Page 82 of Sexting the Silverfox

After all the pain he caused, my father deserves a slice of the same torment he gave me. He needs to learn his new place in the family, and my brothers need room to breathe. Each of us is getting used to this new and different chapter in our lives. It is both scary and exciting, but for me, it’s also exhilarating.

As I lean into Jason and welcome the warmth of his lips on my temple, I smile to myself, thanking the stars for allowing me to make it this far. Whatever comes next, we’ve got it handled because we have love and resilience, we have strength, and we have family.

Epilogue I

Audrey

Five months later…

“He’s perfect,” Jason says as he stares at our newborn son with teary, wondrous eyes. He hasn’t moved from his chair by my bedside since the nurse brought our bundle of joy in. “And you’re a fucking queen,” he adds. “Audrey, you’re incredible.”

I’m also exhausted. The epidural has worn off, and my whole body feels like a fizzling waterbed. My limbs are soft, and my fingers tingle slightly, but the mere fact that I’m holding my baby in my arms fills me with a whole new kind of energy.

“You’re right; he is perfect,” I reply, my heart filled with light. “Oh, God, Jason, I’m so scared.”

“Scared?”

“What if I’m not a good mother?” I ask, my fears coming back to the surface after months of bubbling beneath. I’ve been holding this dread in for so long that I’d almost forgotten about it. But now that the baby is born, and I have no way of putting this genie back in the bottle, it’s as if my mind is eager to become my worst enemy again.

Jason chuckles softly, pulling his chair closer to me. He leans in and plants a kiss on my forehead. His way of reassuring me, of reminding me that I’m not alone anymore. That I’m safe. “Are you kidding me? Audrey, you were made to be a mother. You’re kind and patient, nurturing, and smart as a whip,” he says. “Lily already loves you to the moon and back.”

“She does, doesn’t she?” I giggle, my cheeks burning pink.

“Audrey, you are already one hell of a mother to Lily, and you don’t even realize it.”

“Oh, Jason …”

“I mean it. You’ve got this. And in case you forgot, we’re in this together,” he lovingly reminds me. “When you’re tired, I take over. When you need a break, I take over. When you need to breathe, I take over. Even if you don’t need any of the above, I’ll still take over, just to make things easier for you. I’m his dad, and I intend to make sure our kids grow up with both parents firmly rooted beside them.”

“That is reassuring, actually,” I giggle softly while our baby stirs in my arms. I look down and giggle some more. “He looks like a raisin.”

“An adorable raisin,” Jason laughs.

Swaddled in white cotton, it’s been mere minutes since our child has entered this world. He’s tiny and pink-faced, his eyes shut, his cute, round cheeks still puffy and wrinkled. His little hands are clumped under the cotton, and he’s still trying to get used to his new environment. “He’s so quiet and sleepy. Was it the same with Lily?” I ask Jason.

“Oh, yeah. I thought we were blessed with the quietest kid,” he says, fondly remembering Lily’s first days of life. “Then all hell broke loose.”

“How is she, by the way?” I ask.

“She and Rita are on the way,” Jason says. “You went into labor so fast I didn’t even have time to call anybody.”

“Lily seemed excited to have a baby brother. I wonder how they’ll get along.”

“She’ll be a good big sister, I’m sure of it,” he replies, smiling. “She’s old enough to understand a few things. I reckon the five of us will make a great team.”

I give him a curious look. “So, Rita’s down to keep working for us?”

“Absolutely. She said we should have more babies while we’re at it.”

I can’t help but laugh. “Y’all need to give me a minute to catch my breath here first.”

A knock on the door has both Jason and me looking up just in time to see Anton and Vitaly walk in, each of them carrying a huge bouquet of roses and lilies for us. They look different from the last time they were in Chicago, tanned and healthy, fully recovered from the gunshot wounds. They’re also sporting snazzy white linen shirts and slacks that make them look like hot surfer bros from the Californian coastline.

“I can’t believe you two made it!” I quip.

My brothers light up when they see the baby in my arms.

“Are you kidding? We wouldn’t have missed this for the world!” Anton replies, then proceeds to put both flower baskets on a nearby side table before he and Vitaly come closer to have a look at their nephew. “Holy smokes, Audrey, he’s gorgeous.”

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