“So I can get like a tub full of babies? Cool.” He poked my side and I laughed. It was a deep and cathartic laugh that I didn’t know I needed. Evander was always good for making me happy when I didn’t know I needed it though.
That was him. He showed me lessons I didn’t know I needed to learn, and he did it with such ease. I couldn’t love him more. It was impossible. If I tried, I’d pop.
“Are these babies coming before or after I make you Mrs. Freeman? Because that’s happening.”
“I don’t care. I’m with you forever so if the babies come before marriage or after, it doesn’t matter.”
Forever? Wow.
I was head over heels for him. I used to never want to be with anyone forever. It was terrifying to think of but that was before Evander. That was before I knew what peace and growth looked like. After he showed me what love could be, forever didn’t seem like long enough.
I wanted ten forevers with him.
Only him.
Always him.
Epilogue
Two years later…
“Mrs. Freeman, time to wake up.” I motioned for Frankie to go around to the other side of the couch and wake Xari up too.
We were trying to wait for midnight before we sprang the good news on her. She’d been so tired lately that she fell asleep before the show we were watching was over.
“Xari,” Frankie sang. “Wake up.”
“Xari hid her face behind her hands, blinding me with the ten-carat wedding ring on her finger. I knew she wouldn’t mind if I went with a bold choice for her ring. There was symbolism behind it though. I’d never give my wife an empty and meaningless ring.
She told me before I proposed that one forever wasn’t enough with me. She wanted ten. I made sure her ring reflected that. Diamonds were forever and I gave her ten carats. Ten forevers.
It was tough winning Mr. Lucas over but after a long fishing trip, we hashed everything out and I had his blessing. He finally warmed up to me and ever since, he’d been an amazing stand-in father since mine disowned me when I left the senate. I still kept in touch with my mother but things were done between me and my father.
“I’ll catch up on the rest of the episodes later. Just let me sleep,” Xari whined, still covering her face.
“Nah, we gotta get you up. We have somewhere to go,” I said, tugging on her hand.
“Somewhere to go? Excuse me?” She cracked open one eye and still managed to glare at me. “It’s almost midnight. The only place I want to go is to bed.”
“At eleven? Wow, you’re getting old,” Frankie snorted.
“Whatever, little girl,” Xari laughed. “Where do we have to go?”
“The movies, then IHOP,” I told her. She frowned a little and sat up straighter, tossing the blanket off.
“Are we celebrating something?”
“Duh,” Frankie laughed.
“Anyone wanna tell me what we’re celebrating?” She was on her feet by then.
“You,” I said simply, taking her hand in mine. Our wedding rings clinked together and she looked down at our hands. I loved how she still smiled when she saw our hands pressed together or our fingers linked. I can’t lie…I did the same thing.
“Me?”
“Are you a parrot?” I tapped the tip of her nose and she rolled her eyes. “We have something to tell you, Xari,” I said.
“Okay, I’m listening.”
“You got something in the mail and you also got a voicemail on the house phone that I may have listened to before you.”
“Evander what the hell is going on?” She asked, punching my arm.
“Please tell her, Dad. It’s killing me and I already know.” Frankie clasped her hands together under her chin and shifted from one foot to the other.
“Okay, okay,” I sighed. “Xari, you got the spot for principal harpist with the National Philharmonic.” She’d auditioned three weeks ago when the spot opened, and they notified her via letter and phone call today. I happened to intercept both the letter and the phone call.
The high-pitched squeal that exploded from her mouth let me know she was happy with the news. She hopped up and down and then right into my arms where I wanted her. I spun her around in a full circle then sat her on her feet.
“Evander please tell me this isn’t a joke.” Her words were a rush of excitement.
“Nope. Not a joke.” I motioned to Frankie and she pulled the letter from her hoodie pocket and handed it to Xari.
Another scream and a few colorful words.
“Let’s fucking celebrate!” She pumped her fist in the air and did a cute-as-fuck little dance around the living room. “I can’t believe you guys hid this from me all damn day! I’m so getting you back for this.”
“And how would you do that?” I laughed.
“I have my ways, Evander Freeman.” She leveled me with a glare that I brushed off playfully.
“You wanna pregame? Champagne before we go to the movies?” I asked, taking her by the hand into the kitchen.
“Of course.” She pulled the flutes down and I grabbed a chilled bottle to pop open.
“I’ll give you a taste Frankie,” Xari laughed. “I see you pouting. Just please don’t tell your crazy mother.”
Crazy was a gross understatement. When Alexis found out I was marrying Xari and she’d have to share the last name Freeman, she threw a tantrum. She flattened my tires and wrote NANNY FUCKER on the side of my car. Not such a smart move on her part since she got fined for vandalism. She even tried unsuccessfully to throw herself at me when she picked up Frankie and Xari was out of town at an event.
“Yeah, I know better than that now,” Frankie said.
Xari poured two flutes of champagne and nodded her head at Frankie to have a sip. I allowed a taste or two for the occasion.
“Okay, I’d like to make a toast.”
“Xari, you can’t toast yourself,” Frankie laughed.
“Hush. Now, like I said, I’d like to make a toast to you two.”
“Us?” I frowned.
“Yup. Because you two think you’re so smart tricking me and shocking the hell out of me,” she said.
“That’s not a reason to toast, baby. That just means we’re better than you at surprises,” I said, holding my glass up.
“That’s what you think but…” She pulled out her phone and held it toward us like she was recording. Was she recording? I leaned in a little and yup…she was definitely recording. “I can’t wait to see the look on your faces when I tell you that I’m pregnant.”
My brain turned into useless mush.
Pregnant?
My wife was pregnant?
“What?!” Frankie exploded with squeals and squeaks I didn’t even know she could make. I also didn’t know she could jump that high.
I watched them hug and I stood there…stuck.
“You’re…pregnant?” We tried for a baby when we first got married but when Xari came off her birth control, her hormones were all over the place. I resigned myself to having kids when the time was right.
Clearly, the time was right.
Xari nodded her head and walked over to me slowly. “When did you find out?” I asked, my heart thumping in my chest like a wild animal.