HAYDEN - FIVE YEARS LATER
The fire in the fire pit burned brightly, casting shadows on Katie and our sons.
“Mom, can I please play with Clency?” Cory called. Clency had just turned two, while Cory was almost five.
Katie leaned in and kissed Cory’s forehead. “It’s almost time for Clen to go to bed, sweetie. Besides, you’re way too fast to play with him.”
He pouted as Clency’s small legs carried him over to my side. He was fascinated by the fire, and Katie shifted the blanket in her lap, ready to reach for our youngest should he even think about getting too close.
I watched them for a moment, my heart full. Five years had passed since Leah had left me with her son. There wasn’t a day I didn’t think about her, mainly because Cory looked like her more and more every day.
Still, things had become better than I ever imagined, and as much as I wished Leah could be here to share it with me, Katie had proven to be everything I could ever wish for.
Commotion behind me made her turn and she caught my eye, blowing me a kiss.
“I brought beer,” Knox called from behind me.
“And wine.” Sarah appeared and hugged me, kissing my cheek, then walked over to my wife.
“I actually got juice.” Clare pouted as she passed, but Dale wasn’t far behind.
“Of course, because pregnant ladies don’t get wine,” he called after her good-naturedly. I shook my head.
“I’m glad you’re here,” I said to Dale, still waiting for Knox to come out. Most likely, he’d gone upstairs to prepare the guest room for Sally. She was old enough to stay up, but for some reason, she had a tendency to fall asleep better when they were here.
We did family nights once a month, sometimes more, and I lived for those nights. It was then we realized what we’d been through and how happy we’d all become.
“Katie looks good,” Knox announced, handing me a bottle of beer. I nodded.
“She’s the most perfect woman ever,” I agreed.
He chuckled as Sally rushed past us with some toys we usually had upstairs for her. Knox and Sarah had turned into an aunt and uncle for all our kids, and I couldn’t have wished for anyone better.
Besides that, it made parenting so much easier when you could just hand the kids off for a night and know they were safe.
“The room is ready for Sally,” Knox said to Dale, who just waved at him, chasing my son around. Cory and he had a weird bond, something Katie called “the macho connection”, and I couldn’t help but shake my head each and every time.
“Is Tina already in bed?” I asked Knox, wondering where Dale and Clare’s youngest daughter was. She’d usually run around with the boys, but I didn’t see her.
“Sarah was home today. Tina had a stomach bug or something, so she stayed over. The two watched TV all day, but I hear Tina slept most of the time. She came with us, so I carried her upstairs. It’s incredible what that girl can sleep through.”
“All of the kids,” I replied. We both laughed.
“Anyway,” Knox started, “do we want to join the others?” He didn’t wait for my answer before he stepped out onto the grass. I didn’t mind staying on the porch a little longer to soak up the peace this scene offered me.
Since Sarah and Knox couldn’t have their own children, none of us minded sharing ours. For a while, Clency was confused about who his dad was because Knox, Dale, and I had started our own renovation/moving company and spent almost every waking hour together.
We just threw all the kids together, and one of us watched them while the other two were working. For a few months, we’d rotated. Now, though, everything had settled down and we’d even hired more help.
It was stressful a lot of the time, but standing on the porch, watching friends who’d become family, I knew I’d never change a thing, no matter what.
THE END