Page 116 of Chosen Road

She glanced up at me quickly. “What? Why?”

“So, I can remember.”

Two hours later, when Gus and Vander rolled in with the boys, bringing all their delicious testosterone with them, we were ready.

Gus put the leaf in the table and brought the extra chairs up from the basement.

Yiayia monitored everybody’s plates, but Ruby and I carefully intervened when she pressured Minty, and there were enough people there that her attention never stayed on one person for long.

After dinner, the boys went down to the basement, Yiayia placed the cupcakes on plates, and Gus and Vander stretched out on the couches to watch tv. For the first time that day, the pain Vander was carrying became visible. Gus grabbed him a beer and worked to pull out the splinter of guilt Vander carried. My girls and I snuck upstairs to watch the videos of Ruby.

There were people on every floor.

My house was full.

As was my life.

Gus

She looked happy, happier than I’d seen her in a long time.

She cast a sneaky look around the room, and then motioned for her girls to follow her up the stairs. I grinned, wondering if she was still looking for her toys. She wouldn’t find them until I wanted her to.

The boys played with the Lego in the basement.

Yiayia hummed as she shuffled around the kitchen, putting cupcakes and chocolates on dessert plates one-handed.

Vander stretched out opposite me as we discussed the game and the day with the boys, as well as plans for next weekend. And a bit about George.

I promised him we’d all be close by for George, be his family, work with him to get George through to the other side.

Every floor of the house was populated.

Noise and chatter carried from every corner.

Not one iota of peace and quiet to be found anywhere.

Thank, God.

Later, much later, when the house was again quiet but not at all lonely, I passed Amber the box I hid in a feta cheese bucket in the garage for the past month, hoping against hope I’d get the opportunity to give it to her.

“It’s too much!” She cried, but she slipped it on her finger immediately.

I pretended to take it off her finger. “I can take it back if you don’t want it?”

She snatched her hand back, laughing, as I firmly pushed her back onto the bed.

“Maybe buy you something more practical?” I suggested as I kissed her, and she hummed as I settled between her thighs, grasped her behind her knee, and ran my hand down to her bare foot. “Like some more fucking shoes perhaps?”

“Shoes are over-rated,” she snickered.

“So are clothes,” I retorted.

She laughed and held her hand up to look at her new bauble. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”

Her face glowed with happiness and my heart lifted. “It’s an eternity band. Because a lifetime with you could never be enough.”

Chapter 38: Decide

---