Chapter 12
Winnie
Five Years Later…
“The meeting shouldn’t take long,”Aldis says as he slips his leather vest on and grabs his keys.
“We’ll be here,” I say, waving our daughter’s little hand at him.
She babbles, giggling at the motion, and my husband and I smile down at her.
“I’ll be back soon, little one. Then daddy can change your diaper and tuck you in for the night,” he tells her, and she smiles before she tries to shov her fist into her mouth.
“Be safe,” I tell Aldis when he stands, and he nods, leaning down to kiss me.
“Be back soon, Red.”
I watch as my husband leaves before I turn our daughter around.
“Bath time!” I tell her, and she giggles again.
She’s such a happy baby. When Aldis and I found out that we were expecting, I had been nervous about becoming a mom, but Aldis had taken it in stride, just like he does everything else. I was worried that I wouldn’t be a good mom. I mean, it’s not like I had the best example of parents. Aldis had reassured me that I did have a good role model. I had my grandmother, Alice.
When we found out that it was a girl, Aldis had suggested naming her after my grandmother. He was always so sweet and thoughtful. It’s one of the many reasons why I love him.
I never saw myself being with a biker, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I’m grateful that my rebel rescued me all of those years ago. He saved me and then changed my whole life and made it so much better.
Aldis and I got married here in Maplewood close to five years ago. He proposed two weeks after I met him and part of me thought he was crazy and things were moving way too fast, but it had felt right. There was something cosmic about the connection between the two of us. We both felt it from the first moment.
We got married at city hall with just the members of the Rebel Hearts MC in attendance. I hadn’t met any people here in town to invite by then, but being part of the MC has forced me to do more than just go to the sanctuary and back home. I met the other girlfriends and wives of the members. I helped set up a few charity events in town and met even more people. Now, my social circle is quite big. I still would rather spend most of my time with my family and the animals at Furry Haven.
My house here at Furry Haven was done a week later, so when we got back from our honeymoon, we moved in here. It was nice staying so close to the animals. I guess I hadn’t realized how anxious I was about leaving them every night after the fire.
I head upstairs and into the bathroom, setting Alice in her little bath before I turn the water on and adjust the temperature.
Alice is busy trying to stick her foot into her mouth, and I smile as I grab her baby body wash and squirt some into my hands.
“Let’s get you squeaky clean, huh?” I ask her, and she babbles some nonsense at me.
Furry Haven is still going strong. We’ve expanded and added a few more buildings as well as a space to hold adoption events. Now, every other week on Saturdays we try to find good forever homes for all the eligible animals.
Aldis’s consultation company has taken off too. He hired a few ex-military to help out with running things and he’s been talking about opening another branch somewhere else as well. I love that he’s chasing after what he wants, and he knows that I support him in whatever he wants to do.
I finish Alice’s bath and grab the towel, wrapping it around her little body and cradling her against my chest as I stand and head down the hall to her nursery. Aldis must have laid out her pajamas before he left for his meeting, and I smile as I set her down on the changing table.
He’s the best dad and he’s always looking out for the two of us and always trying to make things easier for me.
Alice starts to cry, and I coo down at her.
“Are you hungry? Mama is going to feed you. We just need to get you dressed first,” I tell her.
She squirms, kicking her chunky little legs as I try to guide them into the pajamas.
“There we go. Now, let’s get you fed.”
I carry her over to the rocking chair and get settled. She’s already nuzzling my breast as I unhook my tank top strap and position her better. She latches on, and I start to rock.
“What should we do this weekend?” I ask her as I nurse her.
“How about a picnic?” Aldis asks, scaring the crap out of me.
“Jeez! I didn’t even hear you come in.”
“I was trying to be quiet in case you two were already asleep.”
“Not yet,” I say, but when I look down at Alice, I can see that she’s almost there.
Her eyes are half closed, and I stroke a finger down her cheek.
“Does she need a diaper change?” Aldis asks as I switch her to the other side.
“No, I just changed it before I sat down.”
Aldis comes to stand next to me and we smile down at our daughter.
“She’s perfect. Just like her mother.”
I smile up at my husband, and he brushes some hair away from my eyes. Alice drifts off a moment later, and I pass her to Aldis to put in her crib while I stand.
“How about a massage?” Aldis asks, and I smile.
“I’d love one, but I need to shower first,” I tell him as we sneak out of the nursery.
“I’ll join you,” he says, and I laugh.
“Alright. I’ll let you wash my back.”
Aldis gives me a devilish smirk as he chases me into the bathroom, and I giggle as he sweeps me up in his arms and carries me into the shower.
He ends up washing my back… and a whole lot more after that.