Page 184 of In the Air Tonight

“Liar.” I give him a gentle shove as he laughs.

“How’d it go today?”

“Same as usual.”

“How are you?”

“Same as usual,” I say with a small smile.

He wraps me up in a hug that makes everything better. His hugs have become essential to me. “How soon can we escape?”

“I need an hour to get them fed, and then I’m all yours.”

“I can’t wait.”

“Neither can I.”

Denise

How can my baby boys bethree years oldalready? I’ve been asking myself that for weeks as I planned their birthday bash.

They come running into the room together—always together—blond and rosy-cheeked and full of mischief. I love them madly.

I lean over to hug them. “Who’s excited for their party?”

“We are!”

“They’re beyond excited,” my dad says when he emerges from the hallway where the kids’ bedrooms are.

We’re back to living in Fairfax County, near many of the people Kane and I went to high school with. We have more than fifty kids coming to the party, which is insane, but we couldn’t leave anyone out.

Kane comes in from the garage carrying the cake I asked him to pick up for me.

“We wanna see,” Hudson shouts as he runs over to Kane, nearly taking him out at the knees.

Hayes is right behind him to see the fire truck cake I ordered three months ago.

I get there just in time to save the cake.

Kane laughs and kisses me. “Just another day in the loony bin.”

“This one will be extra loony.”

“Fifty kids you say?”

I give him a hapless shrug.

“I need a drink.”

My dad comes up behind me and squeezes my shoulders. “You’re amazing, Dee.”

“Why do you say that?”

“You do it all and make it look so easy.”

“Aw thanks, Dad. I’m so glad you and Anita could come for the party.”

“We wouldn’t have missed it.” He turns me to face him. “I want you to know how proud I am of you and Kane and my beautiful grandchildren. You survived, Dee. And you thrived.”

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