We took Shade on our honeymoon, which might be incredibly unromantic to some people, but not to us. Feeney never lost anyone close to her, but she understands my need to really make every day count. She understands that family, for me, comes before anything else. I know people say this, and there are token posters and slogans all over people’s walls and on social media, but for us, it’s different. I’m doing what Britt would have wanted—loving Shade and living a good life. I’m happy. Still, I’m never going to forget her or the love I had for her. When I think about her, it makes me appreciate everything and everyone that much more.
“Luke? What the heck are you doing in there? Let’s go!”
With more money than I know what to do with lying around in my bank account, I decided, together with Feeney, that we should do something crazy and buy a private island. It seemed like a rich person thing to do, but that’s not why I wanted it, and she knew. I wanted to include her and not surprise her again since she’d had more than enough surprises from me. She was surprised when I consulted her because we had only been dating for a few months. It took us a little while, but we finally found our perfect spot. We bought an island, just a small chunk of land with a pretty dilapidated house already there, in the British Virgin Islands. We fixed the house up together, and now it’s our place where we go to escape. I guess we need our escapes more than other people because we come here every couple of months, at least.
“I’m coming.” I’m actually just washing and finishing up the breakfast dishes, but I totally got lost in thought there. “Just finishing up.”
“You’ve been finishing up forever!” Feeney strides into the kitchen. She’s wearing a black bikini, and her very pregnant belly is prominently on display.
“My god, you’re beautiful.” The plate I’m wiping down nearly slips out of my hand.
She giggles. “You literally say that every single day.”
“And I literally mean it, every single day.”
“Daaaaaaaaadddddd!” Shade comes skidding around the corner. He’s in his swim trunks and has a towel draped over his shoulders like a cape. His goggles and snorkel are in one hand while his flippers are in the other. “Let’s go!”
“Okay, I’m coming.”
“Just leave those,” Feeney says. “We can do them later. Together. And maybe if I help, you’ll actually get something accomplished instead of just standing there and staring off into space.”
“I was honestly quite focused on the cupboards. Do you think we should paint them?”
They’re brand new, so Feeney rolls her eyes. “Right. You were spaced out, just like when you burned the burgers last night.”
“I was just trying to continue our charred streak.”
“I haven’t burnt anything in a long time!”
“I know. You’ve become an excellent cook.”
I drain the sink and let the pile of dishes sit, as Feeney requested. I walk over and kiss her thoroughly while Shade just stands there, grinning. Unlike other kids, he’s never been grossed out by Feeney and me showering each other with affection. He was thrilled when he found out we were dating, back when we first told him.
“I’m coming. I just have to get changed, so you guys go on ahead. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“Can you pack drinks?”
“Because apparently, it’s too far to walk back up to the house from the beach?” I raise my brow at Shade.
“Yeah! That’s boring! Can you please bring some?”
“Sure.”
“And snacks?”
I roll my eyes. “I suppose so.”
Feeney wipes her hand over her brow. “That water is going to feel like heaven. Both because I feel like a beached whale right now, and it’s a million degrees out.”
“You don’t look like a beached whale.”
“That’s very kind,” she snorts. “I did say I felt like one, but in the water, I’m weightless.”
We’re going to be back to Florida soon for Feeney to deliver the baby. We already know it’s a girl, and Shade is insanely excited. He’s going to be an amazing big brother. He’s already helped me paint two different rooms, one to use as a nursery here and the other back at our house in Miami. He’s picked out all the furniture with us, and also all the clothes. This baby is going to be the most spoiled, loved kid in existence by her big brother and us and totally by Feeney’s parents and maybe even my dad. He’s come a long way, but it’s mostly because of Feeney. He likes her, and she actually likes him too. They get along. Dad likes Shade too, so I guess he feels that to keep everyone happy, he has to take it easy on me by extension.
The brand new sports car and the big house I bought him recently might have swayed his opinion a little, but it wasn’t my aim. I even offered to buy him a bigger place or a retirement home to take care of him because he always took care of me no matter what we thought about each other. He didn’t pick out anything overly expensive, and he was practical in his wants, but it was a new build, and it’s in a great area. The car was what he splurged on. Dad used to be a mechanic, so of course, he has a list of his dream rides. I’ll never forget the look on his face when the dealer rolled it out.