Page 19 of Our Chance

He glanced around the garage and Freya wasdue back from the store in ten minutes.

Kasey, their eldest, had her head in a book. At ten yearsold, it felt like she was going on thirty. She was so damn smartalready.

Then there was Benjamin, who was playingwith his toy water guns, aiming at targets. He wanted a gunlike his Grandpa Elliot,and to become a hunter.

Lilly, their next child, was in dungarees,covered in oil, as she insisted on being exactly like herfather.

Then of course there was Ryan, who Lilly waschasing after. He didn’t just have four kids. Nope, it would seemwhen it came to Freya, he couldn’t keep his hands off her, and shehad their twins with her at the store.

He heard the truck pulling into the driveway. She’d left himalone with their kids, and they were running amok. Crap. She didn’tneed this now, seeing as she was already pregnant again.

Freya climbed out of the car, as did histwins, Marcus and Susan,and they came running to him.

His wife, being the woman in charge, gave awhistle, and just like that, their children stopped. They turned tolook toward their mother, and she went around to the back of thetruck.

“Come on, you’re all going to want to befed tonight, help me with the food!”

Not one argument. One by one, they alllined up, kissing their mother’s cheek, and taking a bag.Ryan even gave her thewrench, and she gave him a bag, and they all took the bags up tothe house.

Maverick was the only one left, and sheheld out the wrench forhim.

“You’re a genius,” he said. “I don’t knowhow you do it.”

Freya laughed. “I have a good mom.”

He laughed.

Tilly Parker was always there whenever theyneeded her. When one of the kids wouldn’t sleep at night, theycalled her, and she turned up at three in the morning to helpout.

He loved Tilly Parker.

Not like he loved his wife.

Freya’s parents had become his parents, and they helped him tofeel like one of the family.

“Now, let’s go and eat,” Freya said.

Maverick pulled her in close, kissing herlips. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

“Have I told you today how much I loveyou?” heasked.

The smile on her face lit up his wholeworld.

“Yeah, you have, but I never get tired ofhearing it.”

“Well, Freya Lavin, I do love you, and youhave made me the happiest man in the world.”

“A morning with the kids, and you realizehow good I am?”

He snorted. “No, I know how good you are, I’m just lucky I gotyou when I did.”

“You, Mr. Lavin, say all the rightthings.”

And with that, she put her hands on hischest and leaned in to kiss him. This was what luck felt like. This was what life wasabout, and Maverick knew he was lucky to have a wife, children, andabove all, a family.

The End

---