Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 74794 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74794 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
This little girl is going to have a whole host of uncles—my brothers and the club brothers—one awesome aunt, and a possible future aunt, which is just my guess, to support her, one crusty biker who will melt as soon as he sees her every single time, and one kick cheese great-granny who will always kick bad guy cheese and will always love and protect her great-granddaughter.
“Anything?” Ayana asks me, amused and teasing. It’s so good to see her eyes sparkling, her face clear and relaxed after all that pain earlier. Her whole body is easy and relaxed now, flooded with love, peace, and contentment.
“Anything.”
“Could you maybe get me some pickles too?”
“Still having the pickle craving?”
“Still having the pickle craving.”
“I will get you a whole jar.”
“Okay! I promise not to eat them with the doughnuts this time. I’ll eat one first, then the other.”
“You can eat all the gross food combinations you want. I fully support that. And I’m going to go sneak Granny in now for sure, so you’re not alone when I’m gone.”
“I’m never alone,” she whispers softly, her hand stroking our daughter’s soft forehead again. “I know you’ll always come back.”
I lean over the bed and kiss her gently on her lips before I bend and kiss our daughter again. I swear I’ll never get enough of those chubby little cheeks. My heart swells, bursting at the seams all over again, ready to leak more mushy goo, which is perfectly fine because I have a lot of mushy goo to go around lately.
I turn at the door before going to get Granny. “I’ll always come back.” That’s our promise. It’s our hello and our goodbye. It’s in our goodnight and our good morning. And it’s in every look of love we send each other and every word of encouragement. It’s no longer a sad thing for us, either.
Ayana proves it to me by smiling wide and blowing me a kiss that I swear lingers with me all the way past the congratulations in the waiting room, Granny’s devious sneaking off to take my place, out to the hospital parking lot, and down the street to get doughnuts.
And also a jar of hot pickles because, just like our love, I know Ayana likes them spicy.
The End.