Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 47615 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 238(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47615 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 238(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
“Oh, baby,” I croon. “My babies. Aww, Jen. I can’t believe you didn’t say something earlier.”
I scoot down a little in our bed, resting my head in her lap with my ear against her belly.
The sound of her heartbeat mixed with something else, maybe a tiny little drum beating in there? And all with the sweet baby sounds that little Marcus is making.
I think I have to agree with Jen.
The more of us there is, the merrier.
And between kisses, hugs, and more tears of happiness than I’ve ever known, I tell Jen how much I love her, over and over.
Thanking her for being the best mom, the most loving wife, and definitely the best friend a man could ever wish for.
I love you, babies. All of you.
EPILOGUE
TWENTY YEARS LATER
Jen
Well, I guess I wasn’t forever pregnant like we first planned.
But it sure was special, and if I ever get pregnant again, it’ll be just as special.
After Kyle, who was baby number six, Mother Nature decided to give Kane and me a break from baby-rearing duties for a bit.
This welcome break gave us time to enjoy and focus on the kids’ lives for a couple of years until babies seven and eight came along. All of our babies grew up into amazing kids.
And they are becoming even more amazing young adults.
I’m forty now. The same age as Kane was when we got together.
I’m not allowed to say how old that makes him because he’s living proof that age is just a number.
He’s still as tall, dark, and handsome as the day he first claimed me.
Maybe a few extra gray hairs, but his energy and vitality, especially in keeping up with the kids, still gives guys half his age a run for their money.
We’re just on our way home from our anniversary dinner.
Kind of the climax after a big week of family events.
Abby’s own production, which she wrote and directs as well as stars in, is still billboarding at number one on Broadway after twelve solid months.
We took the whole tribe to see it, and the girls, especially Chloe, can’t stop talking about it days later.
The boys still whine that we have to catch ‘the damned train’ everywhere whenever mom has to go out of town with them all.
Their dad reminds them that there’s more room on the train. And politely invites them to ‘shut their damned mouths.’
Making the boys go quiet and then giggle whenever they hear dad breaking out the strong language.
Shooting me a wink as he drives the not-so minivan back from the train station toward home.
Some might say that a week in New York with grown-up kids is tough work.
But the final stretch home in the minivan has their patience well and truly tested.
Kane and I could hang out with them all day if they’d let us, but they grow up so fast. And even though they like to do their own thing and have their own friends, they’ve always got time when it comes to family.
We’ve still got the same old place. And not one of the kids has made a noise about wanting to move out.
I mean, why would they?
We’ve got room to spare even with all ten of us, they’ve got everything they need at their fingertips.
Jonah and Axel are doing college online, while Marcus dropped out from campus, wanting to come home after just one term. But he’s doing his studies part-time now and online too.
“I think Chloe wants to be a dancer this week,” I murmur to Kane, who smiles with approval, nodding as he drives.
“That’s a relief,” he says. “I thought we were stuck with another marine biologist after the aquarium last week,” he kids.
Making a point of telling our youngest, Chloe, she can be whatever she wants, and yes. It can change week to week, that’s fine.
Sienna, Brigit, Karl, and Mindy have all passed out in the back seat, but all of them spring to life as if awakened by some sixth sense when we pull off the freeway and our street comes into view.
A loud cheer erupts inside the van, and dad honks the horn as he joins in.
Every damned time….
But it makes me smile.
It’s part of what makes coming home always feel so good.
Every one of us wants to be there, and every single one of us loves each other like nothing else.
It really is the dream family that Kane always talked about. And it’s something I had to experience for myself to know how magical it really is.
Pulling up right out front, Kane jumps out and opens the van’s sliding doors.
Counting them off like oversized ducklings as each kid files past.
Kane ruffles the boys’ hair or bows low for the ladies as he welcomes them all back home again.
With eight of them, ranging from five to twenty, it’s nothing but chaos from the minute we get home until the minute they finally pretend to go to sleep.