Hurricane gave his life for a cause he believed in. He fought to keep countless people alive, knowing that it would end his life in the process.
He was as brave as they come.
He was as selfless as they come.
His lifewasDefiance.
And these people would do the same for him. They would lay down their lives for him if the cause called for it.
Becausethisis what family looks like.
This is what Defiance is about.
Showing up for each other, celebrating together, grieving together, holding each other up when the world tries to knock you down.
“Mama!” I look up at Immy, who’s in the doorway, Bayou holding her hand. Her eyes are wide with curiosity as she looks at the babies in my arms.
“Come here, sweet girl,” I call to her. “Come meet your brother and sister.”
Bayou lifts her onto the bed beside me, and she studies the twins with the serious concentration that only a three-year-old can manage.
“They’re so tiny,” she observes.
“They’ll get bigger,” I assure her. “Just like you did.”
“Can I hold them?”
I let out a soft chuckle. “When you get a little bigger, yes. For now, you can just sit with us.”
She nods solemnly, then looks up at me with Hurricane’s ice-blue eyes. “Daddy would like them, right?”
My throat closes up, but somehow I manage to answer, “Daddy would love them so much, baby girl. Just like he loves you.”
“Good,” she says simply with a firm nod, then settles against my side like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
And maybe it is.
Maybe this is exactly how it’s supposed to be—chaotic, loud, overwhelming, and perfect.
Maybe Hurricane’s children entering the world surrounded by this much love and chaos isexactlywhat he would have wanted.
As I sit here holding my three children, Immy nestled against my side, Lynx and Katrina in my arms, surrounded by the brotherhood that Hurricane built, I know that no matter how hard things get, we’re going to be okay. Because this is what he left us.
Not just his memory, but his family, his legacy, his love, multiplied across multitudes of people who will spend the rest of their lives making sure his children know how much they were wanted.
The twins are here.
Hurricane’s children have entered the world on the day we celebrated him, and somehow, that feels exactly right.
Just like their father…
They sure know how to make an entrance.
Chapter Sixteen
KAIA
One Year Later
