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“And he’ll have help if it comes to it,” Richard stated, moving up next to him with Natasha in his arms, handing her back to Justine before he gave her a tight hug, kissing the top of her head. “I’d suggest you leave before I forget we’re in a church, Grant.”
“We’re going home,” his dad said furiously towards his mom, but she shook her head no at him, moving over to them and wrapped her arms around both Hailey and Justine, holding the back of their heads for a long moment.
“I’m staying with my family. You’ll be lucky to remain part of it,” his mom replied, and Tyler let out a hint of a smile as his dad stormed out leaving them in peace for the moment as the rest of the family just stared on at them in total disbelief. “Thank you for helping my girls and loving my boy so much his heart mattered more to you than yours.”
“It’s always been hers, but thankfully, hers has always been mine and love always wins, doesn’t it, babydoll?” he said, lifting her chin his way, wiping away the tears on her cheeks.
“Always,” she said with a little smile his way.
“You never said a word about it. I don’t understand it,” Valerie said, pulling their attention over to her and Justine sniffed a bit, leaning into his hand before answering her.
“I knew you or at least Dad would argue my decision if you knew beforehand. You’d have made sure they found out and I was positive Grant would refuse. I’d heard him and Barb talking about how necessary the transplant was, that it needed to happen soon, and I didn’t want to fight about it with anyone. Afterwards, I was too raw emotionally. The pain from the surgery didn’t hurt nearly as much as being away from Tyler, but I couldn’t tell any of that to you without you learning about us, and then they’d learn about where the kidney came from, and I didn’t know what Grant would do. If I’d come back after my first year in college, nothing would have kept me from Tyler, and it all would have come tumbling out, so I stayed away. Kept the secret until I just couldn’t live a fake life anymore. Undercover work was easy because I wasn’t me without him, nothing mattered. Not until I was finally back where I’ve always belonged…with him,” she said, turning towards him and he settled her and Natasha tighter against him, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
“You can’t fault her logic, can you?” he asked their parents still there.
“No,” Richard agreed. “I wouldn’t have let you do the surgery, and if you’d still insisted, I’d have told Grant the kidney they needed belonged to you back then.”
“And Grant would have never allowed it,” his mom said as she hugged Hailey to her side. “I’d have said yes in a heartbeat, but…”
“Stubborn pride,” Isabelle stated pulling chuckles from the others nearby.
“Well, I don’t know about anyone else, but I could use some celebrating right about now. What do you say we head back to your house a little early?” her mom suggested, and the group agreed with ease, letting him relax once they were home, Justine wrapped up against his chest while Natasha napped with her belly full once more.
“I love you so much, honey-bae,” Justine said, soothing the last edges of his heart, and he rested his face against hers, pressing kisses everywhere he could reach.
“I love you more, babydoll,” he countered, and she lifted her face, her brow rising a hint, and he grinned, stealing her lips entirely in a long, slow kiss.
“Do not,” she teased pulling back a bit making him grunt.
“Do too,” he said, kissing his way down her neck, until he reached the edge of her top and he made his way back up the other side.
“Do not,” she sighed as he whispered his lips over hers.
“How about we love each other the same then? I’m just a bit more selfish with my love than you are, never wanting to have to give it up,” he added making her smile.
“That’s okay because I’ve decided to be selfish with mine too, and it’s all yours honey-bae. Yours and our baby girl’s,” she stated and that was something he’d never argue. Not in a million years.
Epilogue
The sun beat down over them, but no one cared as Natasha flitted around the groups, earning hugs and praise and birthday wishes. Justine smiled, watching her sweet girl soak up all the attention.
Strong arms wrapped around her middle, and she sighed happily as they rested under her belly, supporting it a bit more. “Mmm, that feels so good, honey-bae.”
“That’s because my boy is going to be big unlike his big sisters,” Tyler said, kissing her cheek as they glanced towards where Hailey and Isabelle had their second daughter Carissa Noelle with them. She was born a week before Christmas two and a half years ago while Justine was due in a few weeks with their little boy. Their third and last. She’d enjoy having more with Tyler, but this pregnancy had been harder on her body than the girls’ were and none of them wanted to risk her health and future for another baby, no matter how much they might adore another one.
“Still a house divided isn’t it?” Justine mused glancing around the backyard again as Natasha gave her sister kisses along with hers aunts before slipping over to another group of Crawfords.
“I’d say this is progress, babydoll. I mean, most of them are actually here, at our house, in the same space and they’re not fighting. The only other place that happens is at church,” he stated making her grin, because that was true. Even his father was there, something that’d only started happening last year after the twins didn’t invite him to their college graduations.
He and Barb were still together—barely—but she didn’t speak about their kids unless they gave her permission to tell their father what was happening in their lives. Seems Grant never thought his kids would really turn on him, but that day when the whole story had come out, changed everyone.
Her family had calmed their side of the feud, other than in relation to Grant, and the Anderson family accepted her completely, while forgiving her for being a Crawford. There were still some definite rough patches with them over the years, but Natasha and Carissa definitely helped smooth them out.
“How are you feeling?” Angela asked as she and Daniel joined them, their second baby, a little girl that was now ten months old in his arms.
“Huge, I blame him. This boy definitely takes after the Anderson men,” she said making him laugh and her brow rose a hint. “What?”
“Hate to break it to you babydoll, because most men don’t like to admit when someone beats them at something, but your brothers are both taller than I am,” he teased giving her a long, lingering kiss that was broken by a childish squeal they knew well.
