“Aunt Pat. She hates large crowds of unknown people, so she’s already opted out.”
“And she won’t mind an extra child?” I asked. “What? That’s a legitimate question.” I said and grinned when he gave me a look. “Ava is a lot to handle at times, and?—”
“My aunt can do it, Leila,” he cut me off. “She raised Melonie, so trust me when I say she has it,” he laughed. “But seriously, Ava is like one of our own, so no one is going to feel a way about her staying home with the rest of the kids while we’re out.”
I just nodded and said okay. I’d promised myself that I was done questioning every little thing and blocking my blessing. Kiyan and his family had been very good to us, so I knew deep down that they wouldn’t bat an eyelash when they learned that Ava would be home with them while we went out.
When we made it through the busy airport traffic, we found Kiyan’s sister and her family already out front waiting for us. He parked and hopped out to help her husband and sons with their bags while she got right inside.
“Oh my God, I thought that you were a myth,” she said after pulling her door closed. “Me and Khalil were convinced that Mama had made this woman that Kiyan was dating up in her mind, but you are very real and very beautiful.”
I blushed. “Thank you so much. I’m Leila.”
I extended my hand and she quickly accepted.
“Kayla, and trust me, I know all about you and little miss Ava here.” She turned to my sleeping baby and smiled. “I know a food coma when I see one.”
We shared a laugh. “She ate so much this morning thanks to your brother and what seemed like the endless waffles he ordered her.”
“That’s Kiyan for you.” She grinned. “Get them full and hyper to send home for us parents to deal with.”
“I’d be that kind of aunt too if I had nieces and nephews.”
“Only child?”
I nodded. “Unfortunately. My parents had me later in life too, so no siblings for me.”
“Well, Kiyan has plenty of nephews and cousins to go around.”
Her boys had gotten in the truck by now and introduced themselves as Kyron and Isaiah.
“So, you guys aren’t going to try for a girl?”
“No.” Kayla quickly answered as her husband was getting in next to her. It was cute to see her smushed between all of her guys. Her boys were twelve and eleven but had the weight and height of fourteen or fifteen year olds. We were in Kiyan’s Tahoe, so there were three rows, but their sons still opted to be in the back with their mom.
“No?” her husband smiled as he wrapped his arm around her. “I thought you wanted a mini you.”
“That was before I had to feed three men like I’d feed a football team.” She shook her head. “With my luck, she’d eat more than you three. And do you see this?” She pointed to their sons and her husband. “You all are clingy enough, where would a baby fit into this?”
“Oh, we’re not that bad.” He grinned, pulling her in for a kiss.
“Sure you’re not,” she giggled. “Babe, this is Leila, Kiyan’s lady friend. Leila, this is my husband, Irving.”
He reached to shake my hand, so I hurried to accept it.
“It’s so nice to meet all of you.” I beamed.
Kiyan was back inside the car and getting ready to pull away, so I turned back around in my seat. They filled the ride home with conversation mainly between Kiyan, Kyron, and Isaiah. They were filling their uncle in on school, sports, and everything else that they had going on back at home.
I just sat back and listened, enjoying hearing them talk. I loved his relationships with each of his relatives. I didn’t have any to really know how that felt, and Aldrick’s family actedexactly how he did, so they weren’t pleasant to be around. It was refreshing to spend time with and around the Ward’s.
When we got back to the house, Ava was wide awake. She begged Kiyan’s dad to take her and Jazzlyn outside to play in the snow, and he happily obliged. I could tell that they really loved kids and could see why they were constantly telling their kids they wanted more grands.
I was upstairs getting our things together to go in the washing machine when Kayla knocked at the door asking if it was okay for her to come in.
“Of course.” I pushed the laundry that I was about to do down into the basket then took a seat on the bed next to her. “What’s up?”
“Okay, Mama has put me, you, Mel, and Miranda on lunch duty, so we don’t have a lot of time, but I wanted toreallytalk to you before we got back downstairs. Your divorce… where are you with that?”
