Chapter 25 Ashton
ONE YEAR LATER
“This is so exciting. I love what you’re doing for the community, baby. I’m so proud of all that you have accomplished and how well your business is going. You guys are doing great things for those athletes.”
“Baby, we’re going to be late, and we’re the hosts.”
“I know. I’m just trying to undo this last strap,” Chanel grumbled with a huff. “There we go. Come on, big boy,” she cooed to our seven-month-old son, Ethan Santino Santoro.
He was a big boy, and I often joked that he was almost as big as his mama.
I always tipped my hat off to my wife’s ability to push out that big nine-pound, three-ounce baby.
He almost stretched my woman to capacity with that big ass head.
I could tell that he was going to be a big boy when he was older because he was already a big baby.
Most people thought that he was older than he was.
Tino, as we called him, was a happy little baby who loved his aunts, uncles, and both sets of grandparents, who spoiled him endlessly. “Here, give him to me.”
“I can carry him, Ash.”
“Yeah, he put your back out a couple of weeks ago.”
“No. That was you, sir,” she replied, kissing our baby and then handing him off to me. I watched as she grabbed her purse and passed the diaper bag to me. Once we had everything we needed, I grabbed her hand and led her up the sidewalk.
She tussled with her large sun hat as a balmy breeze blew. “I should have left this thing at home.”
“Baby,” I stated, stopping and jerking her hand to make her be still.
“What?”
“I need you to chill your ass out. You’re beautiful. What are you nervous about?”
“The media will be here, and I just want everything to go smoothly for you.”
“It will.”
“I know you’ll do well because you always do. Everything you touch turns to gold. You’ve done an amazing job with Unleashed Athletes, you’re an awesome father, and you’ve been an amazing husband. I couldn’t ask for more, Ash.”
“I could.”
“What?”
“Chill ya ass out, li’l bit.” I kissed her lips and led her around to the front of the building. We had pulled into the parking lot off a back street. When we arrived around front, the media was there already, along with several notable figures from the community, and almost all of the residents.
“Wow. A lot of people showed up. Hopefully they will continue supporting your initiative.”
“I’m sure they will. It’s for the good of the community. I’m not making money off this.”
“It’s one hell of a tax write-off though.”
“It is. Come on.”
We walked up to the platform where all the speakers were gathered and talking to each other. The cameras started flashing as we made our entrance. I waved at the crowd as I moved toward the mayor, a few city council members, and a few other notables in the community.
“My apologies for my tardiness, Mayor.”
“You’re not late, Ashton. We’re not scheduled to get started for another fifteen minutes,” Mayor Little declared.
“I know, but I wanted to be here to greet you before you arrived.”
“Pssh. Little old me. Hi, Chanel.” The mayor greeted my wife with an air kiss and a hug.
“Hello, Mayor Little. You look beautiful as always, and I’m loving those shoes.”
“Honey, I went through your style book that you posted to Sociogram and built my outfit off that. I love your style. You’re always fashionable, and your outfits are always timeless.”
“Thank you.”
They chatted a little longer, and I moved on to greet the council members before it was time to start the ceremony. I listened to the host before I was introduced and called up to speak.
“Almost two years ago, my life was in shambles.
My marriage was failing, I was going through a divorce, and I was struggling to keep the truth about my life under wraps.
People knew me as a team player, a generous pillar of the community, a loyal family person, and a faithful husband.
But I knew the truth that I had kept hidden to keep my image intact.
“I wasn’t certain of the path ahead of me.
The only thing that I knew for sure was that I was about to create a business to help other athletes like me.
While that felt amazing, and it seemed like I was doing something, I knew deep inside that it wasn’t enough.
I was worried about the impact my failed marriage and the lies that would come from it would have on my business.
I felt empty. Then a wise woman gave me a plan to turn my reputation around in the event that it took a hit.
Out of that suggestion, the idea of this center was born.
“When I first heard it, I was excited about it from the rip. When I took the idea to my family, and they became excited about it, I knew this had the potential to change lives. That’s what I wanted, and that’s what I committed myself to.
“There have been challenges along the way, but at each challenge, this woman was right by my side, telling me that I could do it,” I stated, pointing behind me at my wife, who bounced my son on her lap.
“When we ran into roadblocks getting permits, building issues, contract issues, material shortages, and all the other things we encountered, she was in my ear repeating that Almighty God had a great plan, and He would not let it fail. She constantly assured me that the door that had closed wasn’t His door, but mine, and that I needed to let Him guide me.
Well, His guidance has led us to this day. ”
A thunderous applause and cheers erupted as I looked out on the crowd.
