Page 110 of Broken Bonds

After Broderick passed away, my mother didn’t hesitate to fly to Kentucky. After learning what happened, we spoke at length. It wasn’t pleasant, we both shed a few tears and ended up with peace in the end. Much of what I am today I owe it to her and in my heart, she will always be my mother. After that, she apologized to Stella for interfering in our relationship and without much hesitation, Stella accepted her apology.

I wouldn’t say that they are best friends, but at least their relationship is cordial, and my mother is overly excited about the arrival of her first grandchild. I even think she has started looking for properties in the area. “Family comes first,” she said with a shrug. It might not seem like a big deal to others, but since it’s my mother we are talking about, it’s like winning gold in the Olympics.

All the pieces of the complicated puzzle of our relationship are finally falling into place—one by one. Our history is beautiful, but like all of them, it’s full of mistakes, mistakes that we both made. Of discussions that we have solved by shouting and ended with kisses.

This is us. Imperfect, but perfect for each other.

We travel with the wind, finding guidance in our hearts. It happened by chance, but together we fight and discover that the love that unites us goes beyond the ordinary.

Because we both decided to make our temporary thing eternal.

It is not what we wanted to feel, it is what we feel even without wanting to.

Epilogue

“This is utter shit,” I grumble under my breath. This can’t be.

This should be recorded in history books.

“And don’t look at me with that angelic face, are you laughing at me?”

I’m talking to Hannah, my four-month-old daughter. She has her mother’s blue eyes, but otherwise Stella says she looks just like me.

I thought I was madly and entirely in love with my wife, but after a birth that lasted thirty-six hours, my daughter was born, and I fell in love again.

With Hannah and Stella.

My heart is in her hands and that’s where it will stay for eternity.

Hannah laughs again, mocking her father, of course.

“Am I going to ask your mother what she fed you?”

Wipes and more wipes. What a mess she made and what mess I’m making trying to fix.

“What am I going to do with you?”

Carefully, I take her out of the onesie she’s wearing and pick up what I can with the diaper before going to the bathroom with the little bomb. This needs the power of a firehose.

After settling her in the copper bathtub, I sit next to her. I begin to talk to her while she splashes the soapy water.

“Is this how our life is going to be like now?” I say, imitating that high-pitched voice that stupid parents make to talk to their offspring. “You doing what you want with me and then laughing at me? Are you going to take advantage of your old man?”

She laughs again, splashing me with her feet, wetting my gray T-shirt.

“Do you know that I’m ready for when you’re a teenager? If the plan to send you to Sister June’s convent doesn’t work, I’ve already arranged it with Ethan to become Rambo on steroids, armed to the teeth.”

“I hope you don’t mean that you’re putting a red ribbon around your head.” I hear a voice from the bathroom door.

“Mommy is back,” I tell Hannah, smiling at both of them. The two great loves of my life. “Just when I’m done with the mess you made. Should we tell her about your antics?”

Stella walks over to us, smiling. “Don’t think you’re so special, Mr. Kral. I had to deal with many of her surprises, too.”

“Everything ready for tomorrow?” I ask her because we have plans—important plans.

It’s not just a trip, it is more than that. It is the consummation of a dream.

“All set,” she responds, kissing me on the lips, and then placing her lips gently on our daughter’s head.

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