Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 34761 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 174(@200wpm)___ 139(@250wpm)___ 116(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34761 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 174(@200wpm)___ 139(@250wpm)___ 116(@300wpm)
At four years old, this would be the longest he and Andy had waited between children. Cooper had been a complicated birth. Andy had been in labor for twelve hours. They were starting to worry about problems with him, and it was like he didn’t want to wait any longer. Within twenty minutes, he was out in the world.
“Not yet.”
“Is Mommy dead?” Cooper asked.
Rome crouched down and looked at his son. “No, Mommy is not dead.”
“Theo said I was a big baby because I didn’t want to go to Grandpa’s.”
Rome chuckled. “You’re not a big baby.”
“He so is, Daddy. You like to bring Mommy home. Always.”
“Hey, we’re a family here. We have to make sacrifices for family,” he said. He was about to go into a long rant about how important it was to stick together when the front door opened.
Turning his back on the kids, he went to his wife.
Andy smiled at him. She looked so beautiful.
He’d been there for the birth of their little girl, but she had asked him to go home to be with their kids.
Staring into her eyes, he suddenly realized why.
Unlike their other babies and pregnancies, Andy had no choice but to be put on bed rest. Andy wanted him home so they wouldn’t worry. Like always, she thought about their family.
He went to her, cupping her face and kissing her. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Their little girl, Beatrice, chose that moment to gurgle. She wanted to meet everyone.
He helped Andy into the room. James slapped him on the shoulder. They had all grown big families.
He knew their parents were so happy to be surrounded by their babies.
“Who wants to meet their little sister?” Andy asked.
“Go and be with your family,” James said.
Rome entered the sitting room to find Andy sitting on the sofa, holding their little girl.
Cooper rushed forward, but he didn’t look at the little girl, he wrapped his arms around Andy.
“I love you, Mommy.”
“I love you too.”
One by one, their children went to their mother, and Rome realized he should have been telling them their mother was going to be all right.
Epilogue Three
Forty years later
Andy smiled across the dining room table at her husband. Today was their anniversary, as well as their son’s birthday.
“Happy anniversary,” Rome said.
Theodore Junior had arranged for them to go on a special cruise away.
After fifty years of marriage, they deserved some time away together.
Rome took her hand.
They were much older now. She was eighty-five, while Rome was seventy-five. Fifty years of marriage. A lot of love, a lot of kids.
So much happiness.
“Happy anniversary.”
They had seven children in total, and five grandchildren.
Soft music played in the background. That morning, they had already talked to Theo, and to each of their kids.
Caleb and Lilly had called them, as had James and Eliza.
The Hard boys all had fallen in love.
“May I have this dance?” Rome asked.
There were some couples of varying ages on the cruise. Getting to her feet, she followed Rome onto the dance floor. He pulled her into his arms, and like that first time all those years ago, her heart still raced.
Some couples complained of boredom, but to Andy, none of that ever happened. Her marriage with Rome didn’t come without complications. The best kind of love wasn’t easy. They fought but found each other, over and over again.
Nothing could ever tear them apart.
Rome ran his hand up her waist and cupped her cheek. “Are you game for another fifty years?” he asked.
She laughed. “We’ve just survived this one.”
“I remember people saying we wouldn’t make it past one year. We’ve done fifty. I want to defy the odds.”
Thinking about their ages, Andy smiled. “How about we start with another five?”
“Fifteen,” he said. “I’m never ready to let you go.”
And she was never ready to be let go.
“Then I’ll be with you for another twenty-plus years for now and for forever.” She had vowed to be with him through good times and bad. There had been so many good times.
Rome pulled her close, and she breathed in the scent of her man.
Rome Hard.
The last Hard boy to fall, but it had been one mighty ride.
The End