41
Christian
10 minutes earlier
I walked out of the courthouse and glanced back at Maeve to make sure she wasn't biting Tyler’s head off before I leaned up against a tall oak tree. Stephen joined me.
“Remember when we had to go to boot camp out here?” I looked over where MCRD, the Marine Corps training depot, was just on the other side of the bay and laughed.
“We were so young then. I was married to my ex.” I remembered.
“She was terrible. So unsupportive,” Stephen recalled.
“Now look at us,” I commented. “We are sober, happy, and married. I’d like to think this is the American dream…”
“But you are involved in illegal shit,” Stephen noted and laughed.
“What did you do last night to get him to fold?” I finally asked the burning question.
“Nothing, honestly. I just told him who you were and how much your friendship meant to me. I can't believe you didn’t call me to tell me that you knew Tyler was my husband.”
“I know. I feel terrible. I’ve had a shitty streak lately of lying to people I love. I’m a work in progress, but I’ve also never been happier.”
“I’m proud of you, Christian,” Stephen said, offering me a smile.
“Same, brother.”
“You need to know, though, that if he continues to speak to her like this, I will not tolerate it,” I added.
“I’m hoping this can carve the path to a fresh new start for all of us.” He looked toward the front of the courthouse as I saw Maeve walking down the steps. “I’m glad we are involved in each other’s lives more personally, too, from here forward.”
“It’s nice to know each other on a more personal level too,” I responded, then gave him a quick hug and headed over to where Maeve was.
Before walking over, I texted Tatum and Chelsea, who confirmed everything was still a go.
I intertwined my hand in hers when I finally got to her.
“Everything okay?”
She nodded and gave me a little recap of what Tyler said. Although I was hesitant, I had no other choice but to move forward.
It was a strange feeling to find resolution without any physical fights. Throughout my entire life, fighting had been my way of getting to the top. I fought for stability as a kid, fought for our country in the military, battled my own demons in the darkest corners of my mind, and fought men with my cold-blooded hands for Julian. With Maeve, it took time and effort to reach a place of comfort, but now, having a resolution without violence felt almost anti-climactic.
Today marked a new chapter, a fresh start for both Maeve and me. As we navigated the complexities of life together, we learned the battles to be fought didn't always require fists or physical force. Our bond taught me the power of communication, understanding, and empathy. It was about being vulnerable and open, sharing our fears and dreams, and supporting each other through thick and thin.
In the past, I might have used violence as a shield, thinking it was the only way to protect myself and those I cared for. But with Maeve, I discovered there was strength in vulnerability and courage in letting someone in. We'd chosen a different path, one where we faced challenges hand in hand, building each other up instead of tearing each other down.
We'd forge ahead together, ready to confront whatever life threw our way. This fresh start was a testament to our growth as individuals and as a couple. As we left behind the old patterns of fighting, we embraced a new journey filled with love, understanding, and a commitment to be each other's rock. Today was not just a new beginning, but a chance to redefine ourselves and our relationship, drawing strength from our shared experiences and facing the future with hope and optimism. And I knew exactly how we would celebrate it.
As we pulled out toward the center of the house, the little girls ran over to Maeve.
“Hey, girls….what are you doing at home?” she asked while looking back up at me. Her mom stood in the doorframe.
“Your mom offered to get them earlier. Figured we were going to either celebrate or mourn but thought you may want the support regardless.”
“Daddy…” she whispered so quietly no one except me could hear and curled up to my side. I laughed, looking down at her.
“Say that again, and we may have to go for another ride, and I don't mean in the car.” I winked at her, and the sweet sounds of her laughter filled the air.
“Girls, we have a surprise for your mom, don’t we?” They both smiled so large and nodded their heads. I know Maeve’s mom prepared them when we were gone, but their ability to barely contain their excitement struck me as utterly adorable.
“Oh really?” She narrowed her eyes at me in question.
“Come.” I grabbed one of her hands while Kelsie and Kinsley grabbed her other hand. We walked around to the back of the house, where the gate to the yard was.
“Why are we going this way? My mom waited for us at the front door?”
“Shh,” I told her, and the nerves started to pulse in my veins. I had never done this before. The last time this happened was a snap decision and a quick trip to the courthouse.
As we walked into the yard, there were thousands of white pillar candles in a circle in the center of the yard. She gasped—like a fully audible inhale of her breath.
“Christian…” She started, but I just guided her inside the circle where the two girls stood on either side of their mom. Both of them giddily jumped up and down.
I kneeled and heard noises from inside the house, but nothing mattered. All that mattered right now were the three, well, I guess technically, four people who were present.
Looking at the two girls, I grabbed their hands in mine.
“Kelsie.” I looked over at the small blonde. “I love picking you up from school. I love throwing you all the way into the air in the pool. I love the way you eat up all my breakfast and tell me my pancakes are better than Mom’s.” I looked up at Maeve, who was sniffling but offered us a little giggle. “I want to marry your mommy and stay here with you forever, but I wanted to ask you if it would be okay if I did.”
