Sophie
(10 years later, June 18th)
I stood at my kitchen island, finishing the last touches on my baby's cupcakes. It was his birthday today, finally turning five years old.
After my twins were born, we git married, and it didn't go past two years before I was pregnant again with my beautiful baby girl. We decided to name her Ruth Abigail, after Logan's auntie. She was born close to my birthday on the 13th of November. After that, we went by for three more years until I became pregnant with my baby boy, Daniel, or Tarzan, as Logan likes to tease-call him, which by the way, we are naming him after his uncle, Daniel Halloway, who lives in California.
I found that until Logan came to Tennessee, his uncle was helping them out because his dad, Charles, had a hard time making ends meet. While his dad attended law school, Logan's mom and he lived with Daniel and his wife Layla in their pool house. Soon, Ashley came a long, and Charles graduated and got a job as a lawyer. They could afford to move out and buy their home here until his dad was transferred to Chicago.
Though Logan doesn't talk much about his uncle, he does keep in contact with him, calling him at least once a week. He's a very handsome man, and I see where Logan gets his good looks now. It's all from the Halloway side.
Riley says Danny looked just like his uncle when he was young. And his attitude is just like his and Logan's. Wild, crazy, daring, but so caring and loving. Around the time my baby was close to turning two, he loved taking off his clothes as he was still potty training.
He would run around the house butt-naked, yelling and giggling with his stuffed monkey. Hints- the reason why my handsome husband began calling him Tarzan. He is wild, crazy, and funny, but loving and kind, just like his uncle and my husband.
Believe me; Logan was just as crazy and annoying when we were kids. But, he was like an old soul in a tiny body. In other words, my son is his father in a smaller version.
Today, we celebrate his birthday.
I can't say that our marriage has been easy, but it certainly has been fun and so worth it. Like every relationship, we've had our ups and downs, but we have always stuck together, and every hardship has only brought us closer together.
Troy places his phone on my kitchen island top, right next to me, bringing me out of my trance.
"Soph...I have news," Troy says, startling me as he taps my shoulder. "Oh...spill, what's going on?" I respond as I smile at my best friend. He's been waiting on the big news that can alter the rest of his life and Dylan's.
He takes a long sigh and looks at Dylan, getting a big smile. "So, I uh..." he stutters, getting an eye roll from Dylan. The nervousness was getting the best of him.
Dylan places his hand on Troy's waist, pulling him against him and kissing his lips. He takes a step forward. "We got a phone call back from Joanna. She's going into labor in a few days," he says, biting his lip from nervousness.
"Ok..." I say, feeling nervous for the two of them.
Dylan and Troy exchanged looks before looking back at me. "And...she agreed to...give us the baby." he rushes his last words out, making my eyes widen in excitement. Troy and Dylan have been considering adopting a baby for a long time.
They met a young girl, Joanna, who became pregnant by her boyfriend at the time, but her financial circumstances and the fact she's still in high school made it difficult for her. On top of that, her boyfriend broke up with her when he found out she was pregnant. He wanted her to abort the baby, but she was scared, and who wouldn't?
Seeing herself alone and with no support from family but one friend ..the thought of abortion did begin to settle in, but she couldn't afford to have one. Of course, the dad wasn't willing to help finance this, despite this being his primary suggestion. He wanted nothing to do with her or the baby.
Joanna is a sweet girl. I tried helping her too. I know how it feels to be pregnant and alone. It took a lot for me to confess to my parents. Hell, I was almost five months along when I finally reached out to my parents from California and told them I was pregnant with Logan's baby.
Troy began volunteering at a therapy center where Dylan works as a doctor. This is where Joanna met Troy and Dylan and immediately hit it off. Logan asked them to bring her home to meet me, hoping I could help her since I was a young mom too. She is so sweet.
She won their hearts and ours. She's so quiet and humble, but she has gone through so much. She made a wrong decision by being with this boy, but she did, however, decide to give the baby a chance to live and was going to give him up for adoption. To a home where she knew he would be safe and loved.
Troy pitched her the idea of letting him and Dylan be the baby's fathers, but other families also wanted the baby, making her decisions harder. I am so happy to hear that she has decided on them.
"Really? This is amazing. Oh, I am so happy for you guys." I said as I hugged them. "God, I am so nervous. What if she changes her mind at the last minute? Oh, God, I... I'm so scared." Troy says as he covers his face with his hands. Dylan turns, hugging him tightly and kissing his forehead.
"Don't be. Everything will be just fine. Joanna loves you guys. She picked you because you have shown her how loving you are, and she knows you will take care of her baby. He'll be in safe arms with you guys." I reassure them.
My head turns as I hear a little giggle and my husband making funny noises.
He's holding our daughter on his shoulders, running carefully with his hands holding her back. Her hands held him tightly around his forehead.
