Narrates Riley:
Our little Tyler gets bigger every day, and I watch him completely in love as he smiles at me. I love him so much, just like Lucas. We're both giving him all the love we have to give. Despite the circumstances, he is a gift that came into our lives.
Lucas is at work, but he sends me a message saying that he's on his way and bringing a gift for Tyler. He has become a compulsive shopper since our son arrived. I approach Ty, a nickname I have for him, lift him up in my arms, and then the doorbell rings.
I walk while talking to the little one, using a funny voice to tell him that his dad is bringing him a gift. I open the door with him in my arms, smiling, but the smile fades when I see who's at the door, looking at me with a surprised expression upon seeing me with a baby in my arms.
"What are you doing here?" I ask in a low voice, trying to find a way to remain calm for my son.
"Your father needs you," he says with a broken voice.
"Hahaha, how funny of you to come and say that" I begin to say, but I stop myself.
My son doesn't need to know what's going on. I look at him again and smile. Then I remember my mother, the one who, if I feel like I have one, is in the backyard taking care of her plants.
"Mama!" I shout for her to come and take care of Tyler.
I hear a gasp of surprise, and it's my biological mother who makes it when she hears me calling someone else "mom." My mother at heart, seeing me tense up, takes Ty, and brings him to the kitchen.
I leave the house and close the door, placing my hands on my hips, annoyed by her audacity to come looking for me because my supposed father needs me. Ha! I don't have a father.
"You're wasting your time. We have nothing to talk about, and I don't have a father," I say, irritated.
"He's sick and needs a kidney..." I hear her say in a low voice, almost a whisper. "We are your parents, so it's not a question, it's your obligation."
"That will never happen," I reply calmly. "As I told you, you are nobody in my life, and your husband is nobody too. The day I left your house, I ceased to be part of your family, so you're just wasting your time by coming here."
Just then, I see Lucas parking the car and approaching with a smile and a toy. However, his smile fades when he sees the woman who claims to be my mother.
"I'm here now," he says, taking my waist and kissing my forehead.
The woman in front of me is even more surprised to see me with Lucas. She takes a step back and says, annoyed and offended:
"I can't believe that after all we did to prevent you from ruining your life with this guy who had no future, you ended up with him, raising a child who, just by looking at him, I realized isn't your real son." Her words are filled with hatred.
I approach and raise my hand to slap her. She has no right to come and say those things about any of my men. Lucas gently takes hold of my wrist and stops me. This man is too good for his own good.
"I kindly request that you leave our house and never come near us again. If you do, I will speak to a lawyer and sue you under any pretext. I will find a way to keep you away from our family. You are not a good person, and you don't deserve a daughter like Riley. Go back where you came from because you won't find anything here," he says politely.
I notice the tension in Lucas' body. I know him well enough to know that he's holding back from saying what he really wants. The woman shakes her head and places a hand on her chest, indignant at Lucas' words. That's when the little composure I had left disappears.
"Just go away and never come back! I don't know you, and I won't help you in any way," I shout, losing my patience.
I watch as that woman walks away and gets into a waiting car. She probably thought that if she came back to find me, I would run into her arms for the money they have. But they don't know me, and they never will. Sometimes the family we're born into isn't the right one, it doesn't do us any good, and that's the case for me. The people who brought me into this world are not capable of being parents, fortunately I don't have siblings.
I try to calm my breathing as I feel Lucas embracing me. I rest my head on his neck, inhaling his scent, which sometimes serves as my place of calm, my home, where I always want to be.
When we both feel calmer, we enter the room with a smile where my mom is with Ty. Lucas hands her his gift, and when she sees a set of small balls, she starts throwing them around. Seeing him happy is our only goal in life. At least for now, when we only have one.
Six months later...
Mason narrates:
It's been a few months; Maia is getting bigger every day as are Tyler and Lena. Ethan and I are goofy with our girls, Lucas adores his little boy and the three of us when we are with them turn to jelly with the things they do.
Sarah, Riley, and Paige had a girl’s day today. Something that was my and Lucas' idea. The truth is we planned for almost three months for this, luckily, we had Sarah and Ethan's help.
My mom could not be left behind and is the one who organized everything we want to do, she is very excited with the idea, so we have not left her alone with Paige and Riley, as sometimes she tends to be a little indiscreet with surprises.
After talking for months, yes as you read, months complaining about just being Paige's boyfriend, Lucas found me right. So, we both have decided to ask both girls to become our wives, something we don't know how they are going to take and that has us nervous.
Sarah is with them at the spa while my mother, after organizing everything, took the children with the girls she hired to help her with that. Now we're in Ethan's office, looking at him expectantly. He told us he had something to say, but he hasn't spoken yet.
"Come on, man, we're already nervous about what we want to do, and you're not helping with your silence after saying you have something to tell us," I anxiously complain.
