Epilogue

Adrian

Two Years Later

Our house was a chaotic mass. We’d volunteered to host Christmas dinner this year for all of our people. What I hadn’t considered at the time was how many bodies would end up floating between our living room, kitchen, and dining room.

Paul, Mary, and his two teenage daughters, including one of their boyfriends, were here. So was Paul and Marie’s new baby, but someone was always holding him, so he didn’t take up too much space. We were all so happy for them, and Paul was thrilled that they’d had a boy. Not for himself, but so that Jeremy wasn’t the only little male anymore.

My gaze moved over to Josh. My best friend, the one person who’d stood by my side even when I hadn’t thought I needed anyone. He’d brought his pregnant wife, but he hadn’t warned me. They’d decided to surprise me with the baby bump as the announcement that they were having a baby.

My Christmas present from them had been Josh asking me to be their child’s godfather. I knew they’d expected me to burst into tears, but I’d had a little dignity, scowling and heading straight for the bathroom where I’d cried in private. Seriously, how was this my life?

Victor’s best friend Rob was also here with his wife and their three sons. Those boys had eaten like beasts. I truly didn’t know how Rob kept them fed. Then there was Mr. Fisher. He’d bought the house I’d lived in next-door after the owners decided to sell it. They said I’d been such a good renter; they couldn’t imagine having to deal with issues again and put it on the market the day after I moved out.

That had been fine with me. Mr. Fisher was around sixty-five years old, and he doted on the children. All of them, including Paul’s girls. They all loved spending time with him in his backyard, helping him with his flower garden and his vegetable patch. Victor loved it because Mr. Fisher shared his extra produce with us. I loved it because he made me beautiful flower arrangements. Who’d have ever thought that I’d become addicted to having vases of fresh pops of color all over the house?

Marissa, now ten going on twenty, made her way to my side and leaned her head against my bicep. “You getting sleepy, kid? It’s been a long day.”

“No, I just wanted to come over and tell you…you know.”

I bent and kissed the top of her head. “Ditto, kid. Ditto.”

She hummed, then headed back into the living room with the other kids. Except on my and Victor’s wedding day, Marissa and I never used the actual words I love you. What we had worked for us, and it was special.

Arms snaked around my waist from behind, and I leaned back into Victor. “Is it me or is Marissa a little off tonight?” he asked.

I patted his hand. “Her and Ava got in a big fight last night.“

“Aw. That’s a mood killer.” He sighed. “I wish I could protect them from the hard times.”

I spun in his arms and patted his chest. “That’s not life, honey. But you know what?”

He pecked a kiss to my lips, then asked, “No, what, babe? Tell me.”

“You give us all a safe place to land.” I gestured with my hands to either side of us. “If you’d ever told me that one day I’d have this every year, a Hallmark Christmas kinda holiday, I’d have checked your temperature for fever. I was so scared of reaching too far and getting hurt again after my own mother wounding me over and over. But you convinced me to get help. You held me every time I cried after therapy, and I’m not so scared and guarded now. It was because of you.

“You do the same thing for our kids. Hell, you do it for Paul’s children and Rob’s. You’re such a natural caretaker, and you do it with a smile on your face and make us all feel so special. I love you so much.”

His eyes misted, and I low-key wanted to pat myself on the back. For the first year we were together, I’d fluctuated between frowning and crying. This one, he was always smiling. But my husband needed a little extra TLC tonight because his baby girl was hurting, and I could give him that. I wanted to give him that.

“I love you, babe,” he said hoarsely. Then while he kissed me deep and slow, despite the wolf whistles from our family by choice and by blood, I thanked that my lucky stars and mistletoe because I knew that Victor’s love was unconditional, and he’d be forever mine.