When Sonny told me he went to my parents, I was shocked. Then when he said not only were they coming but my entire family, I was angry and then scared and then shocked some more. But mostly, I was happy.
I’ve missed my family. I know I’m to blame for the estrangement and distance between us, but that didn’t mean I didn’t still think about them and wonder if I’d ever have them in my life again.
Then, finding out I was pregnant, I wanted to share that with them. I want this baby to have the big, loud family I had growing up. The crazy one that is boisterous and inappropriate and there through thick and thin.
I give a small smile to the group, who have all stopped talking and are all staring at me. I dip my head a little when I feel my cheeks flush red from all the attention. Sonny comes up behind me and wraps an arm around me, steadying me. I look up at him, cupping his face, and press a kiss to his cheek. He looks down at me, pressing a returned kiss of reassurance to my head.
“Well, this is awkward,” I hear someone mutter. I think it’s my brother, but I’m not positive. It’s enough to break all of us from our stunned silence with chuckles.
Next to me, Sonny clears his throat. “Yeah, it kind of is, but we’re glad you’re all here. I may be sleeping on the couch after everyone leaves later since I only told Ruby you all were coming just as we heard the doorbell ring.” This revelation gets some chuckles and groans from various members of my family. He looks down at me and smiles with a wink. “I know I’m not exactly the favorite person for most of you here, but I do hope that for at least today we can move past the past and acknowledge that we all have one thing in common: Ruby. Please, let’s have a nice day celebrating the upcoming birth of our daughter as you all get to know your daughter, sister, niece, aunt, granddaughter again. Welcome to our home.”
I love this man by my side, even more now after that welcome to my family. With each word he spoke, I saw the maturity and growth in him from the past years. I saw him humble himself selflessly for me. I saw his love for me pouring out in every word he spoke.
My family politely claps after he’s done talking, much like we’ve been brought up to do at award ceremonies for my dad and such, making me laugh. “With all of you clapping like that, I feel like I should say something like, ‘Hi, I’m Ruby and I’m a Sonny Knight addict.’” This earns me some laughs. “I know this is weird and awkward and unconventional, but let’s all relax and enjoy the day. Kids, go swim! Dez bought the entire pool store for you all. Eat, drink, take a breath. I’m not going anywhere.”
Nobody moves at first, and I feel like this is a complete disaster. Then I meet eyes with my brother, who gives me a smile of mischief before he grabs a little girl with dark curls who my cousin Max was holding and jumps into the pool with her in his arms, yelling, “Cowabunga!”
Dez follows his lead, jumping in next. And I’m so grateful for these two. It doesn’t take long before the rest of the kids all jump in, some in clothes and some in swimsuits they already had on, parents all in various states of laughter and anger.
I’m lost in my bubble of happiness watching them when my Papa Travis walks up next to me. “Quite the crew, huh?” he says, wrapping an arm around me. “You’ve been greatly missed, Ruby Rose. We’re glad to have you back with this crazy family of misfits.” I smile up at him as I lean into his side.
“Ruby?” I hear my mom say my name as a question, and I know this is just as hard for her as it is for me.
My papa kisses me on the head and gives me a wink before walking away to give me much needed alone time with my mom.
Turning to look at her, I see the mom I’ve missed but didn’t give myself much time to think about. I throw my arms around her and hug her—or as much as I can with a growing belly between us. She doesn’t hesitate to squeeze me back.
While I’m still hugging her, I feel another set of arms envelope us. The smell of spice and pine wrap around me, and I immediately know it’s my dad. “We missed you, little dove,” he says, his English accent washing over me like a warm blanket I missed.
When we pull apart, we’re all crying, even my mother, who doesn’t ever cry.
“Must have something in my eye,” she jokes.
“No, Sugar, that’s us getting our girl back,” my father tells her as he puts an arm around my shoulders and pulls me into his side.
We sit and talk for a while, just us. I ask them how things have been with them and Royal King, their race team that my dad owns and my sister and Zander race with. They ask superficial things about me and my life, the baby, Sonny.
After a while, I feel a wet body press to my back, making me yelp. My brother’s arms don’t let go quickly. “I knew you’d come back,” he says, confusing me. “I’m sorry for being a dick when I saw you that day a few months ago.”
I accept his apology just as our older sister, Poppy, walks over and sits down with us. Looking at them, it warms my heart that my family is here. Peeking behind them and seeing the entire extended family is even better.
“I have something I need to tell you,” I start. “I don’t think I can tell everyone, but I want you to know.” I feel Sonny’s hand on my shoulder, loving that he’s my silent support, always close when I need him, as I begin to tell them about everything that happened. I leave out the gruesome details but tell them enough, starting at the beginning to the first time I was attacked by Ricco and how Sonny saved me.
When I finish telling them, they all have tears in their eyes. I feared they’d see me as weak and used and full of pity, but Sonny was right; instead, they look at me with awe.
“Well, now I really do feel like a dick,” Harry says first, making me laugh.
“No, you didn’t know, and I wasn’t ready to talk about it yet,” I tell him, taking his hand in mine.
My mom stands, and at first I’m afraid she’s going to leave and that that’s it. But she walks to Sonny, who’s still standing behind me, and stops. “Thank you for being there for our girl when we weren’t. I’m sorry I never gave you a chance. I see now that I was so wrong about so many things. You were never the bad guy; you were always the hero in her story.” She leans forward to hug him, and he steps into the awkward embrace with my mom, who isn’t an affectionate woman by nature.
Harry rises next, giving his own apology before they slap hands and bro-hug. “I guess I owe Dez a big hug too, huh?”
“Oh, great, the bromance is back on with the three of you,” my sister deadpans from next to me, but I see she’s holding back a smile.
“Fuck yeah,” Harry says before dragging Sonny with him to go find Dez. “Desmond, you toe-missing motherfucker! Get your ass over here!” he yells from across the pool.
“You owe six bucks in the swear jar!” the little girl that’s been hanging onto Harry all day yells, making me laugh.
“Let us reintroduce you to your family,” my mom says. “That’s your Aunt Penny’s little girl, Josie. She and your brother are thick as thieves.”
My mom and dad point at each member of my family, telling me about what everyone is doing these days. Besides a few of the younger kids, I recognize everyone. They haven’t aged that much in the few years I’ve been gone.