“I did it!” Lily screams as the lock pops. “What was the time?”
“Three minutes.” My father comes strolling into the dining room. I didn’t know he'd gotten here yet, but he had given us this lock as a gift. Olivia is at his side. They got married not long after he got that leech of an ex-wife off him.
He’s so damn happy. I never question how my father feels about me. I saw what he went through to try and keep me. He gave up years of his life for me. Seeing his devotion made it so much easier for me to understand the depth of love. It’s why I don’t question how Ari and I fell into love so quickly. Some people are just your people. You know in an instant. Blood or not.
“Hundred, Gramps.” Lily holds out her hand. I watch as my father pulls his wallet out of his pocket and gives her a crisp hundred-dollar bill.
“The hell?” I ask with a laugh.
“We had a deal. If she could pop it in under five minutes, I’d give her a hundred.”
“I really think I should get like a few extra twenties 'cause I cut off like two minutes.” She holds up two fingers.
“She’s not wrong.” I shrug. Jisa finishes my hair and moves over to do Lily’s.
“There you are.” Ari comes striding into the dining room like I’ve been hiding and he’s been searching the whole house for me.
“Do you have pink sparkles on your cheek?” I ask him.
“Got in a fight with a sparkly unicorn pinata.”
Lily gasps. “He can’t hit a sparkly unicorn pinata.” She places her hand to her chest. The money is still in her tiny hand. I bite the inside of my cheek so I don’t laugh. I bet my husband spent forever getting this thing hung, and now there is no way Lily is going to let anyone hit it.
“I guess it’s decoration then.” Jisa and Olivia burst into laughter.
“I need to shower and get myself ready.” Ari kisses the top of Lily’s head. Then he plucks me right from my seat.
“Hey, I just did her hair!” his mom yells after Ari as he steals me away. Not that he cares.
“Don’t even bother. He’s going to be all kissy on her. I think he’s got a problem or somethin’,” I hear Lily tell her grandma.
“I do have a problem,” Ari whispers into my ear. “I haven't tasted my wife in hours.”
“We can’t have that, now can we?” I tease him back. “Not like I’ll put up a fight.” Ari kicks the bedroom door closed behind us, then lays me out across our bed. His hand drifts across my baby bump.
“I didn’t think I would get any complaints from my wife.” He leans down and kisses me. I wrap my arms around him, not caring we’re about to have a giant family party in less than an hour.
“Of course not. I have Stockholm syndrome.”
“Liar.” He smiles against my mouth. “You love me, and you know it.”
“I do,” I say. The best two words I ever said when I vowed to be his forever.
* * *
THE END!
