“Yes. I know you wanted it to be a surprise, but I just couldn’t wait.”
“I’m glad you didn’t. God I love you,” he told me, his voice fierce before he pulled me into him for a brutal kiss. Charlie let out a wolf whistle, while Guard laughed. Match made vomit noises, and Bull hit him over the head. Ignoring all of them, I kissed my husband back, every inch of my body vibrating with love and happiness.
As I pulled away, I was startled to see tears pooling in Bash’s eyes. I cupped his face, and his hand came up and held mine against his cheek. His focus locked on me, he cleared his throat before speaking in a gravely voice.
“Thank you. It’s not enough but every day, I am thankful that you took a chance on me, on us. So thank you, for marrying me. For making me a father. For making us a family.” Tears were pooling in my eyes, and I buried my face in Bash’s chest. Wrapped in his embrace, we were pulled apart by tiny hands.
Birdie had squirmed her way between us until we shifted apart, giving her just enough room to climb into my lap.
“Why you sad?” she asked as I wiped my own tears away.
“These are happy tears baby,” I told her as I smiled at her beautiful face. She leaned forward and gave me a loud kiss.
“There. All better,” she proclaimed as everyone laughed.
“Birdie’s kisses do fix everything,” Charlie stated as she watched us all with a happy smile.
“Just like her Daddy,” Bash muttered under his breath, but loud enough for most people to hear. I turned beat red as Guard smothered his laugh with a cough.
Finally, we all got back to eating as conversation quickly shifted to baby topics. Plans for the nursery, what to add to the clubhouse, showers and registries floated around me as I took stock of my life and how far I had come. I was surrounded by warmth, understanding, love and safety. I let it wrap around me like a soft blanket, cloaking me in comfort and joy.
Happily ever after looked different for everyone. Mine looked like dinners surrounded by nosey, overbearing friends and family. It looked like summer bbqs at the clubhouse, large gatherings with kids running about while bikers mingled with lawyers, doctors and artists.
My happily ever after was going to sleep every night, knowing that I hadn’t just “made it.” I had transformed myself. I had broken free of the chains I let tether me to the past. Reborn, I wasn’t just alive, I was finally living. Surrounded by the people who set me free.
Bash
Six Months Later
In the early hours of Sunday morning, I woke up to find myself in an empty bed. My arm was stretched across the vacant spot my wife typically occupied. Looking at the alarm clock, I saw it was barely 6 a.m. With a groan, I dragged myself out of bed, mind set on tracking down Fee.
After using the bathroom, I quickly checked on Birdie, and was happy to see she was still asleep, her stuffed unicorn tight in her grasp. Stepping away as quietly as I could, I snuck throughthe house. The kitchen light was on and evidence of Fiona’s morning tea was littered about, but I still hadn’t seen her.
Surprised she wasn’t sitting in the living room, a faint muttering caught my attention. Heading to the laundry room that was between the kitchen and back door, I found a very pregnant Fiona bent over a bin of laundry, digging through it with increasing anger.
“Of course it’s dirty. It’s fine, I just have to find it and see if it can be febreezed. Or do the laundry. Ugh.”
Fiona was talking to herself per usual, but I could tell she was working herself up. I cleared my throat, and she jumped, whirling around as fast as she could in her state. One hand instinctively went to her stomach, while the other was at her chest, before her alarm turned to anger.
“Why are you lurking there like that! You scared the shit out of me. I probably peed myself,” she complained as I pulled her to me.
“Baby, what’s going on? What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong? How about I’m the size of a freaking whale, and the only dress that fits me didn’t make it into the laundry. This baby has been in there long enough. I’m hot. I’m tired. I miss being able to see my feet. Everything is too tight or too itchy or too baggy. I either look like a sausage or a circus tent! I always have to pee and I’m stomping around this place like freaking Godzilla!" She finished her tirade, and I struggled to keep a straight face.
“Godzilla?” I asked.
“Taking slow steps that shake the earth when I finally move. Bodily knocking down anything in the way. Need I go on!” she snapped.
“Breathing fire on innocent bystanders…” I replied, and she gasped and tried to move away from me. Laughing, I pulled my prickly wife back into my arms.
“Baby. I can’t do anything about you having to pee, but can I try to help you get a little more comfortable? I’ll deal with the laundry. Just let me take you upstairs and get you settled?” An idea was brewing in my head. Fiona snuggled her face into my shirt, her arms loping around my waist before she tilted her head back.
“So you do think I’m like Godzilla,” she stated, glaring at me.
“Your words, not mine…” She gasped before giggling.
“Let’s take a shower together. Cool you down. I’ll crank the AC up so by the time we get out, it will be cooler, and you can go back to bed. I’ll keep Birdie away and take care of the chores. You can sleep naked. No itchy or tight clothes. I’ll even take pictures of your feet so you can see them,” I murmured into her hair as I rubbed my hands up and down her back.
