One year later...
“Tyler, I’m going to be late,” I said down the phone while shuffling down to the nursery.
“What do you mean, you’re going to be late? You can’t be. I need you by my side with the kids.”
“I know, but Skye vomited on his clothes so I have to change him.” He’d covered his entire outfit in the foul smelling stuff.
“Okay. I’ll try to delay the inauguration, but hurry, please,” he begged.
I sighed. “I will. I am.” I hung up and grabbed the next outfit available on Skye’s dresser. It was a feat to undress my son while trying not to get my own clothes dirty.
Like I had time for this. Hell, no!
Skye, unlike Melody, was a fragile stomach baby. He looked exactly like me; same eye shape, same lips and nose, and it still surprised me once in a while.
“Today is Daddy’s big day, okay? We have to be there on time.” I hurried.
The club had been rebuilt, except it wasn’t a club now. Tyler’s real estate office was there, along with a space for Tiff to teach her aerobics classes. Levi and Kyle were still debating moving Ink Me into the building, too, if only they could make up their mind. Today was the official opening of Ty’s business. The mayor was going to be there, along with the press.
“Mommy can’t be late.”
Baby number one had been ready for a while, and now baby number two was ready again. The diaper bag was already in the car. Melody crawled into the backseat while I fixed the shell in her brother’s car seat. She’d grown up a lot, and now showed me every single day how smart she was. While I watched, she got in her car seat and tried to do her own security belt. “I got you, Melo, give me a minute.”
“Mommy late? Mommy late?” she sing-songed, and I smiled.
“I don’t know at this point. It depends on how many red lights we hit.” She had no idea what I was talking about, but I spoke out loud anyway. Running late sucked.
With the children in the car, I didn’t risk speeding or rushing through yellow lights. Radiohead played in the background, and I hummed all the way to the new building, amazed how flawless the route was. We made it five minutes before things were scheduled to start.
“Babe, is everything okay?” Tyler hurried over to me to pull the double stroller from the back of the Rover, then open it. “How’s Skye?”
“I’m okay. I think he is, too. Just been a rough day, I guess.” I yawned.
He laughed. “You are beautiful.”
I shook my head. “You’re lying. I look like a zombified mom who tried to put makeup on.” At least, despite the vomit I’d dealt with, the sun shined in a cloudless sky. Overall, things looked great for Tyler’s big day.
“Stop, you don’t.”
While I helped Melody move from her car seat into the stroller, Tyler cared for Skye.
What a year he’d had. Dealing with the aftermath of the fire and shooting had taken hours of mental and physical therapy. While his mind was doing better, his leg would never be back to a hundred percent. That fact left him with internal scars he was still trying hard to get rid of. In the end, we all ended up seeking help after the unforgettable night. The images stuck in our heads had added stress, anxiety, and nightmares to our lives.
“You look thoughtful.”
“Yeah, I am, babe. Whenever I come here, I still think about it.”
Ty took over fixing Melody’s straps. “Today is a happy day, don’t let bad memories ruin this moment.”
“I’m not. It’s just a few flashes. I’ll be fine.” Our eyes locked. “I love you.”
“Of course, you do. Look at me. I’m wearing a suit, a tie, and all that fashion nonsense.”
“I agree, you look great. Quite professional, Mr. Real Estate Agent Man.”
He kissed my lips. “I aimed for both. Great and professional.” He kissed me again. “Now, I have to get back to business. Val, the baby bump, Nix, and Tiff are inside.”
Val had an enormous baby bump. She still had a month to go before her twins were due, but to be honest, I had no idea if she had any room left. Her belly was the size of an exercise ball.
“I’ll see you later.”
“I love you.” He winked at me, kissed the babies, and rushed off.
Pushing the stroller to the entrance, I found my girls right away. There were next to the cupcakes, wine, and bite-size snack tables for the grand opening of Wright Real Estate Agency.
Our lives had changed since the club’s destruction. At first, we’d all been lost like someone had gone missing from our clique. Since the club was where we’d always gotten together for a night of fun, we’d had to find a new place. One where we could meet and hang out, because it was hard to lose what we’d called home for so long. So, we started having dinner at my place every Friday, and then Nix jumped in, and after a while, we all rotated weeks hosting the gang for dinner. One night soon we would go to Lucky 13 for a night out. No kids, just adults. We needed it. We’d always been friends with the staff at Lucky 13; they were kind of like us. Closed circle of friends, same age range, and starting to have kids. We’d been hanging out with them more in the last few months. Why not? The more the merrier.
“Bekka, darling, you look sad,” Tyler’s mother, Lillian, said.
“Oh, no, no. I’m not sad. A lot is happening today is all, and my stress level is in the red.”
