“Hey, how can you turn down a real chef,” she said, smiling as she made the offer to come over for a barbecue.
I turn my attention back to Natalie, realizing I’m doing something I’ve been doing a lot lately.
Maybe it’s the pregnancy hormones. Maybe it’s just how incredible and joy-filled our lives are.
Whatever it is, I can’t stop savoring every little moment, looking around in wonder and appreciation that everything turned out perfectly.
Despite everything, we won our happily ever after.
I smile down as Natalie shows me what she’s made.
It’s a hairbrush with a bunch of scrunches tied around it.
“Is that a special microphone?” I guess.
She beams, and I know I’ve got it right. “Yeah-huh. It’s a maj-eek-all mik-ro-fone ’cause when you sing it makes all your dreams come true. I sang that I wanted some ice cream and Auntie Penny got me some. But I ate it all in one big bite. Like this.”
I laugh in delight when she starts snapping her teeth together. Mom and dad laugh along with me.
I turn to dad. He’s smiling at his granddaughter, and then his eyes roam over to the pool, to Aaron, and his smile gets even wider.
They’ve become close during the past decade. When Aaron’s bandmates decided it was time to hang up their instruments, dad and Aaron began making music together, just for themselves at first. But then it was like they became obsessed, and they went into a song-making frenzy.
Now, though they don’t tour – Aaron prefers being close to the family, he says – they release their music online and it gets millions of downloads per song.
I had my own run as a successful artist, eight years of singing and touring and producing albums, but lately, I’ve been focused on the music school Aaron, dad, and I opened in the city, meaning that the kids get both their parents at home all the time.
It’s not like money will ever be an issue again. Aaron made enough during his year on stage to live several lifetimes comfortably, and I made a fair chunk of my own, though we rarely talk about money.
That by itself is a miracle, considering money used to be my biggest concern. It’s the same with mom and dad. After dad became comfortable with letting Aaron help him, he no longer spends his life stressing, wondering where the next paycheck will come from, fretting over bills.
I sit down as Natalie runs off to go and talk with Penny. Natalie has Aaron’s black hair – well, the color his hair was before it turned silver. She has his eyes too. And his way of smiling. All the children have little pieces of both of us, but I always find myself looking for Aaron, my heart expanding with wave upon wave of love each time I spot him.
“This is a lovely day,” Mom says. “In fact, I couldn’t think of anything I’d rather be doing.”
I could.
I stare at Aaron, my pregnancy hormones flaring, at the tattoos on his slick muscled arms and the way he deftly moves through the water as he plays with the children. He sees me looking and tilts his head, telling me knows what I’m thinking… and he’ll more than happily help me out.
I have to look away before I go into crazy-pregnant-lady-horny overdrive.
“Thanks for coming,” I tell mom and dad.
Dad chuckles. “As if we’d miss this. Look at the little ones. They’re having the time of their lives. I think after this…” He nods to the beer on the table at his side. “I’ll have to join them.”
Sudden emotion rises inside me. I reach over and place my hand on my dad’s.
“You have no idea how happy I am, Dad, that everything worked out.”
“Hush.” He taps my hand lovingly. “I can’t believe I ever doubted you. I’ve never seen a more perfect match. Except for me and your mother, of course.”
Mom laughs in delight, playfully slapping his arm. “Careful, or you might get a reward.”
“Okay, okay.” I laugh, shaking my head. “That’s enough.”
They laugh along with me as the three of us turn back to the pool, watching as Aaron catches up with Angela and lifts her out of the water. She waves her hands as she lets out a delighted giggle, looking so happy I could cry with the shared joy.
Placing my hand on my belly, I imagine I can feel our little one kicking. Or singing from deep within me, a song that tells us he or she can’t wait to meet their new family.
“I can’t wait to meet you either,” I whisper.