Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 125020 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125020 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Shawna
If I thought my first wedding was out of this world, I was mistaken. This has been beyond my wildest dreams. So many moments that have made my heart swell.
Starting with breakfast with my dad and uncles. Uncle Lester had such a big smile on his face. Almost as big as the day he returned to Vander and saw his first grandson for the first time.
Lex lost her shit. We were all in tears as they reunited. It’s a day I’ll never forget.
Like today. Seeing him play with AJ and Colten has been one of the highlights. It’s good to be surrounded by family. No secrets, no lies.
Then there was the moment during the ceremony when Josh and I gave the kids glass shadow boxes with copies of their official adoption papers. We’d waited until then because we wanted them to feel like they were a part of our day.
Then there was the moment when my husband sang to me. I’ll never forget that because he did it with wings on his back and a choir backing him. He sang “I’ll Be Waiting,” reminding me of when he cut the blond from his hair.
“What are you thinking?” Josh leans into my ear to whisper.
I look up at the chandeliers hanging over the long table as our family and friends laugh around us. Taking in the flowers and elegance, I smile. Then I take in the smiles on our kids’ faces.
“I’m thinking about how lucky this baby will be.” I cover my stomach as I speak the words.
Josh grabs my face and turns me to face him. He looks into my eyes, his own sparkling with joy. I give him a small nod and he takes my lips in a deep kiss.
“I love the fuck out of you,” he breathes into my mouth.
“I love you too,” I laugh.
Epilogue
Assholes for Life
Skittles
Fifteen years later…
I come out of the bathroom and walk through the house Josh had built for Shawna and their big-ass family. It’s my best friend’s birthday. Fifty-one years old. I can’t believe we’re so old and we’re closer than ever. I now know all of Josh’s secrets.
I often stop to think about how I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for him. Josh saved my life. I gained a family that night.
My assholes have turned into a bunch of fine-ass silver foxes. Although my husband thinks I don’t know that he’s been having his hair dyed. I give him a pass because he’s keeping that body intact.
I stop to look at the pictures hanging in the hall Shawna has made into a gallery. My face breaks into a smile as I look at the picture of Kelex with wings on his back.
Shawna loves that photo. She re-created the original shoot and made her own version. I turn my gaze to another picture. This is Josh with his youngest. Perseus is his father’s twin.
It’s like Kelex spit him out. It’s no wonder at six, he’s taking the modeling world by storm. That little smile is priceless. While Perseus is his father’s shadow and wants to do everything his daddy does, Kelex has turned out to be a girl dad. His four little princesses have him wrapped around their fingers.
Not to mention the fact that Cat and Vernice are thirty and twenty-six and can still call their dad any time of the night and he’ll go running. My friend is a great father to all his children.
Including his oldest, his little buddy turned grown man. True is such a talented young man. Young, black, and successful, that’s how Forbes described him last month.
“Time flies,” Shawna says as she walks up beside me.
“Tell me about it. I can’t believe we’re so old.”
She laughs. “Speak for yourself.”
“Um, you’re right. You’re still out here having babies.”
“Perseus is six. We’re not having any more babies.”
“Did you not see your husband’s face when he blew out the candles? I think his wish was to have one more baby. You better watch it tonight.” I laugh and dance out of her reach.
We make our way outside to the rest of the party. Ox is in the pool with AJ and Leo. I can’t believe AJ is going to be eighteen. He’s so handsome. All my nephews are.
AJ is almost as tall as his dad now. At one point, I thought Ox and Kelex were in a baby-making competition. Every time Shawna would announce she was pregnant, Lex would turn up knocked up next.
I’m not about that life. I had one more after our twins. Two boys and a girl. That was it for us. Nicky and Nina were first, then we had Ethan. The only reason Lex and Ox only have four is because when Ox found out she was pregnant with a girl the last time, he didn’t want to try anymore.