Chapter 34
ELIZABETH
It’s finally time!
It’s only taken all day to get things organized, but we’re finally ready to surprise the boys with our special Valentine’s dinner.
I doubt we’ll really surprise them. They know something’s going down since we put them on kid detail all afternoon.
They suited up the most energetic kids and went outside to play a game of touch football.
It was fun watching them race around the yard, their screams of delight wafting back into the house.
I stopped to watch them play at one point, my heart melting as Dom, my big, sweet boy, took extra care with the little ones, making sure they all got a chance to get the ball across the line.
I love his tender heart.
God, please don’t let anyone break it.
All the other kids, who thought the idea of playing outside in the cold was a form of torture, ended up helping us ladies out.
Jane folded napkins into heart shapes, Charlotte and Kendall worked with Blake to decorate cookies, and Harley watched over Paris, lying on the floor and making her smile.
It was only made more precious by that scare we had this morning.
I’m so incredibly grateful that the girls were found and brought back safely.
“We ready to go?” Sienna asks from behind me. “Where’s Nylah?”
I glance toward the stairwell. “She should be coming down soon. Can you believe that present Carson gave her?”
“Oh my gosh, it’s the sweetest thing.” Blake steps into the conversation. “Who’d have thought Carson had it in him?”
Sienna laughs. “The guy really came through. It’s so incredibly thoughtful. Nylah must be so loved-up right now.”
“Oh, I am.” She appears in the doorway with a relaxed smile, resting her hand on the frame.
“The bath was divine, the foot rub made me fall asleep, and when I woke up, he’d left me his laptop and a note telling me to enjoy my movie.
” She lets out a delighted groan. “Best, most relaxing afternoon ever!” Shuffling into the kitchen with her cane, she gazes around at all our hard work.
“Thank you so much for letting me do that. I feel bad that you’ve done all this work without me.
Satch, you should be the one with your feet up. It’s your birthday.”
“Not at all.” I brush my hand through the air and wink. “My birthday’s next weekend. And we were happy to. It’s been fun.”
“Absolutely.” Sienna touch Nylah’s arm. “And after the morning we all had, you deserved a little R and R.”
Blake snorts and bulges her eyes in agreement.
Nylah looks at her. “How are you feeling? You processed it all?”
“Yeah.” Blake nods, her smile turning into a wince.
“I’m so grateful it all worked out the way it did.
It could have been so much worse. Wily and I sat all the kids down before lunch and gave them a talking-to about leaving the house without asking permission.
Hopefully Kenny got what I was trying to say.
I’ve got a lot of work to do with that one, but…
” She sucks in a breath, nodding as if she’s fortifying her decision.
“I’m up for it. I want to be a good mom. ”
“You are a good mom.” Sienna squeezes her shoulder.
“I could be better.”
“Well, we all could.” I smile at her.
Blake shakes her head with a laugh that makes me feel like I just told a joke. “Are you kidding? You’re like mom extraordinaire. You all are. I feel like I’m the only one chasing my tail and finding this so hard.”
“You’re seriously not.” Nylah bulges her eyes at me. “The number of resignation texts I’ve sent Carson…”
“Resignation texts?” Blake’s forehead wrinkles.
“Yeah, you know,” Sienna replies. “‘Dear husband, I would like to formally tender my resignation from motherhood. This will be my final day. Thank you for the opportunity, but I feel that my skills would be best served in a job that doesn’t make me want to tear my hair out.’”
Nylah giggles while Blake blinks, then starts laughing as well.
I join in because although I may never have sent a text like that to Wily, I have had days where I seriously felt it.
Sebastian has driven me around the bend.
His energy is off the charts, and if he doesn’t get a chance to release it, he explodes in the worst ways.
My little kamikaze kid is gonna be the death of me.
“We all have days that make us feel like the worst mothers in the world, and although we want to quit, we never actually do.” Nylah shrugs. “Our hearts just won’t let us.”
“Love.” Sienna drawls the word, rolling her eyes. “It’s the worst.”
We all crack up at her joke, and I think about the sweet card Wily gave me for Valentine’s Day.
He wrote me a poem. Well, ChatGPT probably wrote me a poem, but he went to the effort of setting it up.
Jane must have made the card. And that special edition book I’ve been wanting…
I love how he knows me so well. My new gift is going to look so pretty on my ever-growing bookshelf!
