CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Ace
Halloween
“Come on, we gotta hurry up and get these done before they start showing up.”
Violet and I are racing against the clock. Trick-or-treating starts at four p.m. and it’s three-thirty. We’re both changed, and Leighton’s already here, helping us fill up the treat bags we’ll be handing out. We’d starting filling them up when Violet got off work, but we’d gotten distracted when we got dressed in our costumes. If I’d known she was going to look as good as Wonder Woman herself, I would have had her try it on for me before today.
“You’re a damn slave driver,” Leighton grumbles as she situates herself on the couch. “If I knew you were going to be this bad, I would have said leave my ass at home.”
Violet snickers, handing her friend a piece of chocolate. “Here, eat this and you’ll feel better.”
Leighton does as told, and then grimaces, putting a hand to her back. “I’ve felt like shit all day. I didn’t want to come, no offense to you all, but I’m just so uncomfortable. Holden didn’t want me at the house by myself though, and we got into an argument about it. It’s just not been a good day.”
“Only a few more weeks,” my girlfriend says as she leans over and rubs the felt balls on her friend’s belly, “then you’ll be able to at least sleep comfortably, just not much.”
“So true.” She sighs as she gets up and all but waddles to the kitchen.
I close the last of the bags and then put them in the container we have for easy access. “C’mon ladies, can Captain America get a selfie with Wonder Woman and the gum ball machine?”
“Ugh, you’re too cheerful,” Leighton gripes, grinning when I give her a look.
“I love Halloween, okay?”
“I love seeing my feet when I look down, but we can’t all have what we want. Can we?” she retorts.
She turns to walk out of the living room, while I pull Violet to my side. “She’s grouchy.”
“She’s carrying around thirty-five pounds on her frame that wasn’t there nine months ago, of course she’s grouchy.” She puts her arms around my waist. “And I’m sorry if she hurt your feelings, but I’ll take a selfie with you.”
Leaning her cheek up to mine, I can see Violet smiling widely. God, I love this woman, and have I mentioned how hot she looks in this costume? With my hand that’s not holding the phone, I reach up, using my index finger to grab her chin, and turn her into a kiss. As we deepen the connection, I capture a picture. One second in the lifetime that will be ours. Letting her go with one more tiny peck, I smirk at her. Violet wipes the lipstick off my mouth, a smirk of her own spreads across her face.
“You’re the sexiest super hero I’ve ever seen.” My ego takes a nice stroking when she says those words. I work out, so it’s nice when she notices.
“Ain’t nobody got anything on that ass.” I smack it with the palm of my hand as she walks by.
Back when we first started with each other, I never thought she’d be this comfortable with me. Never thought I would be this comfortable with her. For everything we’ve gone through together, I realize we went through it to end up here. As the holidays approach, I know I’ll be more thankful than I’ve ever been to have this woman by my side.
“Let’s go give out some treat bags.” She grabs my hand, dragging me onto our shared porch.
Kids are already arriving, and I can’t help but be pleased when I see Violet sit down next to Leighton on the steps, oohing and aahing over all the cute costumes the kids are wearing. Maybe one day we’ll have a kid of our own, and we’ll be able to enjoy this rite of passage with them.
The thought doesn’t scare me like it would have years ago. In fact, it’s more exciting now than anything. Life is changing, and it’s changing in a big way.
Violet
“I haven’t seen this many cute kids, ever.” I grin at the parents bringing them up as Leighton and I talk back and forth to one another.
“Just wait until the MTF kids get this age.” Her eyes are sparkling with excitement. “We’ll have Stella and ours, and probably by then you and Anthony will have one, Blaze and Tank will hopefully have one, and who knows with Mason.”
“Wait a second.” I laugh. “What makes you think that’s going to happen with me and Anthony?” I glance over my shoulder, checking to see if he can hear this conversation going down. I don’t want him to think I’m making plans or assumptions about him without his knowledge. While I would be interested in being married again if the circumstances were right, I don’t want to set myself up for failure.
