Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26561 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 106(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26561 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 106(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
"Mags," I breathe into her hair, "I need you to know how proud I am of you. I now this hasn’t been an easy time, with dropping out of high school, working on your GED, furnishing a new apartment, and gestating a baby all at once. But I’m so proud to have you as my woman, and I thank my lucky stars every day that the universe delivered someone as beautiful and capable as you into my hands.”
There are tears in Maggie’s eyes.
"It’s okay, Ed. I don’t mind at all, and to be honest, keeping busy has helped me stay focused. Besides, I can’t wait to be a mom. Our family is very special, and I’m including Corey in that term. I know you haven’t smoothed things over with your son just yet, but this too shall pass. Over time, he’ll come to understand our relationship, and I’m sure he’ll adore his new baby brother or sister too. It just takes time.”
A lump forms in my throat as I kiss those plush lips.
“Thank you, sweetheart. I’m so grateful to have you, and I adore you more than life itself."
Her eyes are starry as she gazes into mine.
“I adore you too, Ed,” she whispers. “And I always will.”
Our lips meet then, and my heart swells and then bursts with happiness because this is the woman I was meant for. We’ve endured a lot along the way, but we’ve also survived, thrived, and triumphed in the end. Yes, her little striptease at the beginning went awry, but you know what? It was something to remember, and I appreciate Maggie all the more for it.
EPILOGUE
Ed
Three months later.
The day has finally come. After a huge retrofit, Maggie and I are hosting a grand opening for Burrata Pizza and Pasta at our Cedar Toms location, which will serve on-the-go pasta, in addition to our famous pizza.
Everything is shiny and new. There are new stoves, new counters, new floors, and new furniture. Honestly, it was time for this location to get a facelift, and the new pasta section just speeded things up a bit. I don’t regret it though because Maggie’s knack for interior design has paid off. She went with a washed gray look in the furniture and charcoal gray counters. The lighting is a series of cords dropping from the ceiling with soft Edison bulbs inside. When she originally suggested it, I wasn’t convinced, arguing that we’d look to “Brooklyn-ish.” But as usual, my girlfriend pulled it off.
Today, the atmosphere is unusually festive because the grand opening is going to be a blast. There are streamers hanging from the ceilings as well as balloons scattered about. Even the outdoor tables have colorful bouquets, and from the corner of my eye, I see Maggie’s nephew Huxley toddling about.
“Hux, Hux!” his mother cries before scooping him up. “What a bad boy!” she says before planting a kiss on the errant child’s cheek.
Maggie laughs from in back of me, and I spin. She’s gorgeous and absolutely huge, with her belly protruding over her toes. My girlfriend only has a little more to go before the baby’s due and honestly, I’m expecting her water to break any moment now. I need to get her off her feet asap.
“Come on honey,” I say, sliding a strong arm around her waist. “Sit down at this booth, baby. There’s no need for you to be serving drinks and appetizers. People can help themselves.”
“Oh you!” she smiles at me. “Always pampering me.”
“That’s right,” I say, eyeing her pregnant form. “You are so gorgeous honey, and you’re carrying precious cargo. I want you off your feet,” I frown.
She accedes and we take in the party together. All of the important people in my life are here. Corey’s at college in Vermont now, but he came back for the grand opening and looks to be chatting energetically with a pretty girl I don’t recognize. We still haven’t talked about what happened, but I hope he’s come to some kind of internal resolution within himself. After all, when I look back on what happened from Corey’s point of view, I can see why he was upset. He walked in on his father having sex with a woman he wanted to date himself. I get it. I’ll give my son all the time he needs to find equilibrium.
Meanwhile, Maggie’s whole family is here too. Prim’s jiggling her toddler in her arms, as Victoria and Malcolm coo over their grandchild. I’m glad to see the older couple because I think they finally threw in the towel when it came to managing their daughters’ lives. After all, Primrose and Magnolia are adults now, and need to choose their own paths in life.
Then, I hear a peal of feminine laughter ring in the air and turn. Ugh. It’s my brother Randy, and he’s flirting with Maggie’s friend, Sam. In fact, Sam is practically melting because my brother is such a good-looking motherfucker. Don’t get me wrong because he was Mr. January from last year’s annual firefighting calendar, but the asshole works it to the max. I even think Randy carries copies of that calendar around with him to show prospective sex partners.