Alice couldn't believe her ears. Roger really thought she was beautiful. Brock had never called her beautiful. Lacy Knighton, may she rest in peace, had been the acknowledged beauty in their circle, garnering all the attention. Her beauty had been touted, especially as a bride, but that was largely due to her parents' extravagant wedding dress expenditure. People had been more interested in the dress than in her. Such compliments meant nothing.

But hearing it from someone whose opinion she valued… Alice's face flushed.

"Don't exaggerate," she mumbled.

"I'm not. You have a natural elegance, no matter what you wear. But I personally think you're most beautiful when you're smiling; your eyes crinkle at the corners, and it makes me want to smile too," Roger admitted, looking slightly pink-faced himself.

Alice was touched. No one had ever said anything like that to her before. Emboldened, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you."

He furrowed his brow, confused. "For what?"

"For giving me hope. If someone as good as you can like me, I might not be so bad after all," she said with a slight smile.

Despite her poise, her self-esteem was quite low. That's what happened when you dealt with backstabbers who didn't genuinely like you. Alice wished she could protect her little brother from a similar fate, but her parents still refused to let her see him.

Since no one had ever truly liked her, it was difficult to like herself. Had Aaron experienced the same thing? Was that why he was so different with his wife?

Roger sighed sadly. "He really did a number on you, didn't he?" He scooted closer, wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders. "I guess I'll just have to tell you how wonderful you are regularly until it sinks in."

Alice smiled contentedly and leaned into his embrace. "I can live with that."

She closed her eyes, savoring the feeling of being wanted by someone who mattered. She could get used to this.

Keeley was half supervising the babies playing with the cats, half watching the clock. Dinner was still warming in the Crock-Pot because Aaron was running late.

He had texted an hour ago, explaining that a meeting had run long. He was probably stuck in traffic.

She sighed. Having him home on time every day had spoiled her. She craved his usual enthusiastic hug and kiss upon his return from the office.

Definitely spoiled.

Her phone dinged. Was Aaron still delayed? No, the message was from Alice: "Took your advice. It worked out pretty well."

Keeley was about to clarify the advice when another message arrived—a stealth selfie; Alice's arm was around Roger, who was looking away. She had the biggest smile Keeley had ever seen.

Keeley chuckled. That was fast. Alice didn't waste any time. Good for her. Alices of the world deserved happiness.

Keeley had once been like her. She hadn't expected to find happiness with a man again, let alone the same one. After her rebirth, her focus was her career and making friends.

Things were so different now. She had friends, a promising career, a family, and Aaron's love. Life couldn't be better.

A hiss and a child's cry interrupted her reminiscing. Kaleb was wailing, nursing a scratch on his hand. He must have pulled Molly's tail again.

She rushed to comfort him, pulling him onto her lap. "Hey Kaleb, remember what Mommy said about being gentle with the kitties?" He nodded pitifully. "If you aren't gentle, they'll get scared and lash out."

Keeley stood, balancing him on her hip. "Come on, sweetie, let's get you feeling better."

She found the first-aid kit, cleaned the scratch with an antibacterial wipe, and applied a bandage. Then she kissed it dramatically, making a "mwah" sound that made him giggle.

"All better!" she declared. Kaleb believed her and scrambled down to rejoin his sister.

What was she going to do with that kid? He got little injuries far more often than Violet. He was too adventurous, always zooming around and bumping into things. They'd baby-proofed the entire house as soon as he could crawl; it was even worse now that he was walking.

Kaleb, only a year old, loved balls and had a surprisingly good throwing arm. They'd set up a ball pit in a corner of the second-floor entertainment area, and he adored it. Keeley wondered if he'd enjoy baseball as much as his uncle and grandpa.

Violet preferred soft toys, but also enjoyed noisy things. They'd bought baby instruments, like toy keyboards.

These days, Keeley almost always had a headache from the constant barrage of noisy toys. That's what she got for having twins. But she'd take her babies over peace and quiet any day.

The elevator dinged. It took all her willpower not to leave the twins and run down the stairs to her husband. When he reached the top, she ran to him and threw herself into his arms.

Aaron returned her embrace tightly. "Seems like someone missed me," he said good-humoredly.

"I did," she admitted without shame. "But I'm also starving since you made me wait for dinner. Go get changed so we can eat."

He kissed her quickly, left the mail from the doorman on the table, and headed upstairs.

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