WMIS 08 Forever With Me (33 page)

Luke pales and I laugh, enjoying his panic.
 

“We have a while before that happens,” Nat reminds him, patting his face. “Of course, it doesn’t help that you have three daughters.”

“I’m surrounded by women,” he agrees, and I smile as I think of the two littlest ones, Chelsea and Haley, who are two little spitfires, even at nine and seven. “Keaton is all boy, though, and helps balance things out.”

“How’s work?” I ask Luke.

“It’s good.”

“He’s collaborating with some amazing people for his next project,” Nat adds proudly. “I have a feeling he’ll be nominated for the Oscar again next year.”

“I don’t need Oscars,” Luke says with a shake of the head. “Although, it doesn’t suck to have one on the mantle.”

“I’m so proud of you, handsome.”

She leans in to kiss him, and I refill my cup and wink at them, then head out the back door to sit on the patio before they get too carried away. The fire is already roaring, and Isaac, Stacy, Caleb and Brynna are huddled around it, drinking their own coffee, my boys cuddled up to their women.

I raised smart boys, that’s for sure.

“Good morning,” I greet them and sit in the single unoccupied chair. “Seems everyone is up early.”

“It’s a good morning for it,” Isaac replies, gesturing to the sun coming up over the mountains, casting the vines in soft pink sunlight.

“It’s beautiful,” Stacy agrees. “And most of the kids are still sacked out in the play room, so we’re taking advantage of the quiet.”

“Good plan. I hear the twins got in late.”

Caleb frowns and sighs. “They made curfew, I just hate that they’re driving, and they came out here, so they were on the freeway late at night.”

“They’re good girls,” Brynna says, and rubs her hand down her husband’s leg. My boys chose well when it came to their women. Strong, beautiful, smart women, all of them.

“Is Maddie still insistent that she wants to go to New York after she graduates to dance?” Stacy asks.

“Yes,” Brynna replies with a sigh. “I don’t think we’ll be able to talk her out of it.”

“She’s so good,” Stacy says. “She could do great things with it.”

“New York is too fucking far away,” Caleb growls.

“We have time,” Brynna whispers.

“A year,” he says. “It’ll feel like ten minutes.”

You have no idea, my boy. More like the blink of an eye.

“What about Josie?” I ask.

“She has a boyfriend, you know,” Brynna says and eyes her husband, who scowls again. “She’ll probably go to college here in Seattle.”

“If he touches her, I’ll break his arms.”

Brynna rolls her eyes.

“I’ll help you,” Isaac says casually.

“Oh good, you start in too,” Stacy says.

“Sophie’s a teenager now. I may need his help before long.”

“I’ll be there, brother.” Caleb salutes Isaac with his mug, making us laugh.
 

“Liam and Michael were up until the wee hours of the morning playing video games. We may not see them until the dinner tonight,” Isaac says, referring to both of their youngest boys.

“We’re here to celebrate, so why shouldn’t they get to do what they enjoy?” I ask with a shrug.

“I’m so happy that you and Mom wanted to do this,” Isaac says. “Of all the things you could have done for your fiftieth, you chose to have all of us come here for the weekend.”

“We would have sent you on a cruise, or to Europe, or somewhere quiet and fun,” Caleb adds.

“There is nowhere your mother and I would rather be than with our children.”

And that’s the God’s truth.

“You hate me!” A high voice shrieks and a small blonde girl runs outside in a sprint, crying.
 

“Erin! Get back here!” Meg yells, running after her older daughter.

“Hate us!” the youngest, Zoey, agrees and runs behind her sister, giggling.

“Stop being dramatic and get back here!” Meg stops, with her hands on her hips and glares at her daughters. “Why do they have to have their father’s speed?”

“It’s okay, lazy bones, I got this.” Will jogs past her and runs into the backyard after his daughters. “When your mother calls you, you come! Do you hear me?”

“They’re not children,” Meg says. “They’re aliens.”

“That’s why I didn’t have any,” Sam says with a yawn as she comes out back, Leo by her side. She wraps her arm around me and kisses my cheek. “Thanks for including us this weekend.”

