Chapter 4

Eyes as wide as saucers, my mother exclaimed, "MY GOODNESS SAKES!!!" while Michelle was planting love kisses all over my face after she had jumped me with that powerful launch. Lindie just bellowed with glee.

I was laughing so hard it was bringing tears of joy to my eyes as I rolled from side to side on my back. I was loving every second of the attention my daughter, OUR daughter, was raining on me. Like just a short while before in the tree house, I was giving Michelle a bouncy ride on my roller coaster stomach.

With one more kiss, this one on my laughing lips, Michelle said once more, "Dad I love you. I've missed you so much." Settling herself on my chest, she pressed into the side of my face leaving one last cool imprint there from her moist kisses.

Lifting her face up from beside mine I looked into her eyes telling her, "I've missed you too Michelle ... even though I didn't know you until yesterday. And..." turning my head a little I glanced over at my love, my big Lindie, and then back to my Little Lindie, adding, "I love you just as much as I love your mother."

Well, that just demanded another kiss as another launch happened. Like daughter, like mother, Lindie was at my side, lip-locked with me. Michelle laughed just as hard as I had at her mother's action. Our lips separated and I confirmed to my Lindies, "I love you too! Both of you!"

I looked over at my mom from my captured position on the floor, both of my Lindies covering me. She was smiling brightly.

I caught the motion as she swiped at a tear with the back of her right hand. The bead of moisture sliding down her cheek was about to drop from the corner of her face.

I couldn't remember in recent times a smile that radiant beaming from her. Or that happiness had brought tears to her eyes ... or mine. All that had changed, for both of us ... for the better!

Not only had my two Lindies brought joy to my heart and laughter to this house but they also brought both my mom and I back to life. They had evicted both of us from our sour state.

Lindie and Michelle was exactly what our lives needed. I was soon to find out that my life and my mom's were also the saving grace for them too.

Rolling off of me onto her mother they hugged and kissed each other. Michelle added, "I don't want to ever want to go home."

"This IS home," Lindie explained. "This is our new home."

"Oh mom, I'm so happy. I don't ever want to leave here. I want to live here with you and dad and Grams!" Michelle cried out as my love sat up and snuggled our daughter into her lap.

"Grams," my mother said. "I like that!"

Then as I sat up from my kiss attack I snuggled up against them and wrapped my arms around my two Lindies. Quickly my mom was right there on their other side and we made a kissing sandwich out of those two.

"Don't ever leave," I told them and my mother echoed the same sentiment.

Lindie reached up and placed her hands aside of Michelle's face bringing their lips together for a soft kiss. When their lips parted, smiling, both of them said together, "DEAL!" echoing that word I'd issued forth just moments ago.

I kissed Michelle and then Lindie. My heart was bursting as I knew was my mother's. True happiness had finally found its way back into our hearts and minds.

This was all too unbelievable to me. Barely more then twenty-four hours ago great sadness and sorrow had held me tightly in its grip. I'd felt as if I'd lost everything. I had no options. There was nowhere to go. No one to turn to. Then in the dimness of the Tree House the turn around had begun with first the return of my Lindie and then finding we had a daughter.