AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Dallas pulled back. “Ooh, yeah. Let’s do that!”
Then they were gone in a blur of whirling arms and prepubescent laughter, racing up the driveway.
I rolled down the window and stuck my head out. “Nothing illegal!”
Both spun and gave us an identical thumbs-up, causing us to laugh.
Marigold sighed. “When did they get so big? I feel like we should still be neck deep in diapers and watching Sesame Street.”
My chest ached at the thought, but I breathed through it, soaking in the bittersweet pain. Sometimes I missed those days. The boys were so cute, all rosy cheeks and chubby thighs, toddling around our old house in diapers, their faces always smeared with some kind of mess.
But those had been the hardest days for Marigold and me. It was when reality had really hit me. We were parents, and we were responsible for the well-being of these perfect tiny humans. When it hit me that I was solely responsible for providing for my family. So I buckled down at work, pushing for the next raise, the next promotion. Any way to provide the life we’d always dreamed of.
It had been on me to make it come true: a big backyard for the kids to play in, the SUV to fit multiple car seats, the updated house with enough space for all of us, plus room to breathe and space to have my siblings over. That had been our dream from day one. The dream I’d promised Marigold.
“I like this age. A lot, actually.” I laughed, watching the boys climb over the gate instead of simply opening it. “The other day, Dallas told me I was a stand-up guy. It was so bizarre to hear my kid talk like that, but it was maybe the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”
Marigold sniffled a laugh, and her eyes brimmed with tears, but she dabbed them away with the backs of her fingers in an attempt to hide it.
The watery smile she gave me might as well have been a silent plea to kiss her tears away. “Do you ever wonder how they turned out so great?”
I shook my head and twisted so I was looking at her head-on. “Not even a little. Look at you.” I dipped my chin and grasped her hand, lacing our fingers together. “How could they not be amazing when you’re the one raising them?”
“Jeez, you’re not helping me here.” She tugged free of my hold and buried her face in her hands, shoulders shaking.
Palm flat on her back, I rubbed soothing circles. “Come on. Let’s go in before my mom thinks we’re out here making another one.”
She barked out a wobbly laugh as she wiped away any evidence of sadness on her face. Then, with a nod, she reached for her door handle.
Stepping inside my parents’ house on family dinner nights was like visiting extended family for the holidays for most people. Rich spices clung to the air, and a cacophony of voices sounded throughout the structure. Our boys would be darting between people. There was always some kind of sports game on the TV, and Mom would have an oldies playlist going in the kitchen. It was the most perfect mix of chaos.
Except when I opened the back door and ushered Marigold in ahead of me, the place went dead silent. Even the TV went mute. Calla had the remote aloft, pointing it at her mouth rather than the TV for reasons unknown. Beside her, Nathan blinked at us. Adam and Luke were frozen in the middle of the living room, both holding storage boxes Mom had probably sent them to retrieve from the attic. Crew had a roll half-shoved in his mouth. Layla and my mom had their mouths hanging open, as if they’d paused mid-conversation. I was pretty sure a tumbleweed rolled across the living room.
Heart lurching in my chest, I cleared my throat. “Jeez. What’s wrong with you guys?”
It was a dumb question. Marigold and I had walked into the kitchen at the same time. I’d dropped her hand before opening the door, but somehow, they all knew. Marigold allowing me to be alone with her in my car was enough to show my family that our relationship had shifted. My family knew it. Our friends did too. She was the only one who was still blind to us. But it wouldn’t stay like that for long if I had a say in the matter.
Mom, flour sprinkled on one cheek, wiped her hands on her apron. She shuffled past all the frozen bodies and enveloped Marigold in a hug. “I’m so glad you’re here.” Pulling back, she held her at arm’s length and assessed her, then planted a kiss on her cheek. Then she moved on to me.
Marigold cut a look at me, raising a brow. “Me…too?”
Calla shoved the TV remote into Nathan’s chest. “Hey, Mari girl. Will you help me pick some wildflowers for the table?”
Layla rounded the island. “Ooh, me too!”
Marigold frowned and wrung her hands, the brace getting in the way. But my sister and my sister-in-law rushed her out the back door and down to the wildflowers my mom had planted near the shop. She wandered through the grass between the two other women, her hips swaying in a way I’d memorized long ago. One strap of her dress slipped, exposing the soft skin of her shoulder. In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to dart through that door, chase her down, and plant tiny kisses along that strip of skin.
Forcing my eyes away, I turned to my brothers, who were all gaping at me. In that moment, there was no denying the Wells genes. Their jaws all hung in an identical way, and each had the same crease between their brows.
“What?” I shrugged, even though I knew what was coming.
“If you get married again before I do, I’m going to be pissed,” Crew mumbled.
A snort escaped me, even as my heart skittered in my chest. “What makes you say that?”
“Probably the way you and Marigold came walking in here like you’d never been apart,” Nathan said, bringing his glass to his lips.
I scanned the room, regarding every person who was watching me, waiting for me to argue against that statement.
