Mina

I heard the front door open from the kitchen of the brownstone in Hell’s Kitchen and smiled. “Daddy!” Landon cried, clapping his filthy hands where he sat in the high chair with bits of banana smashed everywhere.

I put down the kitchen towel I’d been using to wipe down the counter and turned down the flame on the gas stove where I was trying my hand at a new chili recipe. “Yes, it’s Daddy,” I said, love and joy filling my heart. As I said it, Jasper stepped into the kitchen, beaming at us. He looked so incredible in his red sweater, leather jacket, and black jeans, his hair curling around his ears, just a little longer than should be acceptable for the owner of a company. Then again, when you owned a business that handled customizing motorcycles, you tended to get away with a little more.

And I loved it.

He kissed me in greeting and then turned to his son. “Well, aren’t you a mess. Did your mother ask you to make banana pudding or something?”

“Nana!” He waved his hands in the air, and I couldn’t help but laugh as Jasper ducked in to kiss his cheeks, dodging the mess carefully so it didn’t get smeared all over his good clothes.

“Yes, I see. Nana.”

He turned back to me, sniffing the air. “It smells delicious in here.”

“Good. I’m trying something new.”

He winked. “Just don’t give me food poisoning. I’d hate to miss the ride tomorrow. Are you still joining?”

Jasper had made a name for himself with several of the major biker clubs in the area, and he’d been invited to ride with them for different causes. Tomorrow was a big one, though – a ride with BACA, Bikers Against Child Abuse. The cause was so important that it crossed boundaries, and you found everyone from the Angels to the Banditos and beyond riding side by side, hugging each other as if there was never any beef. We’d both been invited, and we’d agreed, calling the sitter for Landon. I’d only started riding occasionally since Landon had been born, but I hadn’t wanted to turn down such a prestigious invite.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t going to make it after all. I turned toward the stove, lifting the lid and stirring the chili as if it was no big deal. “Actually, I thought I’d see you off and then spend the day getting ready for the birthday party.” It was a valid excuse, since Landon turned two in just a couple of weeks.

“Are you serious? I thought you were looking forward to this. Don’t tell me you got cold feet. It’s not like you haven’t been around these guys before.”

I could understand his confusion, and he was right. The bikers didn’t scare me. I was around them a lot – really, anytime I visited one of the three shops that Jasper owned where the actual work was done. They tended to come check in on the work often, or just to hang out and shoot the shit with each other. And they treated me like some long lost little sister, despite their gruff demeanor. I loved it, and I had even attended charity events at their leather bars with Jasper, dressing the part.

“No, it’s not that. I’m just feeling a little under the weather. That’s all. But I promise, I’ll be there at the start of the ride to show my face, see you off, and give my best to everyone. I’ll even bring Landon. He’ll love it.”

I should have known I wasn’t going to get off that easily. Jasper took my elbow and gently tugged me away from the stove, turning me in his arms to face him. He pressed his hand to my forehead, checking my temperature as he searched my face for signs of illness. “You’ve been feeling a little under the weather for a couple of weeks now. You aren’t coming down with the flu, are you? I’ll stay home and take you to the doctor.”

“No, don’t do that,” I insisted. “This means a lot to both of us, so I want you to go. I’d be heartbroken if we both stayed home.” I grinned at him. “We’ll be fine, Jasper. You worry too much.”

But he grunted at me. “You look tired. Maybe you should go lay down or take a bath or something.” He gazed over my shoulder and wrinkled his nose at Landon, which made our son giggle. “Have you been running Mommy into the ground?”

“I hope not,” I said with a sigh, “considering that it’s going to be even harder to handle two.”

“So, break the play date Sunday,” he demanded. I laughed. Jake had come out of the institution and found his perfect match, and they had a daughter who was a year old who came over to play with Landon all the time.

I shook my head. “That’s not what I mean. After all, Uncle Jake and Aunt Sabrina will be here to help.” When he still looked confused, I rolled my eyes. “Look, let’s just say I’ll have a lot more on my hands, and I probably won’t be riding for a few months.”

I knew he wasn’t that dense, and I saw the instant the realization hit. Jasper’s face blossomed with excitement, his eyes wide and glowing and his smile radiant. “You’re pregnant!”

I nodded, glad it was finally out in the open. I’d figured it out a few days ago but had been waiting for the right moment to tell him. I’d worried about being a good mother the first time around, but Landon was doing well, and Jasper had assured me I wasn’t doing anything that would screw him up. Now, though, the uncertainty was back. I was an only child and didn’t really know the dynamics of having multiple children. How did you divide your time equally? How did you make sure they were both happy and healthy? What if I was so focused on one that the other got hurt when I wasn’t looking?

“This is great!” he cried, kissing me hard. “You hear that, Landon? You’re going to have a little brother or sister soon.” He gazed down at me with more love than I could process. “You are amazing, Mina. And you’ll continue to be amazing. Just be excited.”

And suddenly, I was. With Jasper’s support, I knew I could accomplish anything. “What do you think about Lisa Rae or Devon Shane?”

He quirked a brow at me. “How long have you known?”

“Just a couple of days. But I’ve been thinking about names for a while,” I admitted. Actually, ever since I’d had Landon, I’d considered a second child, and when Jake’s daughter, Sarah, had been born, it had solidified my desire, so I’d settled on names I really liked, somehow thinking that would make things happen.

“You know what? Those names are perfect,” he told me, kissing my nose.

“Well, then, let’s celebrate. Dinner’s ready. Why don’t you go change and then come help me clean the kiddo while I set the table?” I was positively glowing. Sure, we’d been through a lot, together and separate. But we’d survived, and we’d become the people we were through tragedy and triumph. Jasper had taught me compassion, something I hadn’t learned from my upbringing, and it had allowed me to give him a chance, even with our history. It’s also what had brought Jake into our lives and helped him thrive.

I liked to think I taught Jasper about true love, but then, I’d learned it from him as well. We understood what it meant to put others first, and we’d learned to forgive those we loved, no matter how deadly their sins. And because of that, we’d been married for nearly three years, had a beautiful son and another child on the way, and had tons of extended family we’d adopted into our lives.

If you had asked me when I lost my father at sixteen if I would ever recover and lead a normal, happy life, I wouldn’t have been able to answer. Now, though, I knew that life was what you made of it, and as long as you kept your eyes open, you had the option to latch onto every opportunity for complete contentment.