Page 131 of Loving the Legend
“It’s Valentino and silk. 210 roses!” Her fingers graze the field of roses, trailing the length of the gown that’s the same hue of pink as Sid’s tux.
I nod. “You’re gonna make ’em drool!”
“Let’s just hope I make it down the red carpet without tripping over the train.”
“Sid won’t let you fall.” I trace over her necklace with a blue sapphire, ruby, and emerald. “Peep the bling.”
“Marvelous, isn’t it? Bulgari.”
“Goodness. They won’t know what hit ’em. Have fun tonight.” I double-tap on the door and step back. “Hey,” I say to Sid.
He meets my gaze. A strip of the setting sun casts a soft glow over his face, and a chill races up my spine as I recall a dream.
I climbed out of bed and followed the scent of pancakes and animated voices to our kitchen. I froze in the entryway as three pairs of eyes fixed on me.
“Daddy’s up,” Sid said at the same time two sets of tiny legs barreled over to me. I knew instantly they were our kids. Our son’s resemblance to Sid was uncanny and, our daughter, with her coily puffs, resembled me. I had the dream again last night. This time, we were all in the swimming pool. Sid was strewn across a unicorn floaty, and our daughter rested against his chest. I gave my son a head start, watching him kick and flutter away from Daddy Shark. He screamed when I emerged from under the water, pretending to nibble on his ankle, making Sid and our daughter laugh.
My future belongs to Sid and our family. I need to fix us.
“Good luck presenting.”
“Thanks,” he replies.
“Wait,” Lily says, gesturing for me to come closer.
I lean back into the window.
“Your eyes are red like Sid’s. What’s wrong?”
The question catches me off guard. I shake my head. “N-nothin’. I’m fine.”
“Tell me the truth. What’s wrong?” she repeats, gaze pinging between us.
Sid lets out a deep breath and stares back out of the window. “Let it go, Ma.”
“Sidney David King, I will do no such thing.”
We both remain silent.
“Someone better speak right now!” It’s like whiplash the way her commanding tone reminds me of my mother.
I clear my throat, breaking the awkward silence. “It’s fine, Lily. We’re working through it. Don’t worry. I love you…both of you. Travel safely.” I’m about to duck my head out the window and walk back to the house when she clasps my arm.
“Tell me, love. You okay?” She searches my face. “When was the last panic attack?”
I rest my palm on her hand. “I’m fine. Haven’t had one in a couple days.”
She studies me, reading something in my expression that relaxes her a little. “Okay,” she says, releasing my arm. “Call me if it changes.”
Nodding, I step back as the limo pulls away. Knowing Lily, she’ll have Sid talking before they reach the end of the driveway.
I drag myself to our basketball court to get in a few more hours of practice. But when I raise the ball to release a shot, a wave of guilt and sadness hits me. I yell and catapult the ball across the gym. It's not as good as punching something, but it’s close. I clench my fists as the eerie quiet of solitude washes over me. We’ve only lived together for a couple of months, but I miss him when we’re in separate cities. His large, soulful presence radiates through the house. It’s hard to think about all of the emptiness in my life before meeting him and his family.
We toured a few properties before finding this one. Sid’s agent signed an NDA, so we were able to speak candidly. We fell in love with our home—a three-acre estate tucked in a gated community called Hidden Hills. The nine-bedroom, eleven-bathroom house checked a lot of our boxes. The most important requirement was that we’d find a place that needed close to zero renovation. Everything fell into place once Sid’s contract with the Royals was signed. We wanted to be settled as quickly as possible.
The estate was recently re-modeled with extensive upgrades. When we entered the foyer for the first time, the natural light from the two-story wall of windows made the place incredibly warm and uplifting. The main residence is 12,000 square feet, but it flows well enough it doesn’t feel massive. The great room features an indoor-outdoor bar, an adjoining outdoor living room, and a formal dining room with a fireplace. There’s a glass wine cellar, chef's kitchen, study, home theater, and entertainment lounge. The newly built gym was perfect for us. We added a few machines, an infrared sauna, a compression recovery suit, and a cryotherapy chamber. Replacing the tennis court with a basketball court was a relatively easy project. We installed hydraulic roofs, including in the two-bedroom and two-bathroom guest house to take advantage of the rain-less days in LA. A border of redwood trees offers built-in privacy. Coupled with grassy lawns, sunny hillsides, olive, citrus, and avocado trees, it's an oasis. The property came with a zero-edge saltwater pool, an eleven-person spa, and an outdoor kitchen. The spacious attached garage fits eighteen cars, which is more than enough for what we need.
After our offer was accepted, we moved in eight weeks later. We spent the first week alone christening the place. We invited Adam, Ishan, and Sid’s close family members out for a housewarming, and it’s felt like home ever since. Sid declinedArchitectural Digest’sproposal to tour the new estate. We decided if we ever open the estate up for a tour, it would be when we’re out and could show the property together.