"Faster, daddy, faster," she says, giggling away. She is such a daddy's girl. She and Logan are inseparable. I chuckle as I see them playing, nodding as I place the last cupcake on the display tray.
I look towards the garden. My twins are in the backyard playing video games with their uncles Jason and Aaron on our outdoor screen. I bet you anything they are out there playing Mario Kart.
The summer days this year are scorching, so Logan had the idea of putting a place for us to enjoy our time outside on a covered patio with a big screen, a pool table, and more. He even went to the extent of having an outdoor bar built.
The door opens, and my oldest baby, going into his senior year of high school, comes in. I smile at the sight. He's 17 and will soon turn 18. God, this takes me back to the year everything began between Logan and me.
"I'm home," Nathan says in his big husky voice, throwing his football helmet on the sofa and his duffle bag. His voice gets deeper every year, I swear. I can't believe I am a teenage boy momma, and soon... a college boy mom.
"Hey, champ. How was practice?" Logan says, giving him a fist bump?
"Hey, dad. It was good. I can't wait for this year to start. We're going to kill out there." he says with such enthusiasm.
"Hi, baby," I say, kissing him on his cheek.
"Ufff, God, you stink. Go take a quick shower. Everyone will start to arrive in a little." I say, smacking his butt.
"Hi, mom." He shakes his head vigorously, making his sweat from the top of his hair hit my cheek. "Oh, Nate! Gross." I say, making Logan and him chuckle.
"Mommy," I hear the voice of our smallest coming down the stairs, rubbing his little eyes. I immediately make my way and reach out to him, picking him up, hugging him, and kissing his cheek. His little hands hug me tightly around my neck as he yawns, closing his little green eyes.
Only my little man and Nate were blessed with their daddy's green eyes. The twins were born with brown hazel eyes like my light brown eyes, and my daughter was blessed with her uncle Danny's gray eyes.
"There's my birthday boy. How was your nap, buddy? Had a good sleep?" Logan asks as he puts our daughter down and wraps his left arm around my waist. He ruffles his hair and kisses his forehead.
"Daddy, can I have cake now?" his little mouth pouts, making me giggle.
"Not yet. We have to wait for everyone to get here, ok, buddy?" Logan says, making him pout. "Let him have at least a little slice; it's his birthday," Ashley says, making us turn. She holds her daughter, Riley of two years, in her arms. She is gorgeous, with brown eyes, brown hair, and all of my brother Jason's face. They broke up a little after Logan, and I got married, but as time passed, they got together again, and this time, my brother was determined not to let go. He proposed to her a month after and they got married.
"No, no. He can have a snack, but the cake after he blows his candles. Ok, buddies?" Logan says, smiling at him.
"Ok, daddy. Nate, can you play with me?" he says as he reaches out for Nate to hug him.
Though Nate is much older than him, they are the best of friends. He loves spending time with him the most. "Woe, look at you? All fatherly and shit." Ashley says, making Logan and me chuckle. "Yeah, well, gotta impress the misses, you know," he says, making me chuckle. Ashley rolls her eyes, kissing her daughter and making her giggle.
Nate takes Danny from my arms and takes off upstairs. Danny doesn't mind watching tv in Nate's room while he showers, knowing that once he's done, he'll spend time playing with him.
I would have to say that I not only have the best husband in the world...but the best kids and family as well. They are everything to me, and nothing in this world could ever make me happier.
Sure, our life is busier than ever, more chaotic. Sometimes I'm running from one place to the other... But I love it. I love being part of the parent conferences, the events, the dances, the games, the EVERYTHING. But I especially love the man that allowed me to become part of his chaos.
My lover, my husband, my best friend, my beast. The beast that ruffles my calm and lets me love his wild side.
Amber came back from overseas two years ago after Michael had finally been discharged and came back home. McKenzie has a smaller brother named Corey, who is eight, just like my daughter.
Nate and Kenzie are inseparable, along with Kaitlyn and Jordan, the son of one of Logan's partners. The four are best of friends.
The party begins, and our family and friends begin to arrive, with a big surprise. The doorbell rang for an uncountable time. "I'll get it," Nate says as he runs towards the door and opens it.
I glance over and smile, seeing Steven and his family arrive. Audrey holds her second baby, Shawn, in her arms. Steven stands next to her and holds his first son, Noah.
But my smile grows wider as I see who stands next to Kaitlyn, "Mia!" Nate utters out as his eyes lock on her.
It's so evident that the sparks between them have reignited. She was gone for years, but she went through a lot while being away with her dad.
He's had it rough, and when he realized that his situation was harming Mia as well, he decided to set his pride aside and asked Audrey to take her in while he got his life back together.
Mia has only been back for a few days, and already I see the spark in my son's eyes. The same spark Logan had for me, and I had for him. I just hope that if they become something...it's worth it for both.
***The End***