Page 82 of The Sweetest Chirp

Dad smacks my back. “Good work.”

I snort at that as Audrina laughs, but then it dies off when Anya pulls Audrina toward the back door. Except Ingrid andArwen, who go toward the living room, we all follow out the back to where the golf carts are parked. We load into them, and I pull Audrina close to me once we’re seated. It’s a bit cold, but that’s not the reason I’m holding her.

When Dad pulls away, I call out, “What’s going on?”

“You’ll see,” Mom sings back at me and I want to argue, but Audrina pats my hand.

“Let it be. We’ve caused them more gray hairs than necessary.”

She’s not wrong.

We’re flying through the garden, past the inground pool, until we’re at the very back of the property. My brows pull in as Dad and William stop, and our parents all start to get out. Audrina follows suit, pulling me along, but I can see by the look on her face that she’s curious too. A huge plot of land has been cleared, and it surprises me since this used to be a wooded area. Mom leans into Dad as Anya takes William’s hand. They turn to us, and all of them are grinning from ear to ear.

Anya is the one to speak first. “This is for you.”

My brows furrow more as Audrina’s jaw drops. “What?”

“We want you guys to build a home here,” Mom says, tears gathering in her eyes. “We know it’s a commute and a pain in traffic, but we want our babies and our grandbaby close.”

“We bought this land for all of us,” William adds. “And we want to give this piece to you two.”

“Things have been complicated enough. Let us help by giving you a house you guys can make a home,” Anya says through her tears.

I’m surprised by the emotion on Dad’s face and how rough his voice is as he says, “We have had a front-row seat for watching you two grow and fall in love. Now allow us to keep our seats as you two build a life as a family.”

He might as well have kicked me in the gut. I glance down at Audrina, and her eyes are misty with tears as she meets my gaze. Her answer is in her eyes, and when I look up at our parents, the hopefulness on their faces, I know the answer too. They may drive us batty, but there is nowhere we’d rather be than with family.

I can’t help but smile. “Damn, Dad, how the hell are we supposed to say no to that?”

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

Thatcher has been gone for three days. I remember when he left before, and while it sucked, it sucks super bad now because I know what it is like to touch and kiss him. Plus, watching Arwen struggle is extremely difficult.

Only ten days left.

The IceCats won their game last night. It wasn’t the first time that Arwen and I had watched a game on TV, but it was Arwen’s first time with our family. My parents make a big to-do when it’s a game day. We wear our away jerseys, we have a feast, and no one leaves the family room until the game is over. So many pictures and videos were taken of Arwen cheering for Thatcher and the whole team. It was absolutely adorable, and of course, my man got all kinds of choked up.

I can’t wait till we go to his home game in a couple weeks.

The IceCats traveled through the night and had morning skate, and I’m excited Thatcher is able to be on the phone with me while I take Arwen back to Dr. Welsomire’s for her follow-up and to get her new ear gear. I’m driving the new Ford Explorer he insisted on getting me for when he’s not around.

I need a tank to protect my girls since you can’t drive for shit.

In my defense, I get where I’m going, but no curb is safe, and God help stop signs. I never see those things… Maybe I am a bad driver.

Oh well.

I’m a great mother, and by the grin on my man’s face, a good whatever the hell I am to him. “Do I call you my boyfriend?”

He scrunches up his face. His reaction has me laughing as he bellows, “Absolutely not!”

I snort. “My baby daddy?”

“Audrina,” he warns, and I grin. “I am…yours.”

“I know,moy,” I say seductively, and he bites his knuckle as his eyes heat. “But I can’t go, hey, this guy is mine.”

He looks perplexed by that. “Why not?”

---