Page 58 of Remembering You
Epilogue
Amonth later…
Beep, beep, beep…
The moving truck made the most heinous noise as it backed down her dirt drive way. Marty stood outside of her front door, hugging her arms into her body, as Chris and Cam navigated the small trailer toward her garage.
Steve sidled up next to her, cradling Lio in his arms while Ronnie was inside, sitting in her childhood bedroom nursing Hugh. Lex was in the yard, chasing after Olivia as she attempted to build a snowman with the couple inches of snow and ice that hadn’t yet melted.
“Big step today, huh?”
Marty inhaled a deep breath of the crisp air. Even in March, it was still quite cold. And yet, there was the edge of warmth. The sun, beating down, despite the thirty-something degrees. The promise of an impending spring. She nodded, closing her eyes as the heat of the sun kissed her cheeks. “Almost two decades since I’ve lived with a man,” she whispered. The words were so soft, she was surprised that Steve heard them fully.
Steve chuckled to himself, shaking his head.
Well, that wasn’t the reaction Marty expected. Eyes wide, she glanced at him. “What?” she challenged. “What’s so funny?”
“Before you mentioned the two-decades thing, I was about to say you move fast, Ma. Because you and Chris have only been dating a month. But nineteen years is anything but fast.”
She chuckled at that, too. He was right… she was an anomaly. Somehow, it managed to be both fast and painstakingly slow, all at once. Marty shrugged, biting her lip as she watched Chris park the trailer and hop out of the truck. His gait was strong, confident with a swagger to his narrow hips. A bit of melting snow from the treetops landed on top of his dark hair and he laughed, looking upwards at the tree.
“When it’s right, I move fast,” Marty said. “You father and I were married within four months of meeting.”
A second car turned down the driveway, pulling in beside the moving truck. From behind the windshield, Marty could make out the profiles of two young men and her heart, which had been behaving so well up until that moment, pounded in her chest.
She blew out a slow breath and Steve nudged her gently with an elbow. “Relax,” he whispered. “You’re going to be fine. They’re going to love you.”
Two young men who looked alarmingly similar to Chris stepped out of the car.
Marty plastered a smile on her face, crossing the driveway toward them. Chris was the first to greet her with a quick kiss, before he took her hand and brought her over. “Marty, these are my boys. Meet Ryan and Cole.”
The boys—Chris’s mini-men—beamed back at her and took her hand in firm handshakes.
“So you’re the reason why our Dad’s been smiling nonstop the last month,” Cole said, stuffing his hands into his pockets and rolling back on his heels.
Marty shrugged. “That’s me, I guess.”
Ryan laughed. “Seriously, it’s sickening how happy he’s been lately. Where’s our grumpy old man?” The oldest son, playfully smacked the back of his hand to his dad’s shoulder and Chris rolled his eyes in response.
“I’d act embarrassed, but this isn’t any new information for Marty.” He sent a wink in her direction that was so fast, she might have missed it had she not been paying attention. “She knows I’m head over heels for her.”
Marty made the introductions to her kids that were there—Cam, Lydia, Maddie, Lex, Steve, Yvonne, and Olivia. “My daughters will be joining us soon—but they’re around here somewhere.”
“They’re trying to get out of the hard work, aren’t they?” Cole said with a grin. “Can’t say I blame them. I would too, except I was promised pizza and beer after we move Dad’s stuff inside.” Cole clapped his hands together before sliding gloves on.
Ryan shook his head and with a fleeting glance at Marty, he rolled his eyes. “Don’t mind him. He thinks with every body part but his brain. Today, apparently, it’s his stomach he’s thinking with.”
“Well lucky for everyone, I have a ton of appetizers and beer and wine inside. And pizzas are on the way.”
There was collective cheering as everyone made their way toward the truck to start grabbing boxes. Steve slid baby Lio into her arms and the one month old stretched against the tight swaddle.
Marty stood back a moment, watching their families colliding. The way Chris’s sons and her kids were already laughing and flinging jokes back and forth. Moisture brimmed in her eyes at the sight. She never thought this would be her life again. Never believed that lightning could strike twice despite how many times people told her to get back out there in the dating scene.
“Uh-oh,” Chris said, concern creasing his brows. “You’re thinking. Are youover-thinking?”
Marty shook her head, smiling up at Chris. “Not over-thinking. Just… taking it all in.” In a blink, the tears were gone and Marty smiled up at her boyfriend. Her boyfriend. As a fifty-something woman, it felt ridiculous calling him that. Live-in boyfriend? Partner? Crap.Nowshe was over-thinking things. “I thought you said you only had a few things,” she teased, inclining her chin at the moving van. “Looks like you brought all of Boston with you.”
“Just wait until the other three trucks arrive,” he said, giving it right back to her. She loved that about him. Loved that he could give it as well as he could take it.
