Page 107 of The Night We Met

Mason walks to the foot of the stairs and calls the kids down. The herd of elephants that are my babies barrel down the steps.

“Mommy and Daddy have to go do something. And we can’t take you.”

“Where are you going?” Carsyn asks.

She’s been questioning things since the time she could form sentences, “I’ll tell you when you’re older.”

“You always say that Mommy,” Carsyn says with a tease in her voice.

I kiss her on the cheek, “Then I’m doing my job right. Behave for your grandparents. We won’t be long,” I kiss William on his forehead and transfer Hayden to my mom who leans in to kiss me on the cheek.

Mason and I duck out fast because if we don’t, we’ll never leave.

We stop at a grocery store to pick up some flowers and the sun is just starting to drop from its highest peak of the day. Getting out of the car, I lean against the car looking at his headstone. It still feels like another world that his passing happened. And in a way I guess it is.

Mason, my supportive husband, stands next to me. Hedoesn’t say a word. He doesn’t pressure me to speak. He just lets me be.

Pushing off from the car, I turn to Mason, “I’ll be right back.”

He pulls me into him and rests his lips against my forehead, “Take your time, baby. I’m not going anywhere.”

I turn and walk towards Liam’s headstone. Squatting down, I place the flowers in front of his resting spot and take a seat. “Hi, friend. Twelve years is insane. I have so much to catch you up on.” And I do. I tell him about moving away, finding Mason and letting him back into my life, my work, the world I’ve created, and my kids. I shed some tears as I tell him William’s middle name. Two first names for a kid is unheard of, but I wanted a way for Liam to be present. So William “Liam” Grey Brooks, while it’s a mouthful, my little boy wears the name proud.

“I just want you to know that you changed my life. That being with you was never an issue. I wish you were still here. I wish so many things about that time, in that I could change them. I wish that you were honest with me from the start.” I get up from the ground and brush off the leaves and dirt that have gathered on my clothes. “I hope you know I’ll always love you. Bye, Liam.”

Placing a kiss to the top of his headstone, I turn and walk back to my husband.

Mason

I watch my wife walk back towards me with a smile on her face. I said what I needed to as I watched her walk down memory lane with her best friend. I’ll never compete withthe pure friendship that they had. While I’m upset that he’s no longer here to hear her laugh or see her smile, I can guarantee that he’s watching over her from above.

Holding my hand out when she’s within reach, “You ready to go?”

“Yeah,” she leans up and presses a quick kiss to my lips, “Let’s go home to our babies.”

Babies. Yep, that’s right. The girl I met when she was eighteen has three of my kids. She’s just as gorgeous now as she was back then.

We make the drive back to her parents house just in time for dinner. It’s chaos from the beginning to end, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ll never tell Kamryn that I want more kids. Our three keep us occupied all hours of the day and night. When dinner is done and the kids are bathed and tucked in bed, I retreat to Kamryn’s childhood bedroom, which has thankfully been redone.

I slide in next to Kamryn as we get ready for bed. She’s been a little quieter from the events that took place today. And I don’t blame her for it. But I also won’t push her to speak about how she’s feeling. She usually comes to me when she’s ready.

We shut off the lights, save for the light on the nightstand, slide into bed and turn the TV on low. Kamryn slings her leg between mine and wraps her arm around my waist, letting her head lay on my shoulder.

Alone time is never alone, but when we’re at Kamryn’s parents house they tire our children out better than we ever could.

“Thank you,” Kamryn breaks the relative quiet. She slides her leg fully over my waist and sits to straddle me. Her hands fall to the hem of my shirt to keep the talk light. “I don’t know how you always know what I need. Whetherit’s a loud night with the kids or a quiet night just the two of us.”

My hands fall to her hips, “Ten years together is enough to know what you need.”

“What about you?” She questions. “What do you need?”

“You and our kids' happiness are all that I need. I know I can never fully protect you all from things that bring you happiness, but I can do my best to try.”

Her lids lower and I get the niggling suspicion she’s about to take this heart to heart and throw it out the window. “You know what I need?” She asks as she rubs her pussy over my boxers.

“Kamryn, don't you dare.” I chastise. While we do have three kids, I’m still not comfortable having sex at her parents house. Because let’s face it, my girl is not quiet.

Her hands slide under my shirt, pushing it up until I’m forced to lift my arms. My shirt flies across the room and her hands land on my chest. “I want my husband to make love to me. I want another baby.”

“You do?”

Her head bobbing with quick nods has my cock thickening below her. “And we can start trying again, right now.”

When she puts it like that, it’s hard to say no. So I make love to my wife. I love on her body and pay attention to the marks on her stomach that brought our children into the world. I take her fast and hard the first round. But by the second round, when the sun is starting to rise above the horizon, I take it slow. I tease her body, bringing her to the edge multiple times, before she finally falls over and taking me with her.

I was twenty years old the night we met. And at that time I had no idea I’d met my perfect match.

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