Page 30 of Madison
I wake up and roll over and feel the other side of the bed is empty. I get up and do my morning routine before going out to find some coffee. Today’s gonna be a big day. It’s a family day at the clubhouse, but it’s gonna be Mikayla’s first one she’s going to. She’s been home from the hospital for almost a month and her doctor said she would be alright to go. It’s also going to be the first family day that Jason’s kids are going to attend. Kids, they’re close to my age. We’ve had a few dinners together and I think they’re like me, they are just happy that our parents both seem to be really happy together. We may never be super close, but we seem to get along so that’s something.
I walk into the kitchen and grab a cup of coffee. The house is very quiet, almost too quiet. I walk over to Mikayla’s room and lean against the door jamb as I see my girl holding our little princess, both passed out in the rocking chair. This is what matters. I enjoy watching them sleep for a few minutes. I manage to get to drink half my cup of coffee before Mikayla decides it’s time to be wide awake. Time to get this day started.
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I pull the SUV into the parking lot and I can tell we’re one of the last to arrive. Madison grabs her drink and purse and reaches for the diaper bag and another bag she insisted we needed to bring though I couldn’t tell you what’s in it. She looks over at me andgives me one of her gorgeous smiles that are just for me. “You got our girl in her car seat?” I reach in and unbuckle the car seat. “I’ve got our princess.” I grab the car seat with our girl who’s wide awake. “Let’s get inside ‘cause you’ve got a lot of family that can’t wait to see you little girl.”
We’re all sitting around the tables with the twins and Grace playing in an area where they’ve got a baby fence around soft mats on the floor. The babies are all being passed around often. Mom, Ma and Anna made food for all of us and I think half the guys are nearing a food coma. Saxon, ever the shit stirrer, is sitting next to me, still pouting that Mom just came and took Mikayla from him. He must be looking for someone to rib next. I can tell the second he finds a victim as he gets a shit-eating grin and points his beer bottle toward Erik, who’s walking back to the table from the bar. “Now that your divorce is final, are you going to start dating? Oh we should put you on some of those dating apps!” I think Erik actually blushes. “Oh I don’t think that’s necessary at all.” Juan, Ry, Jeremiah and Samson all agree with Saxon. Ry, the man who never knows when to be quiet, pulls his phone out. “I’m sure we could get you a date for next Friday even, what do you say? Let’s do it.” I look out of the corner of my eye and I can tell Kinsley, who’s back from college, is seeing the same thing I am. She’s always been so much more observant than her older brothers. Juan adds his two cents to the conversation. “Come on Uncle Erik, you were miserable for so many years with the Celeste-rcist, time to find you someone good.”
A loud deep growl comes from the bar area, and I look and see Grant slam down his beer and start stomping across the roomwith the destination being Erik. “He ain’t getting dates with fucking anyone.” He makes it across the room in three, maybe four steps. He grabs Erik by the neck and pulls him into him, kissing him like his life depends on it. I look over and Kinsley is smiling like she’s known for a while. Same with every single one of the older generation. Shane looks like he’s kinda been thinking it like me. The jaws that are on the floor the most are Samson, Saxon, Jeremiah and Leif.
Grant breaks the kiss and looks at Erik who smiles bigger than I think I’ve ever seen him. Grant speaks up with authority. “He ain’t fucking dating anyone else, ever but me.” Erik leans back into him and kisses him again. I notice they’ve joined hands and turned toward everyone. Pa breaks the tension. “About fucking time.”
Things are never dull around here, that’s for fucking sure. I look over at my bride and see she’s smiling with tears in her eyes. She walks over to me. “No one is ever too old to find their one true love. I’m just lucky you found me when I hadn’t even found myself.” I pull her down into my lap and kiss her. “We found each other. Like I said all those months ago, you were made for me and the gods knew the right time for us to figure out our shit together. I’m thinking it’s the same for them.” She looks at me with love in her eyes. “Timing really is everything.”
THE END