“Today, we introduce to you the Chanel Dubois-Santoro Community Resource Center.” I turned around and clapped hard as I looked at my wife. The leadership on the dais with me, all smiled at my wife as they clapped along with me and the audience.
Chanel stared back at me in shock with her mouth open. She looked around as if she was still trying to process the moment. Tears streamed from her eyes when she finally placed her hand over her mouth.
“Not only did we choose to create a tool and technology center, but also a community center. This is an outreach center for our youth and teens, to make sure that they do not stray, that they have a safe place to go, and that they get workshops and resources to build a brighter future. We will make sure that they won’t ‘wild out’ the way that I did, and that counselors are available to help them through the pivotal pain points of life. ”
Applause resounded again, and I went to take my seat beside Chanel as another speaker stepped up to the podium to speak.
“You didn’t tell me. Why did you name it after me?” Chanel asked through her sobs.
“It was your idea, and you inspired me every step of the way. You believe in community the same as I do, but you were out here working with your hands and your heart.”
“So were you.”
“I spent more time working behind the scenes, handling the business and financial aspect of it. You literally had boots on the ground, even with your big, pregnant belly. I love you, Chanel, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
She laughed. “There’s nothing I would want to do about it, baby.”
Santino wiggled and threw his arms in the air as he leaned toward me. Drool dotted his chin and bib, but he smiled happily at me as I took him from his mother’s arms. I leaned over his head and kissed her lips.
Santino slobbed on his cookie before he fisted it and placed it back in his mouth again. I threw the ball across the yard and watched as Titan ran to fetch it. We had finally sold my old house and bought a new one with six bedrooms and seven bathrooms.
Aside from my family coming to spend the night often, so that they could spend time with Santino, we had another little one on the way.
Chanel had recently found out that she was pregnant again.
She was eleven weeks along, and we had just received the call yesterday evening that we were having a little girl this time.
We knew that we were so blessed. We had been through difficult marriages, heartbreak, stalking, and betrayal, but we bounced back. Finding love with each other was all that we needed to heal.
Titan raced back to bring me the ball, and I sent it out again. He ran off again, and Santino gurgled happily behind me.
“What do you think about Coco Giada?”
I glanced back at my wife and shook my head. “I think you’re taking your love of all things Coco Chanel too far.”
She laughed. “Okay, back to the drawing board.”
She glanced at her phone again, and I retrieved the ball from Titan’s mouth again.
“Aliyah Sophie?”
“Nope.”
“Leilani Adriana?”
“Nope.”
I could hear her sigh dramatically. She smirked hard. It was the same thing she had taken me through when she was pregnant with Santino.
“I’ve got it. Chloe Giovanna.”
“I love it.”
I threw the ball again, and I heard her moving behind me. When she came to stand beside me, she placed her hands on her hips.
“What?”
“Why is that name better than any of the others that I listed?”
“Because there was excitement in your voice. I didn’t hear it when you said the other names.
There wasn’t the same level of excitement.
In fact, you sounded like you were questioning it and wasn’t sure.
When you spoke the name Chloe Giovanna, it was with confidence, the same confidence that you had when you decided that Ethan’s first name would be Ethan. ”
She reached up and tapped me on the nose. “You’re a very wise man, husband.”
I gripped her ass and pulled her against me. “Say that again, love.”
“You’re a very wise man, husband.”
“Just the last part,” I murmured against her lips.
“Husband.”
“Yeah.” I grabbed her hand and placed it between us and against my erection. “That’s what hearing you call me your husband does to me.”
“Ohhh, what would you do if I said that I love being your wife?”
“Gahdamn, girl. You’re about to have me spring a leak in my pants, li’l bit.”
She giggled hard. “Well, that leak will have to wait until I’m able to put Santino in bed.”
I glanced at my watch. “It’s been a long day. Look at his ass over there yawning. I know he’s tired.”
She giggled again. “He absolutely is. It’s almost eight. I’ll go put him down to bed now.”
“You do that. I’ll meet you up there in a few minutes.”
“You’re so thirsty, Mr. Santoro.”
“And ya pussy juices are my Gatorade, baby.”
“Ohhh. I love you, Mr. Santoro,” she professed, emphasizing each word.
“I love you more, Mrs. Santoro.”
We kissed before she walked away and removed Santino from his walker. I kept my gaze on my beautiful wife and my adorable son as they disappeared into the house. I kneeled beside my cane corso, stroked his ears, and patted his head. “We’ve come a long way, boy. We’ve come a mighty long way.”
Titan happily barked in response. My heart was full, and my burdens were light.
THE END