Whiskey takes him from Evelyn and hands him to me. He feels light and that’s when I realize how fragile he is.
“Hi, Son,” I say as a flood of tears pour from my eyes. “I’m your dad.”
“Babe, we need to give him a name.”
I nod. We’ve had lists but nothing has stuck for one reason or another. I sit on the edge of the bed and put our son in the middle. The three of us stare at him, throwing out names that we like. It isn’t until Evelyn makes a suggestion that we pause, and everything feels right.
“It’s perfect. You should take him out and introduce him to everyone.”
“Are you sure? They can come in here one at a time. Also, your parents, Dhara and Fletcher aren’t here. Don’t you want to wait?”
Whiskey shakes her head and smiles. “They were there for all of us, I think they’ll understand. Besides, I need a few moments with Evelyn.”
I do as she suggests, taking our bundle of joy out to the waiting room. All eyes must’ve been waiting for me to appear because everyone is standing when I come into view. There are gasps from the women as they come toward me. I’m told he’s beautiful, sweet and perfect.
“What’s his name?” Katelyn asks.
I look down at my son and then back at my family. “His name is James Fletcher Ballard,” I say, fighting through the ache I feel in my throat. “He’s named after the most important men in our lives.” I chance a look at Harrison and Quinn, both smiling.
“Oh my,” Katelyn says, covering her mouth. “You know I’d be thrilled if Evelyn and James want to call me grandma, right?”
I nod, knowing how much Evelyn would love it as well. We spend a few more minutes with everyone until I’ve decided I’ve been away from Whiskey for too long. At Whiskey’s door, I push it open and walk in just as James opens his eyes. I hold him up and say, “Look Mama, my eyes are open.”
Whiskey extends her arms, eager for her son. Evelyn sits on one side, and me on the other, completely mesmerized by my family. All I can think about is how lucky I am, knowing full well how different my life could’ve been.
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About Heidi McLaughlin
Heidi McLaughlin is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of The Beaumont Series, The Boys of Summer, and The Archers.
In 2012, Heidi turned her passion for reading into a full-fledged literary career, writing over twenty novels, including the acclaimed Forever My Girl, which has been adapted into a motion picture with LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions, starring Alex Roe and Jessica Rothe, and opened in theaters on January 19, 2018.
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Pure Rose
Kathy Coopmans
1
Rose
Life has come down to this shitty excuse of a home for me. It’s a one-bedroom rat hole on the bottom floor of an old broken down apartment building on the wrong side of the tracks in Austin, Texas.
Once upon a time, I was convinced that at the ripe age of forty, I’d have the pristine white picket fence and a loyal cock filling my life, daily.
I’ve never had the picket fence and, well, there's been no cock to speak of in like, twenty-four years to be exact. Even then, it wasn’t what I’d hope for. It was a wham and a bam and not even a thank you, ma’am. Nope, all this woman has had is her middle finger and dozens of cheap vibrators that those bunny batteries outlast.
Reality is a bitch and she’s slapped me upside the head over and over, but never knocking me down. It may have buckled my knees a time or two, but I refuse to allow my lousy hand of jokers gone wild to make me go all in and bust.
My sweet daughter, Kennedy, is who keeps me going. Okay, let’s be honest-she’s feisty, determined, and Goddamn stubborn at best, but she’s all mine. She’s the one person who has never let me down and has always kept me on my toes. Even if the shoes they're in hurt my feet and tire my legs, this incredible young woman gives back to me the spades I need to give me a winning hand.
I’ve never believed in blowing sunshine up people's asses. Our life has not been rainbows and sunshine. It’s been a living hell. For me, anyway. I’d repeat the process all over again to watch my daughter become the woman she is today.