Page 35 of Make You Keep Me

Colton pauses, and when I turn to see the expression on his face, my heart melts.

“You—you gave him my middle name?”

“Even when I was far away, you all were with me,” I say, a small tilt to my lips.

He brings our joined hands together and kisses the back of mine. “You too, Em…you too.”

* * *

Kiran’s gigglesfill the air as he’s chased around by his uncle. “Tin!” he squeals as he gets lifted into the air above Colton’s head.

He’s a big fan of his Uncle “Tin,” just like I knew he would be. They’re like two peas in a pod. One hasn’t strayed too far from the other from the moment Colton walked through his bedroom door.

Isla is in her glory, having us all at her house tonight. She’s making us baked spaghetti, and I couldn’t be more excited to eat her delicious food.

Nox and I are sitting on the patio while we watch them with big smiles on our faces. It feels so good to be able to enjoy this… Thisfamilytime. Not sure if I'll ever get used to that, the fact that I have afamily. And when Jade arrives, we will be adding two more to our tight-knit circle. Everyone is going to love her and Willow. I can’t wait for them to get here.

Dinner is fantastic, as always, and I don’t know if I can move after gorging myself on a full second helping.

“I'm going to regret that second plate tomorrow at training,” I moan, as we all sit around the dinner table. That earns me a collective chuckle from the group.

“How long have you been back at training?” Colton asks, shoving what I think might be the contents of his third plate into his mouth.

“After I had Kiran, my doctor cleared me for physical activity, and I found a local MMA gym. It was a decent spot, nothing like Lights Out, of course, but it served its purpose.”

“I'm sure Gunnar will be proud to hear that.” Nox smirks.

“So, did you just train, or did you work there too?” Colton asks.

“Both, actually. I trained and also taught some classes… I’ll have to see if I can do something similar up here. I got my GED while I was down there and took online courses for a personal training certification.”

I can see Nox beaming with pride in my peripheral, and I smile back. I am proud of what I've accomplished from the shit hand I was dealt in life. But I think becoming a mother, my dedication to the gym, and going to a support group after Tommy’s attack helped me move forward from my past. I’ve had my days, and the occasional nightmares, but I am a survivor. And I have been my whole life.

“That’s amazing, Em. I'm sure you’ll find something here too,” Colton chimes in.

“Oh, yes. I'm sure Lights Out would love to have you there. You would be an amazing addition to the gym. Also, having female personal trainers on their roster is something Gunnar has always talked about,” Isla boasts.

Nox eyes her suspiciously, and I can see a faint blush creep onto her cheeks. Hmm, I’ll have to dig into that a little more another time.

Isla’s phone rings at the same time I excuse myself to the bathroom. Kiran’s happy sitting on Nox’s lap, so I figure it’s the perfect opportunity.

When I return to the table, the boys are in a heated discussion with a worried-looking Isla.

“I swear if that fu—frickin’ man doesn’t sign, I’m going to find out exactly what dark hole he’s hiding in and force his hand to the paper,” Nox growls through gritted teeth.

“He hasn’t signed yet? I thought this was done a while ago...” Colton asks.

I sit down at the table and try to place the bits and pieces together. Looking to Isla, she releases a heavy, defeated sigh. “He hasn’t. Your father refuses to sign the divorce papers.”

“It's been two fu—frickin’ years,” Colton snarls.

“I know, trust me. I don’t know what else to do at this point. He doesn’t show up at his scheduled meetings, or just simply refuses. Thankfully, he doesn’t know my new address; otherwise, I'm sure he’d be showing up here like he used to at the valley house.”

“That’s ridiculous… How can he just not sign?” I say, bewildered. “Can you have him served?”

“I have. Twice now, and he still doesn’t show up to the court mandate. I have an upcoming meeting with my lawyer to see what else can be done…”

“Wow, Ma, I'm sorry. I didn’t realize,” Colton says, and I can see the distress taking over his face.

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