Page 32 of Nothing is Free

“I’ve got you.” A voice had said through the fog of my slowly draining consciousness. “You are safe in my arms, Sweetheart.”

Those words had kept me grounded; helped me cling tolife, because I had believed them. I believed Quincy even when I didn’t know him, and he has never let me down. They have never let me down.

“There.” I feel the zipper being pulled up my back, and I smile, letting the memories fade. I will not let the ghosts of the men from my past have an inch more of my head space. It’s a promise I make to myself every day, and with the help of my therapist I am doing just that. Today is the beginning of my forever—a second chance—and I am holding on to it with both hands.

“You okay?” my mother asks, eyes shining with unshed tears as she smooths her hands down my dress, brushing away wrinkles she knows aren’t there. Seneca Smooth is always fussing over her children. She can’t help herself, and after everything that’s happened in our lives this past year, I will never complain.

“Perfect,” I say, stepping away from her as I take in her long emerald-green dress. My mother is stunning. Salt and pepper hair swept up in a curly updo, brown eyes, similar to my own, look back at me. Her face has aged, but her petite frame remains the same. At least I know what my sisters and I will look like in the future; I have no fear about growing old.

“You look beautiful.” She sniffs as the high-pitched sound of little giggles has us both turning our attention to my nephew, who is bouncing up and down on my sister Grace’s lap, playing a loud game of patty cake. The sight of his joy brings me joy. Watching my sister, who is now pregnant again with her second child, gives me hope for peace in my family.

Closing the short distance between us, I grab my mother’s hands in mine. “Don’t you cry. If you cry, then I will cry. Then Grace will start. Then Mercy won’t have a choice but tojoin us because we know, despite all her bravado, she’s just a big old softy,” I tease, making her smile as a single tear falls from her face. I reach up and brush it away, careful not to smear her make up.

“I’m just happy, Baby. These are happy tears. You’ve been through a lot. You and your sisters are my world. I just want the best for the three of you.” She blows out a breath and squeezes my hand still holding hers. “Today you get your happily ever after, and I am proud of you.”

“Thank you, Momma.” Is all I can say as I push past the emotion clogging my throat. Squeezing my hand once more before she releases it, she checks me over again.

“I’ll go tell your father you’re almost ready,” she says, as she turns and holds out her hands to my nephew.

“Come on, little man, Nanny needs an escort.” She leans down, takes him in her arms, and he squeals with delight. I watch Grace sink back into her seat and sigh, rubbing her hand over her growing belly, as if she was grateful for the reprieve.

“Nanny! Nanny!” he shouts as our mother shifts him to her hip and exits the room.

“I wish I had his energy. I can barely keep up most days,” Grace finally says as the sounds of his chatter fade behind the closing door.

“You wouldn’t have it any other way. Besides, you will have two soon.” I wink as I make my way over to my dressing table and sit in front of the mirror. “You’ve got like a thousand Alphas to help you.”

“Four.” She laughs. “That’s enough. This is my last one.” She points at her stomach, and it makes Mercy scoff in what I can only assume is disbelief as she comes to stand behind me. I don’t reply because Grace loves her Alphas, and I wouldn’tbe surprised if she produced an entire baseball team of kids in a few years.

“Well, this feels familiar. I can’t put my finger on it, but—” I roll my eyes, stare up at Mercy’s reflection in the mirror and purse my lips. The irritation on my face is good natured and I smirk as she taps her finger to her lips as if I don’t know what she’s referring to.

“Unlike you, I won’t be running away from my mates when our father walks me down the aisle in a few minutes, baby sister.” I point an accusatory finger in her direction and her eyebrows lift in mock surprise.

“Hey!” she shouts indignantly. “I had my reasons. I was referring to me helping you with your hair like you did for me that day.” Mercy lifts the calla lily up for me to see before she pushes the flower into the curls of my updo.

“Yeah, yeah?—”

“If you two are done bickering, we have a ceremony to get to,” Grace says from behind us as she stands, then slowly crosses the room in her navy-blue lace dress. She stops beside Mercy, the two of them stare back at me and I fight back a sob. It is still hard to believe that this is my life now. After so many years of living in misery, barely existing—becoming a shadow of myself, a ghost. Now, I have my family; my sisters and my mates, the Alphas I was always meant to have.

“Everything is going to be alright now. You deserve to be happy, and you deserve their love. Never forget that,” Mercy says softly, while Grace nods her head in agreement.

“No one deserves it more.” Grace wipes away a stray tear as my father’s voice calls out from the hallway.

“Faith, honey. I think your Alphas are getting restless.” He gently knocks on the door before peeking his head inside. My father, Edward, smiles at the sight of all three of us, then swings the door open wider, standing tall in his tuxedo.

“My girls! You all look beautiful,” he says, eyes shining bright with happiness.

“Thanks, Dad,” we all chorus. I try not to think about my other fathers, particularly my own biological one. I quickly brush those thoughts away. Today, I choose happiness.

“Yes, let’s not keep them waiting, or Malcolm will have a drone come and look for you.” Mercy snorts, making me and Grace laugh beside her.

“He is a bit of a nerd,” Grace whispers as she continues to chuckle.

“Alright.” My father claps before he holds his hand out to me. “Faith.”

Turning back to the mirror, I take in the cream lace and silk of my dress and stand. “Let’s not keep my mates waiting.” I cross the room and take my father’s hand as my sisters follow us out of the door.

“Phew! There you are,” Freeya says, looking up at us from the foyer at the base of the staircase. She is dressed in a long maroon wrap-around gown. Her long black hair flows down her back in soft waves with a matching calla lily tucked behind her ear, doing nothing to hide the security earpiece she wears. “Dez, yes honey.” She nods as she holds her hand up as if to stop us from talking. “Faith is on the move.” She rolls her eyes, her head rolling on her shoulders right along with the movement, making me bite back a laugh. When we first decided to have a mating ceremony, Freeya volunteered to plan the entire thing. Between her, Mercy, Grace, and my mother, all I had to do was show up. Honestly, after months of staying indoors and working from home, I know Freeyahas been eager to get out and finally start moving around again. After everything she’s been through, she is right back to being the fiery Beta she once was.

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