“Jett, I am so proud of you for the journey you are about to embark on. The day you came into my life I immediately knew you were my family, part of me, and that I would do anything to protect you. I will always be here for you whenever you need me.” A few tears spilled free and I was shocked to see Jett was crying too. “You are an amazing musician, person, and a beautiful soul. Please stay safe and don’t forget where home is.”
When I finished, everyone acknowledged the toast.
Jett rushed over and grabbed me in a huge bear hug. When he eased back he looked at me. “Thank you, Sis. I couldn’t have done anything without you.” Then he looked at me suspiciously “Why are you not toasting?”
I smiled, happiness rushing through me.
“Well, it’s funny you should ask.” Lyric walked up to me then and everyone stood silently waiting for my answer.
“Babe, What’s going on?”
“First, I wanted to tell everyone that the adoption is final.” I grabbed the envelope off the table behind me where I’d set it. “You, my sweet girl,” I said, motioning to Autumn. “You are now officially Autumn Knight.”
“Knight, Knight,” she exclaimed as she sat crossed legged in the grass in front of me.
I don’t know that she understood and I think she thought I was talking about nighttime, like night and day, but it was cute.
Lyric beamed and I handed him her new birth certificate. He pulled it from the manila envelope and whooped with glee. “This is amazing. But what does that have to do with you not having champagne, are you feeling okay?”
Some murmurs came from the ladies and when I looked at them I could see realization dawning.
My gaze swung back to my husband. “I am better than okay. I’m pregnant!” I yelled, so happy I couldn’t contain my excitement.
Lyric stood frozen as everyone cheered. “We’re having a baby?”
“Yes, honey, that is what pregnant means.”
My Gramps beamed from the lawn chair he was sitting in and winked. He was going to be in heaven having another child around. I blew him a kiss and then my husband lost it.
“We’re having a baby!” he yelled and swooped me up in his arms. He spun me in circles and then stopped abruptly. “Oh my God, did I hurt the baby?”
The ladies burst into laughter and then Rowan said, “You’ll learn not to freak out so much as I have.”
As the words left his mouth his wife who was right next to him let out a screech. Brinley was holding her stomach and looking down at the ground. My friend was due in a couple of days to have their baby girl but it looked as if she was making her debut a bit early.
“Holy shit!” Rowan screamed. “Call 911, grab a car, someone do something, hurry!”
People laughed and Gyth placed his hand on Rowan’s shoulder. “Didn’t you just say you learned not to flip your shit? And Embry, we get a pass on the money since these are special circumstances.”
Embry agreed. “Fine, only because I love babies.”
“This is different, we are having a baby!” Rowan said.
All the ladies circled Brin who was smiling at her husband. “Honey, we have a while and everything will be okay with our sweet Serenity Rose.”
I loved the name they’d picked out. Soon Lyric and I would be in the same boat, going through names for our little one.
“Come on man, let’s bring the car closer, and then we can head to the hospital,” Braxton told Rowan.
He looked at Brin. “Go get the car and my stuff from the house, I will be okay.”
Rowan ran for the house and a few of the guys followed. Lyric stood next to me with Brin and all the ladies.
“Hey, man, are you okay?”
I followed Lyric’s gaze as it zeroed in on Bodie. The guy was pale as a ghost.
Bodie waved him off. “I’m fine.”
