Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 70629 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 283(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70629 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 283(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
"This will be better if I watch them,” he says, walking into the bathroom.
"I’m staying here,” I say, and my legs start to move now. “If this is negative, we are having safe sex until we are ready," I inform him. “No more playing Russian roulette with my ovaries." I tilt my head to look into the bathroom and see him examining the sticks. “What do they say?"
"It’s not time yet,” he says and picks the other one up. “But"—he looks at me—“one says yes, and the other has two lines." I get up now. “Will they change?"
"I don’t know," I say, standing next to him, picking up one. “We should do another one."
Thirty minutes later, another five tests have come back positive. "Well," Reed says, then looks at me. “Do you think it’s another girl?" I put my head back and groan, closing my eyes before he finally takes me in the shower.
Nine months later, our baby boy blesses us.
Epilogue Two
Reed
Seven Years later
"I think he’s out,” I say, walking out of our son's room and looking over to see that it’s seven o’clock.
"Did he whine?" Hazel asks, walking to the fridge, her hair wet from the shower. “He usually likes to nurse to go to sleep." In the past seven years, I’ve fallen more and more in love with my wife. I put a matching wedding band on her finger the week after we found out we were having a boy. With Sofia in the middle of us, we said our vows, and it’s been blissful ever since.
"In one month, he’s already taken over everything,” I say, sitting down on the stool with my head hanging. “Why is it so much harder than Kaine?”
"Maybe because he knows we aren’t having another child, so he’s going to make sure we stick to our guns." I laugh, thinking of our son Denver. He came into the world with a roar and never stopped. He came out with his nights and days screwed up, and we just got him figured out, but now he's decided that sleep, in general, is overrated.
The front door opens, and we both look over to see our thirteen-year-old daughter coming into the house. She has grown up to be even more beautiful than I can explain, making being a father to a girl so much harder. “Is he finally sleeping?" She stops, and Harlow also stops behind her.
"Should we even be talking?" Harlow asks, looking around. "I don’t want to wake him."
"He should be out for at least an hour," Hazel says, closing her eyes. “I fucking hope."
Harlow laughs now. “Okay, kiddo," she tells Sofia. “Give me a hug. I’ll be gone this weekend."
Sofia walks to her and gives her a hug, turning and walking to her room on her tippy-toes.
"Are you really going to that wedding?" I look at her as she walks to the kitchen.
"What am I supposed to do?" She sits down next to me. “I made a promise, and a promise is a promise."
"I don’t think you need to keep a promise you made to an ex-boyfriend," Hazel says. “An ex-boyfriend you still love."
She rolls her eyes at Hazel. “I don’t still love him. Besides, I got an invitation. If I don’t show up, he’s going to know it bothers me." She pushes off the counter. “I’ll go to the wedding, show my face, smile, and wish him well." She shows us the smile she'll use. “See? Fine." She turns on her heels and storms out of the house.
"This is not going to be good," Hazel says.
"You can say that again." I shake my head. “Nothing about that was good." I get up and walk over to her, kissing her on her neck.
"He’s not going to know what hit him," Hazel says. "What do you say we go and nap?"
I grab her hand and head to our bedroom. “That has to be the sexiest thing you’ve ever said to me."
I’m about to fall onto the bed when I hear the grunting of our son. “Oh, look, our little ray of sunshine is up," Hazel says, making me laugh.
She’s helped make me whole. She’s helped me be the best man I can be. Seven years ago, I thought I had it all until I saw what I was missing. “Love you,” I say for the hundredth time just today.
"Love you more." She smiles. “Forever."
* * *