He kissed her deeply and when they broke apart he said, “I love you, Ry. And when Tommy and I had our talk this morning, he said he likes us together, ain’t that right, son?”
Tommy hurried his last steps to the chair and nodded.
“I love you, Tommy. You and your father are everything to me.”
With a lot of force for a six-year-old boy, Tommy slammed his body against her for a hug. His body shook from crying. “Shh. It’s okay, sweetie.”
“I love you, too.” Tommy said in between sobs. Her heart swelled with his words. She squeezed him tight and looked over his golden hair, up to his dad. Keenan took off his T-shirt and an even larger plastic wrap sat right on top of his heart.
“Oh, my… what have you done?”
Tommy turned around and wiped his snot with the back of his hand. “I can’t wait to show it.”
“The shadows need a little finishing up, but the guys couldn’t wait to show it to you. It’s an honor to finish it with all three of you here, together,” Mia said.
Ryleigh startled as she’d totally forgotten they stood in the tattoo parlor.
“Show me, Keen.”
Keenan pulled the wrap from over his heart, and her own heart stopped beating for a moment. She came in closer and let her eyes follow the picture of a carroty red haired woman, with a golden-haired boy and a raven-haired man, smiling while toasting their ice cream.
It was a replica of the picture from their bedroom wall.
“This is… I can’t even…”
Lost for words, she could only do one thing. She grabbed her boys for a bear hug.
“Careful! He needs to watch his tattoos, Ry,” Mia said from behind them.
In their huddle of their three heads together, Keenan whispered, “You’re my family. Forever and always.”
Those words made her knees weak. It almost was too much for her. She’d longed to call them her family. Keenan had made sure today that she knew he wanted forever and nothing else.
Tommy whispered, “Yes. Forever.”
And with both of her boys’ eyes on her, Ryleigh added, smiling through her tears, “Forever.”