Five years later

Lourdes

“Aria! We have to go. Hurry and tell your brothers to grab their suitcases!” I yell up the stairs of our home in Berkeley.

“Babe, we have plenty of time. Don’t stress. Here, listen to some music,” Liam says, trying to put his headphones over my ears, but I bat him away.

“Uh uh, we have fifteen minutes to load up the truck and make it to the airport in time. You know I’ve got this down pat. We’ve been doing it for years.”

He curls his bottom lip in and tilts his head to the side to gaze at me.

“What?” I ask, throwing the last of our carry-on bags into the pile at the bottom of the steps.

He smiles and tucks a chunk of my long hair behind my ear. “You’re so beautiful.”

I roll my eyes and sigh. Its no use trying to inject some pep into his step. He’s a laid back man living a crazy life that I just so happen to plan and organize and stress about. But I wouldn’t change one second of any of it for the world.

“Thank you. You’re pretty beautiful yourself,” I say, surrendering to his relaxed mood.

“Okay, now that we have agreed that we both have great genes and we’re beautiful, will you please go get our children so we don’t miss our flight?”

“Yep, if you promise to do me in the airplane bathroom again. I love being a member of the mile-high club, you know. I’d hate to have it revoked for lack of participation.”

I throw my head back and flop my hands against my sides. “Yes, yes, I’ll do you ten times if you’ll just get these kids into the truck.”

“Ten? Really? Cool.” He quickly kisses me on the mouth and turns to take the stairs two at a time. Promise a man sex, and he’s as good as conquered.

Five seconds later, it sounds like a heard of elephants trampling down the steps and through the house.

“Grab a bag or two and pack them in the back,” I yell after them.

We tour every summer with Liam. This year, we’re going to the Netherlands, South Africa, and then a little closer to home in Vegas. I love summer. Touring is crazy busy, but it’s a different kind of busy. I spend the rest of the year studying and taking care of Liam and the kids. I can’t believe I’m almost done with law school. Only one more year, and we can move back to Santa Monica for good. I miss our little piece of paradise on the beach, but I’m overwhelmingly grateful to Liam for being flexible enough to move our family here until I’m finished with school. I may even be able to finish early with a few online courses and an internship at a law firm in Santa Monica. This is very good timing, considering I just found out yesterday that I am pregnant with our second child—or our fourth, however you want to look at it. This kiddo is a surprise, and I haven’t even told Liam yet, but he will be thrilled. He’s been asking when we could have another baby for two years. I told him there was no way until I graduated, but he insisted he could pick up the slack, and I’m sure he could have. But I wanted to enjoy my pregnancy this time, with no hovering exes or cancer—just me, Liam, and our children living a normal life . . . well, sorta.

“Okay, they’re all in the truck, bags are packed, and we’re ready to go, Boss.” Liam hops up on the kitchen island and grabs the last apple from our fruit bowl. It’s probably the last edible thing left in the house, since we’re going to be gone for three months.

“So what are you doing up there? Let’s go.”

“Come here,” he says, lowering his head and crooking his finger at me.

I step between his legs, and he pulls me close, holding me against his chest.

“I want to kiss you.”

I tuck my hands into the back of his jeans and tip my head back, offering him my mouth. His lips press against mine, his tongue slides between them, and within seconds, I have my hands under his shirt, running my nails over the chiseled muscles of his back, and he is pressing his hard length against my belly.

“Liam . . .” I say, panting and offering him my neck so I can catch my breath. He trails wet kisses and licks along my collarbone and is pulling at my shirt when Aria comes running into the kitchen.

“Mommy, gross, you guys are always eating each other,” she says, and I burst out laughing.

“I was about to say we should go before one of them comes looking for us,” I say to Liam.

“Yeah, I figured. We’re coming, honey. Go get back in the truck while I try to keep Mommy off me.” He says, as if I instigated this little make-out session.

“Nice,” I say, slapping his chest.

Aria takes off out the front door, letting it slam shut in her wake, and Liam slides off the counter, but I don’t back away just yet.

I run my finger along the inside of my necklace, and he freezes.

“What’s the matter?”

“Nothing. What makes you think anything’s—”

He grabs my hand that’s touching my chain. “You only do this when you’re really worried or you have something important on your mind. Now tell me what it is.”

“Okay. I’m pregnant.”

He blinks, and his mouth hangs open. I know what he was afraid I might say. Every time I need to talk to him about something serious, he thinks the cancer has come back. I’m glad I could surprise him with something so much more joyful.

“What? That’s the best news I’ve heard in five years.”

“It’s been that long since I’ve given you good news?”

“Not good news, great news! And yes, when we found out you were cancer-free, that was the best news ever. God, Lourdes, this is amazing. I think instead of making sure every day has a little bit of good in it, we should start making sure every day has something great.”

“Liam, I’m not having that many babies, and I’m never getting cancer again, so I’m good with good instead of great.”

“Well, you can be, but I’m going to work on great. I fucking love you, KW.”

“You never did find a sexier nickname for me, did you?”

“You don’t need one. Your body and those sexy, pouty lips of yours speak for themselves. Come on, preggo, let’s go to the Netherlands.”

“Preggo? Oh, great. That’s not very sexy.”

He slides his hand under my shirt and over my flat tummy. “It is to me, baby. It is to me.”