Page 161 of Magic or Madness

“Lilac bushes take about three to four years to bud, did you know that?” He questions, a sly smile on his face as I realize that this may be the first time he’s been able to truly stump me.

“Actually, I didn’t. My mother always wanted us to garden, have flowers as far as the eye could see.” I smile, remembering how magical that sounded when I was a kid.

“We’ll do that for our kids someday, that’s a promise.” He squeezes me tighter, the promises of our future keeping us stuck in a state of pure serenity.

“I want a big house. The kind that hosts all the parties, and has big family barbecues in the yard every week in the summer. The place where our kids can come to us with their troubles, and we always welcome them with open arms. A safe space. That’s my dream. Oh, and a fireplace, for snuggles,” I say, closing my eyes and letting my imagination run free.

“Anything you want, Bambi. That sounds like the perfect way to settle down,” he whispers, and my heart flutters with his words.

“How manypurple-curly-hairedbabies should we have?” I ask, and he pulls me closer, leaning down to whisper in my ear.

“Five. Three boys, then two baby girls to end our reign. They’ll be so protected, nothing bad will ever happen to them.”

“That’s perfect. Our boys will be raised as gentlemen, taught from the beginning on how to treat a lady.”

He nods against me, seemingly agreeing with my words, and it’s a relief knowing that we’re on the same page for our future kids.

“They’ll know. I’ll raise the bar so fucking high with how I treat their mother, it becomes a second nature to them,” he promises, and I nearly melt in his arms.

“One day, Ozzy.”

“One day,principessa. I promise,” he says, his voice cracking with each word.

I look around at the shenanigans happening, everyone acting like fools, and I can’t help but laugh along with their antics.

Oliver and Journey are taking turns shotgunning beers, seeing who caves first, while Max plays referee. I glance to my right and Cami, Pepper, and Lex are locked in a battle to determine the best fast food places. It’s a heated argument, and as expected, Cami is winning every debate, hands down.

We made this place a home, a sanctuary, and I’m really going to miss it once we leave. Rooftops parties, obnoxious peepingTom sessions, and most of all, the sense of family this place brought me, before I even knew what a true family looked like.

Sometimes, it looks like two parents, their kids, picket fences, and a cute dog, but other times, it brings the most broken, bruised, and beat down people together, offering them a chance to heal.

That’s what our family picture resembles.

All of us, merging our lives under one roof, we became something so tight-knit that we are now brothers, sisters, boyfriends, girlfriends, and the best of friends we’ve ever had.

I don’t want to go, but I have a feeling that everything we’ve learned here will always bring us back to each other, whether it’s by choice, or by accident.

“When are we leaving?” I ask, my first attempt at crew business since being sidelined.

“Two days,” he whispers, spinning me around until we face each other.

“I thought the deadline was two days?”

“It was, but we negotiated. Asked for another day to get our affairs in order, that’s why the meeting ran so long today,” he tells me, and I’m thankful, knowing I wasted a day by getting drunk with Cami and Pepper.

“I’ll work on our stuff tomorrow. I think I can squeeze all our things into two suitcases,” I offer, ready to see the world with my man.

I’d never been out of my home state until I ran away, choosing a place that was so far away, I’d never be found, and now, we’re letting the road take control, following a map and placing roots wherever we decide. It’s thrilling, and nerve-wracking, but I can’t imagine a better way to start fresh with the people who are most important to us.

“We have a lot of planning to do, so we’ll be busy most of the day, are you sure you can handle it?”

“Of course. What about the girls? They’ll be all over me again,” I wonder, hoping to get a little inside information on what Oliver and Lex are planning.

I don’t want to leave my girls behind, but I know Ozzy left the choice up to the guys, and it’s something I’ll have to accept.

“I don’t know, Bambi. Either there will be eight, or six. We’ll see when the time comes, they may not want to uproot their lives like you do. Pack light, we don’t need much,” he says, and I sigh, knowing he’s right.

“Dance with me?” I shimmy out of his embrace, holding my hand out to his.

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