Chapter Twenty-Three #3
Laura picked at her eggs, barely eating. Seth understood. His own appetite had vanished somewhere between the relief and the dread still churning in his gut. They’d cleared one hurdle—Laura’s acceptance—but more loomed on the horizon. Tonight, he’d talk to his brothers. On Monday, his mom.
That conversation was going to be a hell of a lot harder.
“Seth?” Laura’s voice pulled him back to the moment. “Have you… I mean, I know it’s a bit early, but have you decided where you’re spending Christmas? Any chance you’ll be visiting your mom? So I can see Hudson?”
He hadn’t thought about the holidays yet. Seth had been afraid to. Everything depended on his mom’s reaction.
He glanced at Heavenly, then Beck, brow raised.
Heavenly spoke first. “Since I don’t have any family left, if you want to spend the holidays in New York, that’s fine.”
Beck shrugged. “If I don’t see Gloria this year for the holidays, we’ll survive.”
God, he owed them both big.
“I’ll talk to my mom and let you know,” Seth assured.
She’d say yes…if she was still speaking to him.
“If you could work that out, that would be…great,” Laura rushed to say. “I’ve never spent a Christmas without my baby and—”
“I’m not a baby, Mom,” Hudson said between a bite of pancakes and his last swallow of juice.
Her face softened, and she looked like she was fighting tears. “You’ll always be my baby.”
Hudson grimaced, but Seth was pretty sure he was secretly pleased to know his mom still cared so much.
The waitress returned to clear their plates, and Seth handed her his credit card before anyone else could argue. “I’ve got it.”
Ted nodded his thanks. As soon as the waitress came with the receipt, Seth signed. Then they all stood, gathering coats and bags. Emma fussed, and Hudson distracted her with a silly face as they headed for the door.
When he stepped out into the cool mid-morning air, Seth exhaled slowly. The hard part was over. The rest was mere paperwork.
And once those were signed, he’d be able to breathe.
At least until Monday.
Everyone jumped in their respective cars and headed for the bank a few blocks away. Since Laura worked for a different branch of this same bank, she’d been able to arrange a notary to meet them.
As Seth backed out of the diner’s parking lot, Beck turned to him and blew out a breath. “Good job. That went better than I expected.”
“Thank fuck,” Seth muttered. “For a minute there, I thought she was going to change her mind.”
“Nah,” Hudson put in from the back seat. “Mom just needed a minute to get used to you three. She’ll be fine.”
Shockingly, it seemed as if the kid was right.
Once they arrived and piled out, the bank manager led them to a small conference room—private, quiet, with a polished table and enough chairs for everyone. Emma squealed, turning a few heads. The notary, already waiting, smiled at the baby girl.
Seth pulled out the final documents his lawyer had conferred with Laura’s to draw up and spread them across the table. The notary looked them over, asked a few questions, then thrust them in Laura’s direction.
With unsteady hands, she glanced over the documents as if she hadn’t read them at least a hundred times, as Seth had. Finally, she picked up the pen. Slow. A bit hesitant.
Then she gave a shaky nod and, with tears slipping down her cheeks, signed her name on the custody agreement everywhere Seth’s attorney had planted a tape flag.
Behind her, Ted stood, one hand on her shoulder in quiet support, Emma nestled in his other arm.
Seth slid into the chair beside her once she was done. Heart hammering, he dragged in a bracing breath as he took the pen and scrawled his name across every necessary line.
Once he was finished, he set the pen down, the small clatter seeming like an explosion of sound in the otherwise quiet room.
It felt monumental. Final. Because it was. Hudson was legally, officially his son.
Beck stepped forward and signed as witness, his expression calm and steady. Then the notary stamped each form with a decisive thud, the sound echoing in the small room.
They were done. Fifteen minutes and a few strokes of a pen later, and his life had changed completely. As terrified as he’d been to have another baby since Beck and Heavenly had been pushing to start a family, he couldn’t imagine life without Hudson now.
Would it be like that, so seemingly natural and inevitable, if the three of them had a child?
Seth didn’t have the answer, but he exhaled, the weight he’d been carrying for weeks finally lifting.
At least for now.
Heavenly squeezed his hand, her smile soft and proud. “I’m happy for you. For us.”
“Thanks, angel.” He kissed her temple. “Me, too.”
Beck clapped him on the back, grinning. “Congratulations, man.”
Seth turned to Hudson, his throat tight. Their eyes met. God, staring at the kid really was like looking back in time.
A moment passed between them, a deep sense of connection that both soothed and scared the shit out of him. But he pulled his son into a firm, almost desperate hug. “Son.”
“Dad.” Hudson’s voice cracked, barely a whisper.
At the sound of his son’s obvious emotion, Seth nearly broke. He held on a moment longer, blinking hard, then pulled back with a smile.
It was done. And now, no one could take Hudson away.
The soft murmur of voices and the faint scent of lilies filled the church.
Seth stood in the vestibule with his mother, watching her fidget with her bouquet.
She looked beautiful in her ivory lace dress, her hair swept up in soft curls, and the delicate veil framing her face.
