Page 93 of Fourth Wall

Tyler and Stephen had joined them, about to head out, both of them having spent most of the evening with the girls.

“I’m happy for you,” Tyler offered sheepishly.

“Thank you, but I don’t need your approval. Not now and not ever.” I offered a tight-lipped smile, and that was about all I was willing to give.

Christian hugged Stephen, and Tyler and Stephen said goodbye to the girls and told them they would see them tomorrow.

Once they were out the door, Christian got down on his knees to the girls.

“I hope you know that I promise to protect you and your mom for a very long time.” He gave them both a kiss on their cheeks.

“What should we call you now that you are married to Mommy?” Kinsley asked, and I cringed on the inside because I knew this question would come eventually.

Without missing a beat, Christian simply answered, “What do you call Stephen?”

“We call him “Poot” because he makes funny noises when he toots,” Kelsie said, and both girls giggled. Christian looked back at me and started to laugh hysterically.

“I used to hang out with Stephen a lot, and you guys are right. He has the biggest farts.” Everyone burst into a fit of giggles. “You guys already have a really cool dad, and I’m not here to take his place, so whatever you want to call me would be okay with me.”

Kelsie sat there thinking for a second, and then Kinsley quietly asked, “Mommy, is Poppy a weird name to call a boy?” Christian turned to look up at me too.

I laughed. “Names don't have genders, honey. I would say it's a cool name, why?”

“Well, Christian always gets us poppies and tells us how important they are to him, so I thought maybe we could call him Poppy?”

Christian coughed, and I knew he was holding back his feelings. The same surge of emotions came rushing over me.

“I think that’s a beautiful name,” I offered.

“Then I think I would like to call you Poppy, Christian,” she said and gave Christian a hug.

“Me too,” Kelsie offered and joined in on their hug.

After a few moments, my mom, who was in full tears after witnessing this whole event, grabbed the girls and left.

“I’m usually very tough, and it takes a lot to break me,” Christian said as he stood and looked in my direction. “But those two will be the death of me.”

“Imagine adding another to that.” I looked down at my stomach and Christian put his two hands on my belly.

“I can picture it, and I’m so excited about it.” He placed a kiss on my forehead gently.

We went to where our friends gathered around the fire pit in our yard. Elio had started a fire.

Christian settled into a large wooden Adirondack chair, and I sat on his lap.

“I cannot believe that a year and a half ago, when I moved out here, that I would be sitting here.” Tatum started to tear up. “Hormones,” she screeched, and we all laughed.

“Honestly, I cannot believe I’m here even from a couple of months ago.”

I looked down at Christian, who only responded by giving me a kiss on the cheek. He looked around at everyone gathered in the circle.

“I was always the type of person who preferred to be in the shadows. I answered my demons by replacing them with women. Sorry, babe.” I gave him an encouraging smile. “I always hung out in the back of these groups because I never felt like I fit in. I was always the outsider, just Julian’s bodyguard. I felt like I was only ever good to be the muscle, regardless of how self-imposed that was.” The girls were all teary-eyed, and I couldn't help but feel my heart surge with my love for this man. The facthe was confessing this was such an incredibly prideful moment for me.

“We are so grateful you are here with us. You are part of this very dysfunctional family,” Elio, the patriarch, responded, and there was a resounding agreement in the air.

43

Christian

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