh yes, I absolutely do," John assured her. He hadn't known that he could love as much as he did now. These girls felt like they were his. He forgot at times that they had another father and he now understood how much it hurt to see them hurt by Jake.

Arya stood from her swing and got in front of John.

"I'm glad I get to see what it's like to have a real dad, now. I'm glad you're about to be my daddy," she declared. She then bent forward and wrapped her arms around John's neck. "I love you."

"I love you too and I'll love you forever."

"I know you will."

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

The plan had been a spring wedding. But then they began to hear about this novel virus that was spreading around. And it seemed as though life was going to be changing quickly. There were talks of shutdowns and working from home.

"Let's just go to the courthouse and marry tomorrow," Anna whispered to John one night. He brought his hand up to her shoulder and twisted his lips.

"Are you sure, my darling? I want you to have the best wedding. You deserve a day all about you."

"Silly beggar, I just want to be married to you. I want it to be official. I'm tired of waiting."

"If you're sure that's what you want."

"It is," Anna assured him.

The next day they took the girls and Nora with them to the courthouse where they became an official family.

"I, John Bates, take thee, Anna May Smith, to be my lawfully wedded wife," John said, his smile nearly delirious. He was sure he had never been this happy before in his life.

"I, Anna May Smith, take thee, John Bates, to be my lawfully wedded husband."

"It now gives me great pleasure to say that you are husband and wife together. You may now kiss the bride."

John brought his hand up to Anna's cheek, pulling her close. Her chin tilted up and their lips connected, making them one.

"I love you," John said, as their lips pulled away.

"I love you."

"Daddy! Daddy!" Gracie said, tugging on his jacket. "Daddy now?" John glanced down at her and smiled.

"Yes, my little darling."

Anna laughed and a joyful tear slid down her cheek. John lifted Gracie into his arms and with his other arm, he pulled Anna closer against him. Arya walked up to them, smiling.

"I think we will be very happy," she stated.

"Yes," John had to agree. "Me too."

To be continued...one last time :)