Not just because of April and the baby, but because of all of them. They were his family.
But by the time the family welcomed baby Matt, they had all committed to forever as more than a team-building exercise.
Matt’s older sisters and brother adored him. Of course they did. He was easy to adore. Like his mama and his siblings.
Kent was still a wild card when it came to whether or not he would be active in their lives that day or not. But he was always invited. Whether he chose to attend? That was up to him.
The kids thrived within the family that April had created for them. The family she’d invited him into.
The family only a fool would leave.
Make no mistake, Jack was not a fool.
April hurried toward him. She got a funny, quizzical look on her face. “You’re farther away than before.”
“Cats do that to me.”
She frowned. “The antihistamines didn’t work?”
Not really, but he was still breathing, so he’d just keep his distance and everything would be fine.
“I’m good right here.”
She drank him in like she did when she was worried. But she didn’t need to be.
“You doing okay?” he asked, pulling her arm through his. During these events, she got going and sometimes forgot to stop to take care of herself.
“I have everything I ever wanted.” She cooed at Matt. “Of course I’m okay.”
Jack’s whole world was here. April, Harmony, Rohan, Lola, and now Matt.
They did have it good. Even when things were bad—and with four kids it wasn’t all sunshine and frog ponds. No, sometimes it was full-on muddy crayon water. But even then, things were pretty damn good. All things considered.
He still fixed things for influencers and loved his job, but he didn’t work the same hours he once had. He also didn’t travel much anymore. He supported April’s business and he worked from home. He’d also figured out the laundry folding thing beyond the collared men’s shirts. Folding didn’t suck as bad as he used to think. The whole process of taking a basket of mess and turning it into piles of organized was somewhat cathartic.
What more could a guy ask for?
Especially a guy whose wife had found happiness and had no qualms sharing it with the world. She hit it big with the merging of meditation and reality, truthful and calm. Women flocked to her brand oftry to be calm but don’t expect it to work all the time. They loved her all the more because she didn’t shy away from the swear words.
She’d become known for calling it as she saw it and including a “damn,” “fuck,” or “ass” when necessary. That’s one of the reasons she’d become a regular guest onPractical Parenting.
Not the cussing. The calling it as she saw it.
Paisley had her come on and talk about it.
Rinse and repeat until April had a brand that made Jack wish he could do cartwheels to celebrate. He’d never been able to do a cartwheel. Though he had gotten fairly proficient at backbends.
He turned to gaze at his wife as she looked out at the field filled with people ready to do yoga with cats.
Then, because he could, he kissed the ever-loving bejeezus out of her.
She let him, since that was sort of their thing. One of them kissed the other, and they both rolled with it. She gripped his shoulders like a lifeline until Matt fussed and he had to pull away to move the stroller back and forth the way Matt liked. He was adorable, but he was awfully picky.
April patted at her lips. “Did I mess up my lipstick?”
“Maybe,” Jack said. Just a little smudge to the left. “Could you kiss me again before you fix it?”
This time it was April who kissed the holy Hannah hell out of him. He let her. Of course he did. But he didn’t let his hands roam, seeing as they were in public and all.