“You and Mark are a part of this family, sweet girl. We wouldn’t have it any other way. Here, have a seat.” I stand and shake Leo’s hand. “I’m going to go wake my wife up.”

Leo drops into the chair, smiling when it rocks, then pulls Sam into his lap. “Rock with me for a while, sunshine.”

“When does the new album come out, Leo?” Will asks as he carries his girls, one under each arm, back to the house.
 

“Next month,” Leo says with a grin.
 

I walk inside, and in the short time since I left the kitchen, it’s become a war zone.
 

“Mommy, I’m not hungry!” Abigail cries to Nic, who is holding her youngest, Finn, on her hip.
 

“You need to eat anyway,” Nic says patiently. “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”

“Listen to your mama,” Matt says, boosts Abbi onto his lap, and offers her a bite of waffle on her fork. “She knows these things.”

It does my heart good to see Nic and Matt with their children. Thank God for adoption. They share a smile, the kind that also makes my heart warm.

They love each other. And at the end of the day, what more can you ask for?

“Did you seriously just drink out of my glass, you little brat?” Lucy, Mark and Meredith’s oldest, demands of her little brother, Hudson. “You are
disgusting
!”

“Hud,” Mark says and ruffles his son’s hair, “don’t be disgusting.”

“I want you to dance with me,” Emma demands of her aunt Meredith.

“Emma.” Alecia gives her daughter a stern look as Dominic strolls into the kitchen and sweeps his lovely wife up in a hug. “Aunt Meredith just woke up. Let’s give her some time, okay?”

“Okay,” Emma says, defeated.

“Good morning,” Dominic says, as he takes in the chaos, then erupts into laughter. “Never a dull moment when the family gets together.”

“I love it,” I reply and pull my son into a hug. “Thank you for this.”

“Nonsense,” Dom replies. “We don’t get together as often as we should.”

“Where’s Grandma?” Lucy asks.

“She’s still in bed,” I reply with a wink. “You all tuckered her out yesterday when we played football.”

“Grandma’s good at football,” Liam says as he walks in the room, looking for food.

“That she is,” I agree, and suddenly want to go cuddle her. “I’ll go see how she is.”

“Hey, Dad,” Dominic says, and the automatic smile that comes when he calls me
Dad
, slides across my face. “Happy anniversary.”

“Happy anniversary!” The others echo and clap.

“Thank you. I think I’ll go give your grandmother her anniversary present,” I say, just as Jules and Nate walk in the room with their daughter, Stella.

“Dad,” Jules says with a scowl. “Ew.”

“Nate,” I say with a laugh as I pass by them. “I’m going to let you handle your wife.”

“I’ve been trying to
handle
her for more than a decade, Steven. I’ve learned that’s just not possible.”

“That’s right.” Jules smiles and kisses my cheek. “Love you, Daddy.”

“Love you, baby girl.”

“Oh, for the love of all that’s holy,” she says as she sees Luke and Natalie kissing by the refrigerator. “Do you not know
how
you got four kids?”

I laugh as I climb the stairs to the bedroom. My family is big and chaotic and sometimes overwhelming, but they are perfect.

I slip inside the room and smile softly at the woman sleeping quietly. This person, right here, is the center of my universe.

I lie beside her and just stare at her sweet face. After fifty years of marriage, she still takes my breath away. There may be a few more lines on her face, and a few gray strands in her hair, but I love her with the love of a young man. She gave me all of those beautiful people downstairs.

She gave me a life. The best life a man could ever hope for.

As we are in the winter of our lives, I realize how rich we are. The money is nothing; it’s our children, our grandchildren, our friends, who fulfill us.

And most of all, each other.
 

I drag my knuckles down her soft cheek and smile when her eyes flutter open and she presses her lips to my hand.

“Good morning, my love.”

“Thank you,” I whisper.

“Whatever for? I haven’t even left the bed yet today.”

“For loving me. For our children.” I press my lips to her forehead. “For being mine.”

“I’ve been yours for a very long time.”

“Not nearly long enough.”

THE END

      WITH ME IN SEATTLE SERIES FAMILY TREE