Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 59004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
Thank goodness.
Henry pulls into the empty spot beside our Mercedes and jumps out. “Sorry for the late arrival. I swear traffic was a bitch tonight.”
“You did just fine,” I say, patting him on the shoulder. “We gotta go, though. Wish her luck.”
“I don’t need luck. I need a hospital,” Liz groans, doubling over in the seat.
Henry grins. “Let me know how it goes.”
Six hours later, I’m standing over the hospital bed, seeing our son in Liz’s arms for the first time. I lean down, placing a kiss on her head. “I love you, Liz.”
“I love you, too,” she smiles up at me, her hair damp with sweat but her eyes full of love. “I can’t believe it. We now have two kids.”
I laugh, running my finger along the tiny hand of our baby boy. “Ella and Levi. I think we have two amazing kids, and I have an even more amazing wife.” I kiss her again, fighting to hold back all the emotions welling up in my chest. It won’t be long before Ella and Henry will be here to meet the newest addition to the family.
I have never been happier.
EPILOGUE
TEN YEARS LATER…
Liz
“Happy birthday, Dad!” Levi shouts, his footsteps thundering down the stairs. “You’re officially a hundred years old!”
“He’s not one hundred,” Ella quips from where she sits on a bar stool. “He’s only, like, ninety or something. You have to get it right if you’re going to shout out his real age.”
“Ha ha, you two,” I laugh. I eye them both before glancing over at Troy, who’s still smiling despite the jab. “You know your dad is only a little over the hill. He’s got a long way to go before he’s really old.”
“True, but you’re not Mom,” Levi reasons. “Dylan said that his dad thinks Mom is hot. He has some weird word that he calls her, but I can’t remember what it is—maybe filth? Nilf? I don’t know.” He looks puzzled, shaking his head as I slide him a plate of eggs and toast.
“That’s enough of that. No one should call Mom anything other than ma’am,” Troy mutters, shaking his head. “And no one should look at your mom like that… except for me.”
Levi wrinkles his nose. “Gross.”
“Super gross,” Ella quips, shuddering. She’s a teenager, lost in the middle of her first year of high school, and I don’t know how I feel about my baby growing up. She’ll be driving in just a couple of years.
Ugh. Slow down, time.
My eyes drift to Troy, whose gaze is transfixed on Ella, too. I wonder if he’s thinking the same thing as me. He’s officially on his way to sixty, though I have to admit he still doesn’t look a day over forty-five. My heart skips as I see his salt-and-pepper hair—mostly salt now.
I fill Levi’s glass full of orange juice and set it in front of him. For being ten, he’s got the appetite of someone twice his age and size. I swear he’s a bottomless pit, and I wonder where it all goes.
I wish I had that problem.
I nearly laugh to myself. I’ve stayed the same size, though I must admit that maybe the proportions shifted a little after Levi was born. My hips might be a little wider, but Troy has never made me feel anything less than beautiful—no matter what. That’s a wonderful thing.
“Sam is picking me up for school. Is that okay?” Ella looks up at me, her comment taking me by surprise. “He asked me yesterday, but I forgot to tell you.” She gives me an apologetic look, pouting out her bottom lip slightly.
“Sam is two years older than you…” My voice trails off as I see the frown form on Troy’s face. “School is within walking distance. You always take your brother. I don’t want him walking to school alone.” Though, we always send a bodyguard. “It’s just the principle of the matter.”
Ella gives me a funny look. “Well, Levi can just come with us? I don’t see why it’s a big deal. I don’t mind him riding along.”
Troy sighs. “I don’t like this thing you have with Sam. You two hang out all the time. Whatever happened to all of your girlfriends?”
Our daughter almost rolls her eyes but stops herself. “We’re not dating, Dad. We don’t even like each other like that. He’s just my friend and nothing more. I don’t want a boyfriend. I’m only fourteen, and I still have all my other friends. They just don’t live on our street. Well, and they can’t drive. Sam can.”
Troy looks at me, and all I can do is shrug. Arguing with Ella is the same as trying to argue with Troy. Although, even then, I can usually sway Troy much easier than I can sway Ella.
“Come on,” Ella urges. “Please. I’ll text you as soon as we make it, and I’ll come straight home from school. Promise.”