Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 55738 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55738 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
He cheers, sweeping me into his arms. When we kiss, I can feel tears sliding down his face.
EPILOGUE
TEN MONTHS LATER
Fletcher
I stand at the bedroom door, watching my wife holding our baby, Max, named after Samantha’s father. Both of them are falling asleep. My height lets me look over her shoulder at my son, his eyes falling closed. Since it’s so dark out and light in here, I can see my woman in the window’s reflection, her eyes doing the same.
Walking slowly into the room, I pull up a chair next to them, moving as quietly as a big man like me can. Luckily, because of my old job, this isn’t as hard as it could be. Samantha looks over at me with a sleepy smile on her face.
She’s become more beautiful every day since the pregnancy, glowing and curvier. Now, in the first weeks of motherhood, she’s like an angel with messy hair, bags under her eyes, and comfortable clothes. She doesn’t believe I find her so gorgeous and sexy, but I do. She radiates motherhood.
When she yawns, I lean over and gently kiss her on the cheek. Then I whisper in her ear, “Get some rest. I’ll wait for the little man to fall asleep.”
“Are you sure?” she asks.
I kiss her again. “Of course I am.”
She carefully hands him to me. My heart melts again when I pull him into my arms, rocking him gently. He opens his eyes, sees it’s me, and then closes them peacefully. I already feel a burning connection with him, just like I did with James. However, I will be here every step of the way this time.
EPILOGUE
NINE YEARS LATER
James
“James, James,” Max says from the back seat, a big grin on his face as I glance at him in the rearview. “Is it true Lexi beat you up?”
Lexi sneaks a smile at me from the passenger seat. She’s let her hair return to its natural blond in recent years. My wife is beautiful no matter what color her hair is.
“It’s true,” I admit, “but how did you find out about that, huh? Hmm, Rachael?”
Our daughter giggles, covering her mouth with her hand. She’s seven years old and full of mischief. They’ve both just been to kickboxing practice, and now we’re taking Jack back to Dad’s place. It’s pretty convenient since we live in the same neighborhood.
“It was sparring,” Lexi says. “Anyway, your father let me win.”
“No, no, no,” I reply, laughing. “I won’t hear that. Your mother’s ferocious, Rachael.”
“Fe-ro-shus,” Rachael says. “That’s a hard word.”
As Lexi spells it out for her—Rachael is endlessly fascinated with words—I drive, smiling. When I tell people how this all started—me and Lexi, Dad and Samantha—they sometimes look at me like I’m crazy. They can’t believe it could ever work, but it does. It has. Every day, it gets better.
Lexi and I own our gym together. Lexi has painted the outside in a graffiti style, giving it a unique look that draws in endless numbers of new customers. Dad has expanded his gym business to multiple locations, and Samantha works from home, selling her art online and taking care of my four nieces and nephews.
As I drive up Dad’s street, my smile gets even wider.
“Wrestling!” Max cheers, leaning forward to press his face against the window.
The sun blazes down, lighting up the scene. Dad’s got his shirt off, still ripped at fifty-two. He’s got a big silver beard now, his hair longer than it used to be. Jimmy and Sara run right at him. He laughs and scoops them up, spinning them in circles. Samantha watches from the porch, gently rocking their baby, a smile on her face.
It’s taken time and healing. It’s taken humility and owning up to past mistakes. What started as a bad date and a lot of guilt has ended with a life worth fighting for. Lexi must sense my mood. She reaches over and touches my hand. I turn. We share the kind of silent, intimate moment I didn’t know existed before we married. This is the life.
THE END