Della had left the office for the day and Perry was staring at the phone,
I have Calvin's number, why don't I just call him and ask to meet her father and surprise Della with her father coming to LA?
Perry nodded and made the call, and a few weeks later.
"…Dad? What're you doing here?"
Della asked as her father smiled deciding to hide the real reason he came out,
"I wanted to see my beautiful daughter. Is it improper for a father to want to see his daughter every so often?"
Della laughed softly as she blushed looking down as Perry's heart fluttered yet again. It was a joy to see Della this at ease with one of her best friends, her father.
"Oh, Daddy…"
Della said with a blush as Paul walked in.
"Hi, Perry, beautiful. Oh, you must be Della's father. Paul Drake, pleased to meet you."
Paul said as Della blushed after he called her "beautiful" as her father shook hands with him,
"My name's Liam."
Della smiled as she hugged her father as Perry nodded,
"Della, you have the week off to spend with your Dad. Gertie and I can handle things without you."
Della nodded and hugged Perry and Paul before leaving with her father,
"Daddy. Now, I know you're not one to out – of – the blue come to visit me. Tell me the truth. Why are you out here?"
Della asked once they got in the elevator as Liam sighed,
"Mr. Mason called me as he's been seeing that the case you're working on has worn you down and he couldn't gather the courage to ask Irene and Calvin to come back out."
Della smiled softly,
"He isn't wrong, Dad. It seems like every two months we get these kind of cases."
Liam smiled softly,
"Gracie told me that she thinks you love him. Do you?"
Della smiled softly with a nod,
"He reminds me of you and Uncle Calvin, Dad. Hard working, picture perfect gentleman, I could go on. Are you not happy with that?"
Della asked as Liam nodded with a gentle smile,
"Ever since you broke things off with Michael; I was worried that you'd never find someone to love again. Since you confirmed Gracie's suspicions, I couldn't be happier for you and Mr. Mason. You deserve someone like him."
Della smiled as they walked to Clay's as she hugged him before sitting down,
"Thank you, Dad."
Paul and Perry smiled,
"Now, why did you call Calvin to ask him to send Liam out here? What's going on Perry?"
Paul asked as Perry smiled,
"I guess, it's the 'I want to get the father's blessing before we continue dating' step."
Paul smiled,
"You're sounding pretty serious when it comes to dating Della. I see how you two look at each other."
Perry smiled as they got back to work as Della and her father left Clay's as they went to her apartment to talk about her and Perry.
"So, do I take it that I have your blessing to continue dating him?"
Della asked as Liam bit his lip staring into space as Della looked to him with concern,
"Are you alright, Daddy?"
Liam nodded,
"Just thinking about the day, you were born and how excited I was when I found out that I had a daughter. You and how you've blessed me many times over."
Della smiled,
"Aunt Irene said that the midwife didn't make it in time and that you delivered me."
Liam smiled and kissed Della's forehead as he began to retell the stormy night that she was born,
"Oh, Liam. It's time, baby's on its way."
Liam nodded and called the midwife and sighed. It was 8 pm and Della's mother had been in labor all day and they had delayed calling the midwife. Which was a dumb move as things were moving really quickly.
"She said that due to the storm she's going to be at least 30 – 45 minutes."
Della's mother began to push,
"This baby isn't going that long, Liam. I have to push."
Liam nodded and went to help his wife push,
"That's it darling, keep pushing. Baby will be here before we know it."
Della's mother pushed for 10 minutes, Della was very impatient, before Liam shouted,
"Hold it! I see the baby's head. Keep pushing… oh, here she is darling. It's a girl!"
Liam said with upmost joy as Della's mother smiled with pride seeing Liam with his daughter.
"Hi, Della. That's her name. Della."
Della smiled and hugged her father before the smile turned sad,
"Then two months later, she did the unthinkable and just walked out without any explanation to you."
Liam nodded,
"That's my concern, is that either one of you will walk out on each other. Can you promise me that you won't do what your mother did when you were tiny?"
Della looked to him as she felt tears come to her eyes as she nodded,
"I love him too much to do that."
Della said as Liam hugged her tightly as they cried softly, grieving over what could have been.
"I'm OK with you and Mr. Mason dating, or should I say 'Perry'."
Liam said as Della smiled brightly.
"Thank you, Daddy."
Della nodded as she called Perry and invited him over for dinner with her and Liam as Perry accepted the invitation with a smile.
As the evening ended and Liam began to leave for his hotel, he turned.
"Take care of my daughter, Perry. Treat her like the lady she is. And if you come back in a few years asking my permission to marry her, I won't be able to refuse. I've seen the two of you together. Welcome to the Street family, Perry."
Liam said as Della's eyes gleamed in happiness as she hugged her father tightly,
"Thanks, Dad."
Perry smiled as Liam pulled him in for a hug as Perry nodded,
"I promise to with my life, Liam. Your daughter is a light to everyone we know and especially me. I'm beyond lucky to know her."
Liam smiled and hugged both Della and Perry before leaving as Perry turned to Della.
"What did you two talk about this afternoon that prompted this?"
Della smiled,
"We talked about the day I was born and he made me promise that I wouldn't walk out on you like Ma did when I was only 2 months old. I told him that I love you too much to do that."
Perry smiled as they hugged each other tightly before Perry left for his apartment. After the door shut Della turned around and hugged herself with a giggle as she went to get ready for bed to have the sweetest dreams.