425 Madison Avenue is not only the perfect place to fall in love, but it’s also the perfect place to raise a family, and we are doing just that. The two other kids we’ve had complete our family in the best way. Anna and Gigi are my girly girls. They would dance twenty-four seven, if we would let them. They are spirited five and six-year-old little girls. They love to play dress up and watching Disney movies. Not atypical for girls their ages, but they do get a kick out of it.
“Thomas?” I call. My charming, athletic seven-year-old runs into the living room dressed for Tae Kwon Do. “You ready?” I ask, making sure his green belt is tied properly.
“Yes, mamma,” he says.
“Perfect. Daddy is picking up the girls after dance class, so it is just us for dinner tonight. Where do you want to go for dinner?”
“Chicken,” he answers. I could have placed a bet on that. He always wants chicken. Chicken and macaroni and cheese, to be exact. I know just the place to take him after practice.
“I said where, not what,” I reply, laughing.
“Fine. Someplace with chicken,” he says, shrugging.
“The mac and cheese palace is near the studio. How does that sound?”
“Yummy,” he says, rubbing his hands together like a cartoon villain.
Ruffling his hair, I grab my keys off of the counter, and we head out. The little studio is tucked on 7th Avenue between a mega hotel and a Starbucks, so it always smells so good in there. I watch him spar with another classmate while I check my email. Though I am still a teacher, I took a position with Immortality as a media developer. Nepotism for sure, but I’ve gotten the hang of it. With the help of Warren Mettle, Industrial Revolution is being made into a live-action movie. Arabella and I have remained close since our ordeal. How could we not? What we went through was traumatic, to say the least. As crazy as it may seem, I’d even go so far as to say we are best friends now. With all that business with Aaron, I am surprised she still talked to me after that. She’s twenty-four now and a world-famous actress and dancer. Aunt Ara is the bee’s knees to my kids, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Her parents fit right in with us as well. With no backlash from the kidnapping, I returned to teaching as soon as the swelling on my face went down.
I watch as my oldest bows to his sensei after his lesson. He’s currently working on his tasks to earn his blue belt, but I swear he only goes to class because his best friend, Hannah, is in the class. They are so damn cute together. Life is never a dull moment with these kids.
Later in the evening, after the kids are in bed, Brendan and I settle down to watch the news. Usually, we end the night with a drink, but with the news I got today, I won’t be drinking for a while. About nine months.
“I love you,” I tell him, kissing him soundly.
“Not as much as I love you, Cherry.” I still melt every time he calls me that.
“I got some news today,” I tell him, pretending to be interested in the TV. I am so excited, I could burst.
“You’re pregnant?” he asks, nonchalantly, ruining my surprise.
“How did you know?” I ask, playfully punching his arm.
“You always get weird when you are pregnant. It’s the only thing you try to surprise me with,” he says, chuckling.
“Alright. You got me.”
“I’m so happy. Another baby. I can’t believe it.”
“Me either. It was so long between Gigi and now. You know, I wanted a ton of babies, but I thought it wasn’t in the cards for us.”
“Four is the perfect amount,” Brendan says. “If we have another, that’ll be perfect too.”
He’s perfect. Perfect for me. He kisses me before putting a hand over my belly. We sit in comfortable silence until I yawn. “Let’s get you to bed, Cherry.” He leads me to bed and kisses me again. He rarely lets me out of his sight, so tonight was probably hard for him. I get it. I don’t want to be away from him either, but sometimes it’s inevitable. We are very much co-dependent, but it works for us. After the events involving Aaron, Brendan took on a less active role in the family business. He killed them because he had to. He couldn’t justify it after that, so he’s back to money stuff, and it works for us.
I don’t know how I got so lucky, but I believe everything happens for a reason. Having a stalker, then running away to finally working in that gross ass bar in Atlantic City, brought me to the love of my life. Brendan letting me stay was the best thing that ever happened to me, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. He truly is my heart, my soul, my love, and my life. Always and forever.