"I've decided to ask Sarah to be my wife again, for the second time. She's so excited about the idea that when we were organizing everything, I paid attention to the details, like the dress she kept looking at, so I bought it, along with other things," he says nervously.
"Wow, man, that's fantastic! I'm sure Sarah will be happy to accept you as her husband again," Lucas responds, pleased for our friend.
"What can I say? You know she's perfect for you, and you're lucky to have her in your life. I've always told you that. Now we'll have a triple wedding," I say, laughing.
What Paige and Riley don't know is that we have everything ready for the wedding when they arrive, assuming they accept the proposal. Sarah will be responsible for taking them to the restaurant, which is also a hotel, where we have the banquet hall and the pool area all set and decorated for the wedding. The timing is arranged to coincide with the sunset, so that the sunset becomes an everlasting memory for us.
Sarah, along with my mother and Riley's mother, organized all the details since they are best friends and know everyone's preferences. I believe we have the perfect wedding for all of us. Although Sarah is part of this, she doesn't realize that she is also a part of it, that she has her dress alongside the girls' dresses, and that she will also be marrying Ethan again.
I look at the time, nervous because they haven't arrived at the restaurant yet. Seeing Lucas and me getting anxious, Ethan takes out his phone and calls Sarah, using the excuse of checking up on her and telling her to take care. I hear him mention something about going to grab a bite to eat with the girls, and that makes my body tremble and my heart race.
At the restaurant, only the closest people are present. I invited my in-laws, but they aren't the best parents in the world, and they told me they were about to embark on a world cruise, which prevented them from coming. My mother is sitting at a table with all the children and the helpers she has for each one, and Riley's mother is also there. At another table are Sarah's and Ethan's parents. Although my relationship with them is not as close as with my mother, they are here, not as my in-laws.
I see the three of them enter, laughing at something Sarah said. When they notice that it's just us and our families, they look puzzled at our accomplice, who doesn't have a chance to say anything as Ethan approaches her, takes her hand, and kneels down. Seeing this, Paige and Riley are overcome with happiness for their friend. Lucas steps forward and does the same, just like me.
“Sarah, I have told you every day about how much I love you and I will always be grateful to have you in my life. I believe that marriage is just a document that records the love we have for each other and the desire to stay together for our entire lives. It's not enough for me to marry you just once; you are the perfect woman for me and always will be. Will you accept to be my wife again?" Ethan asks, taking out the ring from his pocket.
My friend nods with her hands covering her mouth, surprised by the proposal. Everyone applauds for the first "yes" of the night. Lucas clears his throat and begins to speak.
“Riley, from the moment I met you, I knew I wanted to share my life with you. Although fate and misunderstandings have kept us apart for several years, now that I have you back in my life, I don't want to let you go. We are a family, and I want it to keep growing over the years until we become old and remember the beautiful life we built together. If destiny has brought us back together, who are we to deny being together forever? I love you, and I want you to be my life partner. Will you accept?" Lucas asks as Riley kneels in front of him.
“In my heart, you have always been the one, the only one who has entered and no one else can. Except for our Ty and the children that may come in the future. Of course, I accept," she says, kissing him, and once again, everyone applauds.
Two out of three, my heart is about to jump out of my throat with the nerves I feel. I love Paige, and I have made mistakes, many mistakes, that even when I remember them, I want to hit myself for being so foolish.
“Paige, I know our relationship didn't start in the best way. We had to learn to live together and get to know each other at the same time. In addition to that, I was a complete idiot for not realizing what I felt as our marriage progressed, and I was also a coward for not knowing how to fight for the love I feel for you earlier. I believe that despite our imperfect story, we can make it unforgettable. Our love has overcome many barriers, some that no one would imagine. I love you like I've never loved before, and I never loved anyone before I met you. I thought I knew what love was, but it wasn't true. You are the light of my life, the perfect partner, and the ideal mother. You shine wherever you appear, and I will make sure that this brightness you have continues to grow and never fades because it's something that makes you unique and special. I want to share my life with you, I want to see our daughter grow up by your side, and if you want, I want to expand our family. I want to be your dawn and your dusk, to be your punching bag when you're feeling down, your support when you need it, your best friend to celebrate your victories, and your anchor when you feel like you can't go on and you're sinking for some reason. I will be the one to keep you safe from everything and make you laugh when you're sad, the one to give you a massage when you're tired. I want to be whatever you want me to be, but with you and by your side. Would you accept marrying me again?” I ask nervously as I see her deep in thought.
Paige smiles, takes my face in her hands, and leans closer to my lips to whisper,
“I accept” I embrace her and celebrate that she said yes.
Everyone gathers around to congratulate us, and my mother takes them all and leads them to a room where the dresses are kept. They were so focused on the words that they didn't realize that we are all ready for the wedding, except for them.