The bags of gifts lie forgotten on the hall tiles as I rush out of the door as he pulls it open, heading for his Bentley where the barking starts again. I see the dog before I even reach the car, his face squished up against the glass, steaming it up with his breath. Itisa black Labrador! No, wait, there’s another set ofears and a tail.Twoblack Labs! Idothink I’m in a coma, but I never want to wake up!
As soon as they see me their tails are swishing back and forth. They’re hopping up and down, doing these little puppy yelping sounds, and I feel like my heart is about to explode.
And yes, there’s an empty eye socket, but who cares? He’s not creepy, he’s adorable, and heneedsme.Theyneed me.
As soon as the door is open, the first one is on my chest and I catch him with both arms, so excited to have a home and—
Wait, I don’t have a home. This isn’t Hudson’s home. That much I’ve puzzled out. There’s some details here that need flushing out.
“Is this their home?” I ask as I turn to find Hudson watching us. I narrow my eyes. “I mean, it’s notyourhome, is it?”
He shakes his head. “No, it’s not. This is Jackson and Chastity’s place.”
“So when do I get to see whereyoulive?”
“We, baby,” he says, stepping toward the car. “Get in. I’m going to show you our new home. For all four of us,” he says with a grin, knuckling one dog’s head, then the other. Then his hand goes to my belly, pulling me in close, and he adds, “Soon to be five.”
Epilogue
Hudson
A year later...
“Man, it never felt better to fail at something.” Wilson grins as he stares at the building that used to be the strip club, closed now that the will conditions have expired.
Soon, the two strip clubs he inherited from his older brother will be refurbished and reopened as independent book stores. There will be books for sale, but each one will also give readers the option to borrow and read books for a small membership fee, and include a quiet area with beanbags, pillows and couches, along with the option to purchase snacks and drinks. Like a private library, slash reading café.
The plan is to expand on that idea, get a little chain going and turn it into a thriving business, and this time I saw the potential for investment. Besides, Fay was so excited by the whole thing she practically begged to be involved, and what my baby wants, she gets.
Wilson never wanted strip clubs anyway, and he felt uncomfortable with how close the girls were in age to his niece. No judgment, but he was getting more and more depressed about it as time went on. He’s helped those of the strippers that wanted something different to get a start in new careers, and those that didn’t have moved on to other clubs.
I changed the name of my business from Clancy’s Carriages to Hudson’s Transportation Services. I’ve expanded from limos to shuttles and tour buses. It’s a legit eight-figure business, and it looks like generational wealth is something I’ll pass down to my kids if I so choose.
Jackson and Chastity are coming to dinner tonight. I’m cooking, of course, because my wife has many talents, but cooking is not one of them. The only thing I’m not allowed to cook inside is Jiffy Pop.
But, I had a special outdoor kitchen built, so my Jiffy Pop addiction is still thriving.
Jackson and Chastity are bringing some other friends as well, so we will have a houseful, but the chaos is fun and I love giving Fay the kind of home and life she missed out on growing up.
Me too, for that matter. My kids will have the mother and father we didn’t. We made that commitment and I got my ring on her finger as soon as I could. I let her plan a nice wedding, which she did. Dog friendly, of course.
A lot can happen in a year. After finishing the renovation after the fire at my place, we added on. An entire area just for the damn dogs. A new primary suite that Fay designed and decorated. I let her have free rein, doing whatever she wanted to the place, and room by room, she’s making it the home she always deserved.
“I just felt her kick!” she squeals, grabbing Wilson’s hand as the nearest and flattening it against her swelling belly.
The involuntary growl from my lips makes both of them turn my way, and Wilson’s no pushover, but he knows when to cut his losses. His hand leaves my wife’s stomach in an instant, and she sheepishly takes my wrist instead, putting my hand against her belly.
“Feel her?”
“I keep telling you, baby, it’s a—” The vibration jolts through me like lightning from heaven, and somehow, I just know I’ve been wrong all along. I remember my mom once saying a baby carried low is a boy, and I guess I just assumed she knew what she was talking about. She might not have been much of a mother, but I’d thought she knew about that. I guess not. “She’s going to be a handful,” I say as tears brim in my eyes. “Just like her mother.”
Fay playfully punches my shoulder, but I instantly wrap her in my arms and kiss her as the tears flow free. Whoever says men don’t cry is a fucking idiot. Real men aren’t afraid of their emotions.
“And… That’s my cue to get out of here.” Wilson coughs uncomfortably as I continue to kiss my wife. “You guys can watch the place for an hour while I run to a meeting at the bank. I’ve got to pick up Kensie at school, too. Some asshole’s been teasing her, and I’m about to go find him and introduce him to the bottom of the swamp behind the school. Shouldn’t be more than half hour.” He looks at his watch, then turns and heads toward his car.
Wilson’s been more uptight of late. Especially in regards to anything involving Kensie. But when I ask, he just grunts and waves me off, so I’m writing it off to the trials of raising a teenage girl.
“Sure thing,” I tell him, but I don’t turn to watch him go. I tap on my phone, then, turn to my wife. “Come on, baby. We don’t have much time.”