Page 15 of Safe and Sound

“That dude I showed you the video of where women can’t barely get both their hands around his dick,” Dani exclaimed.

Lexie’s dark eyes bulged comically wide. “Ooh, yes, that man for sure!”

“I think my cervix just shriveled a little at the thought,” I protested.

As Dani and Lexie laughed, Nick crossed his arms across his chest. “Are you ready for mine?

“Probably not. But hit me with it.”

Raising his champagne glass, Nick said, “My toast is for all the love and happiness you give to others to come back to you tenfold.”

I couldn’t stop the tears that pricked my eyes. “Aw, Nick, that’s the sweetest thing ever. And completely unexpected since it didn’t have to do with sex.”

“I wasn’t finished.”

“Ah, here it comes,” I mused.

“And may your new man have a thick wallet and an even thicker cock,” he added.

The girls and I giggled. “I will certainly drink to that,” I replied.

Dani tossed her dark hair over her shoulder before holding up her glass. “To Ava, may the man of your dreams and the soulmate you grow old with be just around the corner.”

“But I just got divorced. I need some time for just me.”

With a melancholy sigh, Dani argued, “Trust me. Being single is highly overrated.

Lexie nodded. “Especially compared to being with someone who truly loves you.”

What could I say to convince my young nieces to take all the time for themselves. Marriage, even in the good times, was about compromise and giving a part of yourself for someone else. Most of the time, it was only the women compromising and giving of themselves. It certainly had been with me and Preston even before things went south.

Waving his hand, Nick said, “I think we can curb the marital talk. What we truly need to focus on is it’s been seven months for any action for her vagina,” Nick quipped.

“Give it a rest,” I moaned as I rubbed my forehead.

“I’m just saying. Time is ticking when it comes to your future,” Dani argued.

Narrowing my eyes, I huffed, “If anyone so much as dares to mention my biological clock, I will throw this drink in your face.”

“Well, you are thirty.”

“Might I remind you that your yaya was forty-five when I was born.” Shaking my head, I replied, “It’s not over until it’s over.”

Nick held up his hand. “Okay, enough. My buzz is fading, so let’s drink up” Thrusting his champagne flute in the air, he cried, “To Ava”

“To Ava,” the girls replied.

With a genuine smile, I raised my glass to manifest all the wonderful life events from our toast.

Chapter Three: Ava

We downed the flutes in one long gulp. “Come on. Let’s go dance again!” I shouted.

“I need to fix my makeup,” Lexie protested.

“It looks fine.”

She wrinkled her nose. “But I’m all shiny.”

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