She was glowing, radiant in a way he hadn’t seen in years.
“You look beautiful, Mom.” He sent her a soft smile.
Her eyes misted immediately. “Seth… Don’t make me cry before we even start down the aisle.”
He reached for her hand. “I’m happy for you. After everything you’ve been through, raising five boys alone, you deserve nothing but joy.”
She squeezed his hand, her voice trembling. “I never thought I’d get married again. I loved your father with all my heart, and after he died, I couldn’t imagine ever wanting to. But I met Carl and…” She trailed off, shaking her head with a small, disbelieving laugh. “He stole my heart.”
“He seems like a good man. Solid. Kind.” Then Seth sent his mother a teasing stare. “But if he ever hurts you, I promise no one will ever find his body.”
“Seth Michael Cooper!” She swatted his arm playfully. Then her expression turned tender. “I’m so grateful for you. You’ve always been my rock. Even as a boy, you stepped in to help raise your brothers. I don’t say it enough, but I’m so proud of you, of the man you’ve become.”
Seth’s throat tightened. He wanted to hold onto this moment, to freeze it before he turned her world upside down on Monday. Before he shattered her image of him.
But for now, he could give her this.
“I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too.”
The organ music swelled, signaling their cue. Seth offered her his arm, and she took it, fingers trembling as she steadied herself with a deep breath.
“Ready?” he whispered.
“Yes,” she replied without hesitation.
Seth squeezed her hand before they stepped into the sanctuary.
The small crowd rose. As he and his mom began walking down the aisle, he felt a tiny tremor ripple through her. Her hand tightened on his arm. Her chin quivered.
“Breathe,” he whispered. “You got this.”
With a nod, she drew in a bracing breath and steadied herself, smile firmly in place.
Seth saw familiar faces occupying the pews, people he’d known for years. His mom’s friends from church, neighbors, and Dad’s former beat partner, Gene, had all come to see her tie the knot, wearing warm, nostalgic smiles.
Halfway down the aisle, Seth glanced to his left. Beck, Heavenly, and Hudson—who cleaned up nicely in his dark suit—stood. Next to his son, Connor and Jack stood beside Matt. Danny and Maggie, who held a wiggling Anna on her hip, rounded out the row.
On the groom’s side, Carl’s kids, Blake and Cat, were near the front. What Seth presumed were Carl’s friends and co-workers smiled just behind them.
As Seth and his mom approached the front of the church, his gaze locked with Heavenly’s. She watched him, her blue eyes soft and shining. For a moment, the world narrowed to just the two of them. His chest tightened with a swell of emotion so powerful it nearly staggered him.
Beside her, Beck sent him a ghost of a smile and a barely perceptible nod, silently conveying the same sentiment.
Soon, this will be us.
He wanted that—more than life itself. He wanted to stand at the altar beside Beck as Heavenly glided toward them in white. He wanted her between them as they each spoke vows from the heart. He wanted the certainty, the permanence, the forever love they’d built together.
And he wanted to make it official in every way he could.
At the front of the church, Father Heasley stood, hands folded, watching Seth and his mom approach with a calm, steady smile. At the altar, Carl waited, wearing his crisp, dark tux, gaze fixed on his bride as if she was the only person in his whole world.
When they reached Carl, he stepped forward, hand outstretched. Seth lifted his mom’s hand from his arm and placed her fingers in the palm of the man who would soon vow to love, honor, and cherish her.
“Be happy, Mom,” he whispered softly in her ear.
She nodded, tears spilling, as she gazed up at Carl with complete devotion and joy.
Seth stepped back and turned, then eased into the pew beside Heavenly. He leaned in, skimming a glance over each of his brothers’ faces, at the love and pride etched there.
Father Heasley began the ceremony, his warm voice filling the sanctuary with familiar words about love, commitment, God’s blessings, and second chances. Mom and Carl stood facing each other, hands clasped, eyes brimming with love and hope for their future.
Seth watched his mother. She’d held their family together after his father’s death, shouldered responsibility without complaint. She’d been the rock everyone leaned on. Now, standing there with Carl, she looked lighter.
Because, starting today, she would no longer be alone.
They spoke vows, the quiet weight of their promises solemn but clear. His mom’s voice cracked through tears, but didn’t break. Carl’s voice was strong and sure, his love for her unmistakable in every word.
Then they exchanged rings, looking into each other’s eyes with certainty as the bands slipped into place.
When Father Heasley finally pronounced them husband and wife, the church erupted in cheers and applause as Carl pulled his new wife into a tender, lingering kiss.
As he watched them, relief and reassurance settled with a warm glow in Seth’s chest.
Finally, his mom was happy. Settled. Safe.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Father Heasley announced with a broad smile, “I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Carl Mahoney.”
As the newlyweds turned, the applause grew louder. Both grinning wildly, they clasped hands and began walking back down the aisle together.
With his heart overflowing, Seth grinned and clapped as the couple passed. Then he glanced at Heavenly and Beck.
Very soon. We’ve waited long enough.