“No reason to be stressed, we are all here.”
“I know, I guess it’s me overthinking small details. Tyler deserves a perfect day.”
“Everything will be okay.” She hugged me with so much care and love, it surprised me.
“Okay. Right, I can do this.” I took a deep breath and tried to relax.
“I’ll be watching Melody and Skye with Amber. She’s missed auntie time with the kids. You focus on what needs your attention.”
I nodded before hugging her back. “Thank you.”
“Anytime.”
Knowing Lillian and Amber were watching over the kids, I calmed and my stress level lowered. The kids loved their grandmother and Auntie Amber.
“Okay, girls, what can I do to help?” I asked.
“I think we got it covered,” Nix said with beautiful Lia in her arms. The little girl was so much like her mother; I was pretty sure she would keep Nix’s baby blue eyes.
“You should go outside with Tyler. He was pretty nervous, too.”
I nodded. “I’ll go, but let me know if you need anything.”
“Sure,” Val said and sat down. I wondered how she was managing being here with such a big belly. As usual, my friend looked gorgeous with her long platinum hair. Pregnancy fit her well. Val had gained some weight in her arms, legs, and face, but it looked good on her. Lucky girl. I was still working on losing baby weight from number two, but didn’t feel the same urgency to lose it that I had the first time.
“Babe, over here,” Tyler said when I stepped outside.
“You thought of everything. Your mom, sister.”
“All the people who matter, yes. Your parents should be here soon, too.”
The relationship with my parents had changed. Not in such a good way at first, but we were all trying to make it back to how things were before. Before the club went up in flames and Tyler was shot. They’d tried convincing me to run away, that mine and Melody’s lives were in danger. It wasn’t a happy period, but I believed in Tyler and the officers who’d taken charge of his case. Things had quieted down lately. The Sullivans didn’t come around now. Still, we all had the best security in our homes and at work. It helped with feeling safe. My parents had to come around to the fact that I wasn’t going to leave Tyler, and they dealt with it. There were a couple of cold months, with nothing but phone calls to catch up on Melody and new baby news. Once Skye was born, the excitement of a new member in the family brought us closer once again.
“Thank you, babe.”
“It’s all good.” He kissed my forehead and took my hand in his. “Ready?”
“Whenever you are.”
We met with the mayor at the front of the building, and shook hands. “Mayor Ron Smith.”
“Rebekka Fleischer, nice to meet you, sir.”
Everyone Tyler had invited, and more, were gathered before us.
“Ladies and Gentlemen. We’re here today for the grand opening of a new adventure for Tyler Wright. Mr. Wright has a long history of business management and ownership in the city of Seattle. With age and wisdom, sometimes comes the desire to go in a new direction or invest time in a new business that has motivated us. Wright Real Estate Agency is proof of this. We’re glad that you’ve decided to offer spaces for more businesses in downtown Seattle, and look forward to the apartments you have planned for interested residents. It’s with great pleasure that I am here today with you and your family.”
I couldn’t have been prouder to stand on the arm of my man than I was in this moment. What a wonderful day this was, and what a bright future we had.
“Mr. Wright.” The mayor passed Tyler the microphone.
“Thank you, Mayor Smith, and thank you all for coming today. We’ve been trying to start a new chapter for a year, and today is the day we start writing it. The day we start making it count. I love this new life of mine and look forward to the opportunity to work with people wanting a new home or selling one. Wright Real Estate Agency is new in the city, and I understand that I’ll need to prove myself, even more than I’ve done in the past few months. I want to work with you to answer your questions and fulfill your expectations and needs. Expanding the team is also in my plans. We have offices for multiple agents. Besides my company, down the hall we now offer a wide range of classes for women wanting to take control of their body image. Tiffany Layne is an excellent trainer, with plenty of knowledge regarding exercise, dietary needs, and so on.”
Tiffany had earned her degree as a fitness instructor and health coach after the club closed down. With nothing aligned for her future, she’d decided to go back to school. We all knew Tyler had befriended Tiff when she was an exchange student. Levi and Kyle had no clue about Tiff back then, Tyler had made a friend of his own, and they never lost contact. Sometimes I wondered if they would have ended up together when she came back from having her heart broken in London if not for me. Maybe. Maybe not. Who knew? What I did know was that she was part of our family now.
“She has an experienced team working with her. Tiffany, say hi to the people.” Tyler pointed at her and everyone turned to look at her.
Waving her hand with a big bright smile, Tiff looked beyond happy. “Thank you, Tyler. Hi, everyone,” she said.
“I know I had more to say, but I didn’t make notes, and I’ve forgotten.” Everyone laughed. “So, for now, let me just welcome you all inside for a cocktail and snacks. Wright Real Estate Agency is officially open for business!”