Page 135 of Brazen Obsession

Sara

If someone asked me twenty years ago what my life would be like now, I would have told them that I would be married to Wyatt Hawkins and mother of his two children. I wish I could go back to the girl I was and tell her how much fuller my life is now.

Is seven daughters a lot? Well, so is four husbands. There are hard moments, but so many moments filled with joy.

I knock softly on Eden’s door. “Eddy?”

She jerks the door open and looks about five seconds from crying. I draw in a breath and take her into my arms. She wraps her arms around me and rests her head against my shoulder. She was our first and she’s been a trooper through all of her sisters dividing our time.

“Happy Birthday, Eden.” I kiss her red hair.

“Thanks.” She pulls away and inhales to calm herself. Her pale green eyes lift to mine. “I can’t find my purple shirt and Lillian said she didn’t take it. And I need that shirt because it’s the one you bought me last week.”

“How about I help you look for it?”

She nods and we spend the next five minutes searching for the elusive purple shirt. When I walk into Hazel and Nora’s room, I find it. Hazel loves all things purple, so I shouldn’t be surprised.

When I walk back in, Eden smiles and takes it.

She quickly ducks into the bathroom to change, but I wait for her. Wyatt will keep my omelet warm and some pancakes for Eddy. This room used to be Wyatt’s. When Eddy was born, Wyatt was the first to offer up his room until everyone was down in the primary bedroom with me.

Instead of getting me all night, we do date nights where we get to spend usually an hour together after the girls’ bedtimes.

Eden steps out of the bathroom and her smile is huge.

“It looks lovely, Eddy.”

Her cheeks flush and she looks in the mirror. “Do you think Oliver will like it?”

Oliver is Madison’s oldest and he’s fifteen. Part of me is worried her crush on him will consume her the way my crush on Wyatt did me.

“He’ll be here for your birthday party,” I hedge, because I’m pretty sure Oliver has a girlfriend at school.

She turns and narrows her eyes on me. “That’s not what I mean, Momma.”

I sigh and pat the bed beside me. She comes over and sits down, looking at me expectantly.

“I don’t know if he’ll notice you or not, Eddy.” I take her hand. “I do know that you look lovely and any boy would be lucky to have you for his girlfriend. But Oliver is at that age where, even though you guys used to be friends, he’s interested in girls his age. I just don’t want to get your hopes up.”

Eddy releases her breath and leans her head against my shoulder. “I just want him to like me.”

“You both are still growing up. He may not see you until you’re older.” I tuck her hair behind her ear and tip her chin up, so she meets my eyes. “Things don’t always happen the way you want or expect them to.”

“Like you and our dads?” Eddy, of course, was the first one to experience being different because, instead of a dad and maybe a stepdad, she had four dads. Of course, she didn’t think anything of it when her best friends also had four dads.

“Someday I’ll tell you about how we ended up together.” I stand and reach my hand for hers. “But today, it’s your birthday and Papa has been cooking all morning for your breakfast.”

She smiles and we walk downstairs to the kitchen. Everyone yells, “Happy Birthday, Eddy!”

I walk over and give Wyatt a kiss.

“Me too.” Chloe reaches for my face and I lean in to kiss her. She makes an exaggerated mwah sound before lurching for my arms. I catch her and set her on my hip.

“Everything good with Eddy?” Wyatt asks quietly.

“Yup, just needed a shirt to make a boy notice her.”

Wyatt’s eyes widen and then narrow. “Oliver, Liam, or Xander?”