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“Good,” he said simply. “Wanna cut the cake, Sexy?”
“Heck yeah, I do!” she smiled.
While she loved the moments she shared on her wedding day with her family, this was just as wonderful and yet supremely different. The guys were dancing, acting up, and having a great time. The children were enjoying their snacks and occasionally you would see a finger covered in frosting where one of them had mauled the first layer of wedding cake.
She had anticipated it would bother someone that the children were sticking their fingers in the frosting, but when she saw Austin kneel down near Betsy and Luke who were looking very unsure of themselves - and a little guilty – she found herself marveling at the man, she’d married once more.
He had a beautiful heart… and it showed. She wondered if someone had taken him aside when he was a boy, treating him tenderly at some point before he’d been in and out of foster homes.
She hoped so.
“Watch me,” Austin said, conspiring with the two small children. “Take your finger and make it look like a candy cane, like this.” He held up his index finger and curled it. “Now, it makes God’s perfect little scooper for sneaking a treat… see?”
Austin stuck his finger along the base of the cake and scooped up a flower made of frosting, grinned at the children’s amazed faces, and proceeded to teach them how to curl their fingers the ‘right way’ helping them pick at the wedding cake.
She glanced over to see Delilah and Armadillo smiling lovingly – and saw Firefly put his arm around Melody’s shoulders, watching the scene, and smiling proudly at his best friend.
Thumper was standing beside Harley, holding their daughter. Alpo and Glory were seated beside each other, each holding a child in their laps, feeding them bottles as they sprawled casually across mommy and daddy with such adoration on their innocent faces.
They were a family just as much as her own – and it showed. They left no one out, caring for everyone, from the smallest babe… to the biggest Flyboy.
Austin looked up at her and whispered loudly to the children.
“Isn’t she the prettiest bit of sweetness you’ve ever seen?” he said tenderly. “She is so special, just like these frosting flowers… Don’t you agree?”
Betsy and Luke nodded with wide eyes, still looking disbelieving that they weren’t getting in trouble for sneaking the cake.
“Austin? Do you think maybe we can have a few magical pixies help us cut the cake – all together?”
He smiled brilliantly at her – before looking at the children where he was kneeling.
“Did you hear that? My queen wants some help cutting the cake… Do you think you could help us?” he asked, sounding almost childlike.
Austin had so much love to give and just wanted to be a part of a home, a family, a world where he felt secure… that it was breathtakingly beautiful to behold.
She bit her lip realizing suddenly that he would be an incredible father someday to their children - and she couldn’t wait. She could see this clearly in their future… and it was priceless.
Austin stood up, scooping Betsy up in his arms and holding out his hand to Luke as he met Giselle’s eyes. A look passed between them, and she knew in that moment that this was the place that they were meant to be.
She wanted to be a part of this world, this family, with her own family close enough to reach. They could hop in a plane every weekend if he worked at Flyboys, and they built their lives together… which surprised her because she had always thought she would serve her time in the Army.
No more.
She was now imagining a much greater victory than one she ever anticipated… and even more thrilling.
Pulling up two folded chairs, Austin set Betsy down carefully and Luke scrambled up in the chair beside her. Both of them carefully ‘spotted’ the children to make sure they didn’t fall.
“Okay team,” Austin said quietly, his eyes scanning the room and grinning as he met their eyes watching them. Melody was filming on her phone while Delilah was taking photos.
I’m going to hang one in our hallway someday,she vowed silently.
“… Now, we have to take it slow and be careful because knives are dangerous – and it will take all four of us to cut the cake,” Austin began, smiling at her. “Luke and Betsy, you put your hands there… and my love?” he said simply, taking her hand in his and placing it above the children’s sticky fingers, smiling at her.
His own finger was stained with food coloring where he’d scooped up the blue rose. She began to chuckle, seeing it, and looking at his warm eyes that were crinkled at the corner as he smiled at her.
This was happiness… sharing this joy with others and Austin gave as much as he could, holding back nothing. Delilah came over quickly with the camera, zooming in on the four hands and taking a photograph quickly.
A moment later, Austin kissed her cheek, whispering ‘I love you’ as he pressed gently with her, and the knife began to cut into the cake. He slipped into his roll once again…
