Chapter 40
Avidya
A few years later
Looking around the house, I couldn’t help but be happy with how life turned out to be. It has been six years since I fell in love with Zachariah. Six years of trial and error, but ones I would never want to change.
The house was filled with people, kids, and cowboy decorations as my son had the best fifth birthday he could possibly have. I had to stop his father from renting farm animals and RVs.
Joshua was one determined boy, just like his father. With only being five years old, I could see Zachariah in him more each day. He was his spitting image, except his eye color. He was a handful, too. Thank goodness for family to help keep him busy on the days he needed out of the house. It wasn’t that he was a trouble maker, he just got bored so quickly with his toys. He wasn’t a fan of TV, mostly because I wouldn’t let him sit in front of it for more than a couple of hours a day.
He was the second love of my life, and everyone knew that. It also didn’t change the fact that everyone spoiled him rotten every chance they got. I have no idea how he could even want more toys with the room full he had acquired through the years.
“How’s my girl doing?” Zachariah asked as he wrapped his arms around me from behind and placed his chin atop my head.
“I’m tired of people,” I grumbled, even though the party just started. Josh invited his entire kindergarten class.
“Now, how about my other girl?” he asked, laying a hand across my rounded stomach.
“She wants that strawberry cake your mother brought,” I said, turning my head slightly.
“She certainly has a sweet tooth,” Zach laughed.
I was seven months pregnant. With a little baby girl. Zach was determined to have one more kid, because he didn’t think it was fair to only have one child. I didn’t mind, although I was surprised he turned into such a kid magnet.
Now that my husband was a father, or maybe it was just because of Toby, he was trying to be more child friendly. He certainly was not as grumpy as he had once been.
When it came to Toby, though, he was still a little out of his element. Toby was now in in high school, and doing extremely well for how his life had been. He swore off dating anyone, although I secretly thought he had his eyes set on Kenna’s niece that had moved in last year with her and Travis.
He had many years of counseling after I returned, because he feared what any man he didn’t know would do to him. For his elementary and middle school years, he was home schooled because of his fear. It was understandable, and I couldn’t give my sister-in-law enough credit.
Violet and Melio ended up opening their home to a couple more troubled kids, who they loved as their own. None of them were as close as Toby and I were, but I think that had to do with their ages. They were already in their teenage years and wanted nothing to do with anyone.
Kenna and Travis were not trying for any children, instead giving to the community when they could in any way that they could. They got married three years ago, giving each other everything they ever needed.
It really was a happily ever after for everyone. I never thought I’d be this happy. Ever.
Zachariah still ran many businesses and his club while I helped run a daycare not all that far away. I only worked part time while being pregnant, per Zachariah’s requests. Joshua thought it was awesome that he got to see some of his friends so much. Toby even helped once in a while.
Toby was going to college to be a child psychologist, and I couldn’t be any prouder of him. It was the perfect thing to do. He wanted to help children that were going through what he had.
Toby didn’t talk much of his past, preferring to live day to day instead. Surprisingly, he had come along so far after everything.
“How do you think she’ll get along in this family?” he asked me as he watched the kids run around the yard.
“She’ll be just as spoiled as our son,” I laughed, feeling her kick against his hand. “She agrees.”
He laughed, too, knowing how right I was.
I knew Zachariah was thrilled that he got to be here every step of the way for this pregnancy, and so was I. It made it all so much more enjoyable this time around.
“Oh my god! Avidya!” Krissy’s voice reached me before I saw her. Red hair quickly engulfed me as she pulled me into a bone crushing hug. “I leave for a few months to sell my house, and come back to this?”
“Hi,” I breathed out as she released me. But a moment later, Catrina had her arms wrapped around me.
“Another baby? Amazing!” she gushed.
Catrina also had grown up way too fast for my liking. She was now eleven, and turning into an amazing woman.
Krissy and Catrina were moving here to Las Vegas to help run the daycare center. It was Krissy’s idea to move because she had nothing tying her back home. Her parents had passed away just two years ago, and nothing was holding her back.
“Kitty!” Josh shouted as he spotted Catrina. He had taken to calling her Kitty because he couldn’t say her name when he first started to talk. She didn’t care one bit. I thought it was adorable.
“Hey Joshy,” she smiled, letting his little arms pull her into a hug.
“She couldn’t wait to see him again,” Krissy laughed. “So, why did you blow up when I was gone?”
“I didn’t,” I laughed. “I’m still tiny. You are the one that got bad eyes while gone.”
“Oh, shush you,” Krissy laughed.
Things never changed between anyone. Not between my friends, and not between my family.
I had once thought that all of this would be so far out of reach, I’d live a crappy life with some nameless man that I would be forced to live with. I never thought I’d have family and friends, and everything else I had I ever wanted right at my fingertips.
I was so happy here; more than I ever thought would be able to.
It was all so much more than I could have asked for.