Teddy
I got out of the town car and ran up the steps to the brownstone. One of the perks of being the junior senator from Tennessee was having a car and driver so I didn't have to put up with that heinous DC traffic. We'd had a late vote, so I was home a lot later than usual. Katharine had drinks ready, a dirty martini for her and a tumbler of Tennessee whiskey for me.
Being in DC had been good to me in a lot of ways. First and foremost, I was doing good work. I was energized in a way I hadn't been in years. But maybe more importantly, it had separated me from the mess I'd made of my life since the day I told Rayna Jaymes I'd marry her and be a father to her baby.
With all apologies to my daughters, in particular Daphne, marrying Rayna had probably been one of the worst decisions of my life. I spent all those years loving a woman who was in love with another man. She tried her best to make it work and we did have some very good years together, but we can both now acknowledge our mistakes. The one amazing thing that came from it was Daphne, and I'll never regret that. And getting to be Maddie's father.
But now I could see what I'd really missed in my life. Being truly loved, and loving in return, was the ultimate gift.
I had won the lottery when I met Katharine. Not only was she beautiful, but she was smart and fun to be with. She was as different from Rayna and Peggy as she could be. There was no drama with Katharine, no old lover to compete with. And no secrets. I had known right away that she was my true soul mate, but I made sure to do things right this time around. I made sure that Maddie and Daphne got to know her first, and that they all would get along. Then I took her to Nashville, so that she'd know where I came from. I introduced her to Rayna and it was kind of fun watching the two women size each other up. It helped that Katharine had no ties to Nashville and no hidden agendas.
So, for me, the third time really was the charm. I smiled at my wife as I took the whiskey.
"Maddie sent the link to the wedding pictures," she said after she kissed me. "They're excellent. She looks so beautiful."
I smiled. "She did, didn't she? And so happy. I hope she's always that happy."
"Me too. Look, I've got a brief I absolutely have to look over, so why don't you take a look at them and then we can eat."
I smiled at my beautiful wife. "Sounds good." I sat at the desk. Katharine had left up the email from Maddie and I clicked on the link.
When I got to the last picture, it was a candid shot. Maddie was standing in the brides' room, looking at me, with my arms around Daphne and Katharine. Deacon and Rayna were standing on the other side, Rayna leaning back into Deacon and he had his hands on her arms. I could see that soft look Rayna always had every time she ever looked at or thought about Deacon Claybourne.
I frowned, thinking about how she had pined after him almost the whole time we were married. But then I shook my head. It didn't matter anymore.
Then I smiled. Sadie Claybourne was mugging for the camera. In spite of myself, I couldn't help but love that little girl. She looked like Maddie, but had Daphne's personality. She was sure a handful. I was also glad she was Deacon and Rayna's handful.
I remembered when Maddie and Daphne had told me their mother was pregnant again. My first thought, I have to be honest, was that Rayna and Deacon were still all over each other like rabbits. Neither of the girls were excited, although I counseled them to not be obvious about it. I knew that Maddie was bothered by it because Deacon was her father too. She had worked through all her issues about that revelation except for the fact that he hadn't been there when she was born. I knew that Deacon being there for this one made her a little jealous and hurt. I was actually surprised at Daphne's reaction though. She was usually a ball of positivity and I was sure she'd be thrilled not to be the baby anymore, but she was oddly unemotional about it. She even asked to come and live with me that summer before Sadie was born. Rayna had been completely against it and she and Daphne had fought bitterly about it. As it happened, it was Deacon who finally convinced her to let Daphne do it.
That was kind of the beginning of Deacon and me finally making peace with each other about Maddie. We'll never be friends, of course, but by then I had seen that he was committed to being a good, and present, parent for our daughter. And I did, and do, still consider Maddie to be my daughter. He was also a good stepfather to Daphne and, as much as I hated to admit it, I could see that he loved her the way I loved Maddie, the way that said blood didn't always matter.
So Daphne lived with me that last summer I lived in Nashville. She never really talked to me about what bothered her so much, but I think it was important for her then to be the only child in the house. It certainly strengthened our bond and I think it helped her navigate whatever confusion she was feeling with all the complicated relationships in her life. When Rayna called to tell her that she was on her way to the hospital, I think Daphne was ready to embrace all of that again. When Deacon put Sadie in her arms, I could tell that she was truly happy again and I was happy for her.
When Sadie started talking, she would ask Maddie and Daphne who I was. They would tell her I was Dad, but not her dad. Which was confusing for a little girl. Daphne was the one who asked me if Sadie could call me "Uncle Teddy". I was hesitant at first, because it brought back the memories of having to deal with "Uncle Deacon" all those years, but I reminded myself that was over. So I became Uncle Teddy and, when I married Katharine, she became Auntie Kay.
"What did you think?" I looked up at my wife's question, a little disoriented from my musings. I smiled at Katharine. "Aren't they great? I'd love to have a couple. Especially the one of you and me with the girls."
I nodded. "That would be nice to have." I chuckled. "I'd kind of like to have this one too."
Katharine walked around to see the candid shot. She laughed. "Oh, I love that one. It's definitely one of those great family moments. I do wonder what Sadie will think when she's older and sees that."
I clicked out of the site and stood up, pulling Katharine close and kissing her. "She'll think, just like the rest of us, that she's part of a great family."
