Page 89 of Wrath

“Stop with the sweet. I don’t know how to do the sweet.”

“Well, how’s this for sweet.” He cocked his brow and announced, “I want three.”

“Three?” I repeated. “Three what?”

“Three kids. Two boys and a girl.”

“Ummm, okay.” I studied him for a moment, then asked, “That party full of kids didn’t scare you a little?”

“Hell, yeah. But our kids won’t act like that.”

“And what makes you say that?”

“Because they’ll be ours.”

“Oh, okay.” I couldn’t help but giggle. “So, when do you want these kids of yours?”

He looked down at me with a serious expression. “Soon. Like I said, I’ve waited a long time. I don’t want to wait anymore.”

His word warmed my heart, and I had absolutely no reservations as I told him, “Then, we won’t wait.”

“You’re an amazing woman, Mia. I really do love you.”

“And I love you.”

Epilogue

Ten Months Later

“You sonofabitch!

I can’t believe you talked me into this.

You’re never going to touch me again!

I want it out! Get. It. Out!”

That was how my day started.

My beautiful wife was in labor and in dire need of an epidural.

Thankfully, it ended on a much better note.

I was now in the hospital room, stuffed in a chair that was too fucking small, but I didn’t care. I was rocking my beautiful daughter, Rosalie, and oh my, she was something. She had her mother’s dark eyes and button nose and my temperament. She’d been crying since the moment she was born, pissed that she’d been forced into a world she wasn’t quite ready for.

We’d tried everything to settle her down.

Mia had tried feeding her, Stitch walked her around the room for over an hour, and the nurses tried changing her numerous times. The only thing that stopped her incessant wailing was being nestled up in the crook of my arm in this tiny rocking chair.

I was good with it.

I would hold my daughter until the end of time.

Mia’s voice sounded like it was getting stronger as she asked, “How’s she doing?”

“Couldn’t be better.” I wanted to go over to her, but I was afraid to move. “How ‘bout you?”

“Much better. My nap did wonders.” Mia glanced around the room, and when she found it empty, she asked, “Where did everybody go?”

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