“Stop lying to yourself.” Leighton grabs hold of her back, rubbing the middle deeply. “The two of you heat up any room you’re in, and the way you look at each other? It’s special, Vi, don’t discount it. You’re allowed to have the kind of romance people write about. You are.” She puts her arm around me. “Just because your first attempt sucked ass, doesn’t mean your whole life will be measured by your past. I’m the perfect example of that.”
I think for a moment about what she’s telling me. Leighton knows better than most anyone how past indiscretions (that aren’t even yours) can ruin a life. If she’s telling me to live for the moment, then who am I to tell her no?
We hand out another batch of bags, and she goes to stand up.
“My back is killing me, I’ve got to move.” She grimaces as she tries to lift her weight up. “Even if it’s just for a minute, I need to stand.”
Offering her my arm, she stands, screams, and then falls back down beside me. In a flash, Anthony is over to us.
“Are you okay?” we ask at the same time. The fear is mirrored in both our voices.
Wide, scared eyes gaze back up at us, before they lower down to her lap. There I see a darkening of the leggings she wears.
“Leighton, did your water just break?” I gasp, my heart pounding.
“I think-I think so.” She grips my hand in hers. “It’s too early. He’s not due for another two weeks,” she cries.
It’s a he – I’d been right. How does that not surprise me with her and Holden? Two weeks isn’t a big deal, but I have a feeling she doesn’t want to hear that from me right now. “Let’s get you to the hospital and get Holden there to help you. You good to walk?” I stand up, holding onto her hand.
My eyes meet Anthony’s. He’s already on the phone, presumably with Holden. He’s nodding, handing me his keys because his truck has more space than my compact car. As he ends his phone call, he grabs hold of Leighton, carrying her to the back cab of his truck.
“Holden’s on his way, I’m gonna lock up here, and then I’ll come join you two. Everything’s going to be fine.” He gets her situated, kisses me on the forehead, and off we go.
“I’m scared, Vi,” Leighton says from the back seat. “I never had a mom, what if I’m a shitty one?”
“You take care of everybody in your life, Leigh. You’re going to be fantastic. Now just lay back, relax, and get as much rest as you can. The next eighteen years of your life are going to be a whirlwind. Especially if your son is anything like your husband.”
She groans. “I can’t believe I caved.”
“I think all will be forgiven as soon as you hold him in your arms.”
“I hope Holden makes it,” she worries. “What if he was on a stop, what if he gets into an accident trying to get to the hospital? This has been my fear since I found out I was pregnant. That he’d be on shift when I went into labor, and it’d put him in danger getting to me.”
“Trust me.” I reach back with my hand, grasping hold of hers. “He’s going to get to you anyway he can.”
We’re quiet as we continue the journey to the hospital and as I pull up, I see Holden already waiting at the Emergency Room entrance.
“He’s here, Leigh, you don’t gotta worry.”
Before I even have the truck stopped, he’s opened the door and has his wife in his arms.
“Baby, are you okay?” The fear in his voice is palpable, and I feel as if I’m intruding on a private moment, but there’s nowhere for me to go.
“Scared, but so glad you’re here.”
“I’m scared too, but I wouldn’t miss this for the world and there’s no one else I want to go through this with, other than you.”
With a thank you to me, he picks her up, places her in a wheelchair, and they wheel her through the doors. I have to park the truck what feels like five miles from the entrance, because I can’t park Anthony’s truck that well. When I see my car pull up with Captain America driving it, I laugh harder than I probably should. He looks so uncomfortable.
“Did you by any chance grab us a change of clothes?” I giggle.
He looks down at himself and then at me. “Fuck no,” he groans and laughs. “Well here’s one for the record books. Welcome to the world baby Thompson.” He entwines our fingers, and we proudly walk into the hospital as superheroes.
Seven hours later, as the MTF has gathered at the hospital and is crowded in the room with the new family, I know that all is forgiven. And I also know that I’ve never seen a boy as handsome as Ransom Thompson – named for Leighton’s mom’s maiden name. He’s undoubtedly going to live up to that name, and I love knowing I’m going to be around to watch him grow up.
If anything, this has solidified my spot in Laurel Springs more than anything else ever could have.