Page 83 of Love Me Again

“Another one?” Shayla sputters dumbfounded while she looks up at me, horrified. “Cole, she’s only two months old.”

“So?”

Shayla scowls at me. “So? It’s easy for you to say, you get to do all the fun parts of making a baby.” She quietly utters as she slips out of her dress. I observe her as I sit on the bed and gasp, feigning utter shock.

“Only me?” I grab her wrist and pull her to me. “Are you really going to stand there and tell me you didn’t enjoy every second of making her?” I question, looking up at her keenly while she stands between my legs. Shayla grins, biting her lip when I kiss the valley between her breasts. “It seems I’m not the only one who has lost their memory around here. You need some serious reminding just how much fun you had making our baby.” I groan, peeling her underwear down her shapely legs.

Shayla laughs and cups my face in her hand, and looks into my eyes. “I remember perfectly fine; thank you very much. Do you know what else I remember? The pain of pushing her out of me.” I wince, and she nods, kissing me chastely before she pulls away. “You’ll have to wait until she’s at least two years old before we have another.”

“Two?” I pout and look over at Alaia. I’ll knock her up way before then for sure. She wanted to wait a year after getting married to have Alaia, and I got her pregnant on our honeymoon. I grin, remembering the night we conceived her. By the time we got to bed, it was almost five in the morning, and we were both beat. We had a busy Christmas Day planned.

* * *

I wokeup the next morning alone in bed. I stretch and smile before I get up. The smell of food and the distinct sound of music coming from downstairs made me smile, so I pull on a pair of pyjama bottoms, and I walk into the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth before I make my way downstairs.

I hear laughter.

I see my Dad sitting on the sofa in the living room, smiling while he’s watching something. I walk to the kitchen and stop in the doorway, unable to contain the grin on my face. I see Shayla, my mother, and Shayla’s mother in the kitchen. They were all cooking, preparing the Christmas dinner. That’s not what got me grinning like an idiot, though. It was watching them dance while they cook. Sara—Shayla’s mother teaching my mother how to dance, and my mother was actually doing it and having fun. I’ve never seen my mother dance ever. She’s always so prim and proper.

I watch my wife dancing with our baby in her arms, who was smiling. It brought tears of joy to my eyes, watching them together so happy. I’m a lucky man. I can see where Shayla got her dancing from; her mother was an excellent dancer. “That’s some sight, huh?” I turn and look at my Dad, watching the women dancing joyfully together. I nod and look at my girls again. “The best thing you ever did was bringing that girl into our lives, son.” He says, watching my mother lovingly.

I sigh longingly and smile. “Oh, I know. Even if I fail at everything for the rest of my life, they will always be the one thing I did right.” I declare, and he smiles proudly and slaps my back. “What do you say we go and join our girls?” I grin, and my father nods as we walk into the kitchen.

“Hey! Is this a girl's party only, or are men allowed too?” My Dad asks, walking over to my mother, who beams at him and goes beet red. I walk over to Shayla, who beams up at me as I approach her.

“Good morning, love of my life.” She greets me.

“Morning, light of my life,” I murmur, kissing her soft lips. I pull back and look at Alaia. “Good morning to you too, Princesa.” I chuckle when she smiles at me, and I kiss her cheek. I wrap my arm around Shayla, and we dance together, swaying to the music. “I remember this song. It’s the one you were dancing with Josh to at the place with the street food.” I murmur in her ear, and she laughs, nodding. “You were going to make me kill a man that night, you little minx.” I chuckle when Shayla turns and faces me.

“Serves you right. You should have picked me from the beginning then, shouldn’t you.” I chuckle and kiss her.

“You’re making me loco, bebé,” I growl in her ear, and she flushes swaying to the song. “Think I can steal you away for a little bit?” I ask, twitching my brows at her, and she widens her eyes and shakes her head.

“No bebé, I have too much to do before dinner.” I pout, and she peers up at me lovingly. “Why don’t you take your daughter and spend some time with her while we cook. You can have me all to yourself later.” She suggests looking at Alaia, who places her hand on my face.

I smile and kiss Alaia’s fingers and press them over Shayla’s heart, and she melts. “Stop. That’s the sweetest thing ever. What are you doing to me.” She pouts a little, and I grin, kissing her softly.

“Merry Christmas!” We all jump when Aimee suddenly appears and exclaims excitedly. “Hold on. You guys are having a party without me?!” She walks into the kitchen with Josh, followed by Jo and Sam. Thus, began the best Christmas Day I have ever had. I look around the kitchen; everyone was so cheerful, dancing together, cooking, and laughing. There was so much love in the room, and it was all because of one person—Shayla Hart.

She has brought so much love into my life and the lives of the people I love most. I turn my gaze to hers, and she does the same, smiling up at me beautifully. “I’m so in love with you,” I declare, pressing my forehead to hers, and she smiles, biting her bottom lip.

“Say it again, baby.” She whispers.

“I’m so in love with you, baby.”

Shayla smiles, holding my gaze. “I’m so in love with you, bebé.” While others were dancing around us in the middle of our kitchen, we stood there kissing and whispering to one another until, of course, in true Shayla and Cole fashion Sam drags her away from me, and they start dancing with their mother. I made a mental note to take them all to that place by the river after the new year.

I dance with my daughter, who beams at me just like her mother, and I fall in love over again.

How did I get so damn fortunate?

After all the dancing was done, the girls kicked us, boys, out of the kitchen while busy preparing the food. I sat on the living room floor, Alaia in my arms with Josh, Sam, and my Dad watching the grinch.

“I can’t believe you got your memory back bro, that’s fucking amazing,” Josh says cheerfully, and we fist bump.

“We’re thrilled to have you back, brother. Shayla’s been beside herself; it’s nice to see her so happy again.” Sam says, glancing over at his baby sister, laughing hysterically at something Aimee was telling her. “Jo and I have some news also.” He says, and I look up at him intrigued, and he looks at Alaia smiling.

“She’s pregnant,” I say, grinning, and he nods, gleaming.

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