“Of course, Christian.” She jumped into my arms, and I hugged her before pulling away. I took out a small black velvet box with a little diamond necklace and placed it around her neck.
“I feel like a princess,” she exclaimed and gave a little twirl of her dress for effect. I turned toward Kinsley.
“You don't even have to ask me. My answer is yes.”
I laughed at her response. “But can I?”
“Okay.” She nodded.
“Kinsley, my favorite thing about getting to know you over the last year has to be how much we like to laugh at your mom’s messiness.” She laughed. “I love the way you know how to cannonball into the pool, how we sing along in the car on the ride home, and how much we laugh together. Would you be okay if I married your mommy?”
“I already said yes.” I heard a chuckle from Maeve. I slipped her matching necklace around her neck. Both girls went out of the circle and toward the house, where a teary-eyed grandma waited.
“Maeve.” I got up, and she was a mess. She had full tears coming down her cheeks, and when I finally got up to look her in the eyes, they had the brightest, most beautiful sparkle to them.
“This is the hormones.” She gestured to herself, and we both laughed.
“Maeve, will you do me the pleasure of being my wife? My equal? My partner?” Before I finished, she kept nodding her head. “I’m not perfect, firecracker, but I don't want to be perfect. I just want to be yours. I may falter, and I will for sure misstep, but I want to know if you will be there to hold my hand and show me a different way. So even with the baggage that I carry and the life that I lead, will you still do me the honor of letting me call you my wife?”
"Of course," she murmured through tears. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small black velvet box matching the ones the girls had received. Inside was a stunning emerald-cut four-carat diamond ring that I had been carrying with me since coming home from the foothills house.
I gently slid the ring onto Maeve's finger with trembling hands, and she immediately dropped to her knees. Leaning in close, I whispered, "If you stay on your knees, I might have to take you over my knees right here." She laughed softly, and I kissed her before lifting her back up.
"What's all this noise?" Maeve turned to look toward the house as I guided her through the yard and into our living room. To her surprise, her mother stepped aside, and we walked into a room filled with all our friends. The living room was decorated with rose gold balloons, a lavish charcuterie feast spread across the kitchen island, and hundreds of vases filled with white flowers, arranged by Gianna, adorned various corners.
"What is this?" she asked, bewildered.
"Surprise!" everyone shouted in unison.
"It's a celebration of our engagement," I whispered in her ear. "I never got to actually celebrate my last marriage, so this one's for me."
She pulled back, narrowing her eyes at me. "You threw a party for yourself? You hate stuff like this." She was right; I used to hate this kind of extravagance, but things had changed, and so had my perspective. I wanted to be happy. I wanted to be surrounded by people who loved me and cherished me.
“Yeah, I finally have a family, and I wanted to be able to share the good news with everyone.”
She reached up and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. I put my hands on her stomach quickly. Hopefully, no one paid too much attention to the gesture.
Elio and Gianna were the first to come over to congratulate us then, Julian, Tatum, and James.
Gianna was due any day now. Elio was constantly worried she was any second away from going into labor and was never too far away from her. She came up to me and gave me a quick hug.
“Maybe you guys will be the next to have another little one?” She asked, and I only laughed. Little did she know.
“Yeah, maybe.” I turned around with a smile forming on my cheeks. This was what family was meant to feel like. This was what family was. Blood or not, the bond here was undeniable and unbreakable.
Sarah and Pat came over to me next and gave me a huge hug in unison.
“We are so happy for you,” Sarah said.
Pat followed up with, “Thank God we actually like you.”
“I appreciate you guys for taking me into your home. I love your daughter and granddaughters so much. I didn't have much of a role model growing up, but the way that you love your family makes me want to be better and do better for Maeve, Kinsley, and Kelsie.”
They both gave me another hug, and I reveled in the fact that I would have been in the corner just mere months ago while standing in a room with this many people. I would have never planned it, and I certainly wouldn't have appreciated all these people in my home. If I’d happened to be thrown in this type of situation, I probably would have gone off to fuck the first girl who threw me any sort of attention.
But today, things were different because of Maeve and the family she brought with her. She thought she had baggage, but it was baggage I was willing to shoulder along with her.
Julian came over to me last, and we both cheered with our sparkling waters.
“I’m proud of you, man.”
“She’s pregnant.” We spoke at the same time, and Julian just looked at me and then back down and laughed.
“How do you feel?” he asked.
“Nervous as fuck,” I responded honestly.
“Me fucking, too.” He looked over at Tatum, who was due in a couple of months.
We both sat there and took a long sip of our drinks before any of us spoke.
“Life’s gonna look different for us, isn't it?” I asked.
“Probably.” Julian shrugged. “But we still have dreams to build an empire together. Next year, Alex will be running in the presidential race, and he has a pretty fucking good shot at it.”
“We are going to go Stateside, huh?” I chuckled as I asked because I never assumed that one day I would be the right-hand man to what we created. “An entire empire, keep the facade of a fourth wall to everyone else. We are this force to be reckoned with, yet here we are, raising families and having babies.” I laughed.
“Fourth wall…” Julian looked over at me. “I like that.”
“Here’s to our empire.”