Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 131209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 656(@200wpm)___ 525(@250wpm)___ 437(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 656(@200wpm)___ 525(@250wpm)___ 437(@300wpm)
I kissed her and then reached down to touch her belly.
And in that second I loved my child, more than anything else in this world.
Several months later, Christine was glowing and gorgeous. We were having a boy and decided to name him Ethan Joshua Hill. We prepared for everything and anything under the sun, slowly awaiting the arrival of our baby boy.
My phone rang with Ysabelle’s face lighting the screen. “Look who decided to come out of hiding?” I answered.
“Oh… you know, a little of this, a little of that. I like to keep you on your toes, Mr. Hill. What are you and your bitchy girlfriend doing?”
“Right… about that…” I paused.
I knew this wasn’t going to go over well, but it was now or never.
“Yes?” she inquired.
“We sort of went to the court house and got married last weekend.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” She yelled a little too loudly, that I needed to move the phone away from my ear.
“Wow, Kid, a congratulations would have probably been a better opener, don’t you think?”
“Why?” she questioned in an angry tone.
“I don’t know, Ysabelle, because we love each other. We are going to be a family in a few months. That’s pretty standard stuff.”
“Great. Just fucking great, Devon. Congrat-u-fucking-lations.” She hung up.
I stared at my phone for a few seconds before calling her back.
“Kid…” was all I said and she broke down crying.
“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes,” I said and hung up.
I walked right in to Ysabelle’s apartment, and I could tell that she hadn’t moved from the couch for a few days. Her face appeared crazy and she had raccoon eyes from crying. I approached her like I would a wounded animal.
Cautious.
She patted the seat next to her and I smiled.
“What’s going on?” I questioned, sitting beside her.
“I don’t know, Devon… I’m so fucked up. I have no idea what I’m doing anymore. I’m sad, depressed, and crying like a little bitch on my couch.” She laughed and cried at the same time.
“Kid…” I said, putting my arms around her. “Is it about that guy at the bar?”
A few months ago she had come to see me at my bar and this guy who I had never seen before, was hanging out with her. He looked head over her heels in love with her. I didn’t think I had ever seen anyone look so enthralled and consumed by someone else before. It had been endearing to watch, especially Ysabelle being at the receiving end of such emotion.
“How do you know?” she whispered.
“I’m a man and I know what it looks like when another man is interested. Did he hurt you?”
“Yes… no… I don’t know,” she mumbled.
I sighed and kissed her forehead, “I have known you a very long time, Ysabelle, and I can’t help but feel relieved.” She moved to face me.
“What?”
“You let him in. I never thought you’d allow it.” I still didn’t know what she was up to, or what she was doing with her life. But I wasn’t stupid… it had been almost eight years since she walked into my life. Everything had changed about her; especially her demeanor.
I worried that she was doing something illegal or damaging to her self-esteem. The more I saw her, the less of the girl I once knew, was there.
“Do you see this right here?” she addressed, pointing to herself. “This…is why I’m not supposed to give a shit. I end up looking and feeling like shit, Devon. I can’t think, I can’t sleep, I can’t fucking get off my couch. All I want to do is eat ice cream and watch sappy movies, and I hate sappy movies,” she whined.
I laughed. “You’re kind of adorable right now and that could be a plus.”
“Ahhhh!” she yelled, grabbing the pillow off the couch and hitting me over the head repeatedly.
“Oh come on… just call him and work it out. Everything can be worked out. If it can’t, then he doesn’t deserve you. You will find someone who will,” I explained.
“It’s not that easy Devon.”
“It never is, life is not like that,” I said, knowing that it was true.
“You sound like a fortune cookie.” We both laughed.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t supportive about the whole marriage thing. I’m happy for you…kind of.”
“It was a spur of the moment thing.”
My sisters and mother were extremely disappointed that we didn’t have a wedding, but in the end they understood. I think my mom was just happy that I was finally married and giving her a grandson. Lauren was married and had two kids, Alexis was also married and had three kids, and Liv was pregnant with her third.
My mom also remarried a few years ago to Scott. It was the first time I had ever seen her truly happy. Her life began and it was one of the best feelings I had ever experienced before; to see my sisters and mom get what they truly deserved. We were all finally settled and moving forward from the past.