Plus he’s told me there’s more to come next weekend.
I’m feeling so spoiled. I really am the luckiest lady alive.
“Hey, what did you two get for Valentine’s Day?” I ask as I turn to check on the heart-shaped pizzas we made. They’re nearly done.
“Well… I thought Zander had totally forgotten, but he surprised me with a card, chocolates, and this sweet necklace.”
I turn to look at it. “Oh wow, that’s gorgeous.
Just the kind of thing Wily would pick out.
” I give her a knowing smirk and she snorts, shaking her head.
The only reason I know is because Charlotte let slip that Daddy bought me a heart.
When I wasn’t given it earlier today, I figured my baby girl must have gotten it wrong or it was coming next weekend, but no. There it is.
I won’t say anything else, but how cute that the guys bailed Zander out. I bet the chocolates were from Grady or Carson.
“That’s sweet,” Blake murmurs, her cheeks tinging pink as she looks around us. “I got some very sexy lingerie.”
“What?” Sienna’s face lights with excitement. “Are you wearing it now?”
“Of course I am.”
“Lemme see.” Sienna steps toward her, peeking down Blake’s top when she pulls the shirt away from her body.
Nylah shuffles over for a look as well, letting out a wolf whistle. “Damn, girl.”
“Gorgeous, right?” Blake looks all proud.
“Where the hell are your stretch marks?” Sienna grumbles, lifting Blake’s shirt to check her stomach. “Okay, I officially hate you now. How does your body look like you haven’t even had kids?”
Blake giggles, tugging her shirt back down.
With a helpless shrug, she looks around us.
“I moisturized and oiled myself up, just like you all did. I guess my skin just didn’t mind being stretched a little.
And what are you complaining about, Supergirl?
Your body’s so freaking strong and toned right now.
You could be on the cover of Sports Illustrated. ”
Her diversion doesn’t work, and Nylah and Sienna continue to frown at her until she whines, “You guys, stop! It’s not my fault!”
We all crack up laughing.
“You’re so gorgeous.” Nylah shakes her head.
“And so are you!” Blake complains, then points to Sienna. “And you! And you!” She points to me, and I can feel myself blushing and have to resist the urge to shake my head.
There’s no way I’m as pretty as these girls, yet they always make me feel so included. I never know what to do with it. I don’t hate my body as much as I used to, but I still struggle not to feel like I’m the odd one out when I’m surrounded by all these slender beauties.
“We’re all stunning hotties,” Blake continues. “And I know this because we’ve all managed to retain some very sexy men.”
“Accurate.”
“That’s true.”
“Fact.”
We all agree at the same time, because it is true, and also the easiest thing in the world to agree with. My Wily is still the sexiest man I know.
Blake smiles. “See? So we’re all pretty. We’re all blessed. And we should all get this show on the road, because I’m wearing some very expensive underwear that I want my man to remove with his teeth.” She claps her hands, hurrying us along while I share a bemused look with Sienna.
“Wily better not hear her say that,” I whisper.
Sienna giggles. “God help us if he does.”
Moving the hot pizzas onto a serving platter, I carry them through to the table and let the kids know that it’s time.
They squeal and scurry around, getting themselves ready for the special event we’ve been planning for weeks.
The men are blindfolded and led into the dining room by giggling children, and watching their faces light up as they take in the room we’ve decorated is priceless.
They make a big show of complimenting the kids, and when I get picked up by my husband and thoroughly kissed, I can tell how grateful he is for my effort. It’s so good to be appreciated.
It’s taken hours of craft activities with my kids, phone calls, emails, and message threads making sure all the families were organized.
The room is decked out with hearts of all shapes and sizes.
Red and white twinkling lights have been wound around the chairs and tables, and the food is all Valentine’s themed—an explosion of hearts and stars and all things red and pink.
As we pile around the table—a feat with this many people—I soak in the laughter and the chatter as the family talk over one another or start little conversations of their own.
Kids scarf down too much sweet food—including a birthday cake I didn’t know was coming.
I must have been fire engine red as they sang “Happy Birthday” and then I had to suffer “all eyes on me” as I opened up the gifts they’d brought me.
I let Charlotte, Nichelle and Kendall help me.
Thank God for children. I love the way they can draw the attention off my red face.
The presents are just lovely and I’m so grateful to be part of such a caring family. There are no words to express how much I love these people.