Wedding Bells

It’s been hard to hold the secret in. I want to shout it to the world. I’m going to be a father. This time it was a conscious decision that actually placed my seed inside her belly.

Although, I’ve been grateful for that condom scare. It was the push I needed to take action and ask for help. Help that didn’t come with the types of strings I thought it would.

If anything I’ve gained family and loyal customers through my connections. Because of LaSalle and my extended family, I’ve opened another barbershop in the city, my third.

I laughed my ass off the day good old Detective Dawson Green walked into my shop. He looked like he was going to piss himself as Misha glared at him. Apparently, he never did let go of his hard-on for me. Allison was right.

Bobby got wind of it and LaSalle invited Detective Green to the shop to let him know who he was fucking with. Green walked in to find the mayor in my chair getting a cut. While the police commissioner laughed and chopped it up with Uri.

The four kings showed their power that day. The governor walked in not long after Green with a gift for me and my fiancée to celebrate her newest promotion. Detective Dawson stood with rage in his face right before Lasalle waved him into the back room.

My record is squeaky clean, the way it should be. Dawson left with the understanding that it would remain that way. He also knows to back the hell off.

Life has been good to me since that Halloween night when I thought it was all going to end. Every Thanksgiving since, I’ve been humble and thankful. That night reset my life on the right path.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Allison says from the accent chair she’s curled up in.

Our new home suits us perfectly. A little of her and a little of me. I couldn’t ask for more.

“You’re beautiful. I just can’t believe you’re pregnant and we’re getting married Christmas day,” I say shaking my head.

“We could have gotten married on Halloween,” she teases.

“Fuck out of here,” I chuckle.

She bursts into laughter. She tried talking me into that shit. It wasn’t happening. Probably the one time I didn’t give her, her way.

“You know when the baby comes you can’t have so much hatred for that day,” she says with amusement in her voice.

“One of the worst and best nights of my life, but when the baby arrives that will be a reminder of all the best parts,” I croon, getting up from my seat on the couch.

I lift her from the chair and sit in her place, pulling her into my lap. With a kiss to her temple, I wrap her in my arms. She snuggles into me and sighs.

“I want this for my sisters. I think this wedding is getting to them both,” she says thoughtfully.

“Could that be because of the guest list?” I murmur.

“Nope, I haven’t said a word,” she says.

“Allison,” I groan.

“What?”

“Baby—”

“Roark, I know what I’m doing,” she says.

“Yeah, being your mother again,” I huff.

“Whatever,” she says, turning her face to me to pout.

How can I be annoyed with that face? It’s how she gets me every time. I sigh and let the topic go. When Allison wants something, Allison gets it.

We fall silent for a while. My smile grows as I look around our home. Life definitely didn’t happen the way I thought it would but it turned out exactly how I wanted.

“We turned into a power couple,” Allison laughs, breaking the silence.

“Yeah, we did. Who would have thought? Giving a homeless man a home for Christmas would’ve turned into this.”