Seth

Four Years Later

Could I admit it to anyone? Probably not, but Stella will always hold a special place in my heart. She was the first to bind our family together, and somehow, she did the same with her siblings. Silas came after her, and our little Audrey after him. Katya was every bit the remarkable mother that I thought she would be.

Our earlier lessons ensured that we always tried to make a little time for ourselves. It would get easier as the children grew older, but I had to stop getting Kat pregnant first. I grinned when I remembered her throwing the fake birth control pills at my head. My wife could out-swear Saul when she wanted to, which was impressive.

“Daddy, what’s date night?” Stella asked as she came towards me.

“Uh, it's grown-up mummy and daddy time,” I said as I lifted her and checked the door to see if Silas would follow her in, only to remember that he had gone down for a nap.

“Why do you give Mummy money on date night?” she asked with wide, curious eyes.

“Who told you that?” I asked, clearing my throat.

“I heard Mummy talking to Auntie Eliza and Auntie Sirah. They were complaining that they get no money on date night,” she said.

I began to choke on air as Stella patted my chest.

“Maybe you should talk to Uncle Saul and Uncle Thomas,” she said with a frown.

“Of course, darling,” I said with an obligatory smile.

“I want to get lots of date monies when I’m a grown-up,” she said with a toothy grin.

I looked into her dark eyes, which were a reflection of mine, and my heart sank knowing some asshole would be in my daughter’s life one day.

No, between Saul and the guys, we could chase anyone off .

I glanced at the doorway and saw Kat leaning on the doorframe, cradling Audrey in one arm. She had a grin on her face that told me she heard what Stella said. Her simple rules and our children made us unbreakable. With each passing year, I reflected on the ups and downs to ensure I learned from my mistakes.

Katya made it all possible.

“I love you,” I said to Katya.

“I love you, too, Daddy,” Stella said as she hugged my neck.

Katya walked toward us for our signature family hug. I always knew that one of my plans would work out in the end. However, Kat never found the outline for my backup kidnapping plan because I burned it the night she returned home.

The End.