Epilogue
Beau opened the door. “Come on in.”
Joseph grinned and stepped into the house Beau lived in with Jayla, Diego, and their three-year-old daughter, Ashley. He looked around and frowned. “Why is it so quiet?” It was never quiet in the house.
“Diego isn’t back with the food, and Jayla is getting Ashley dressed.”
“So, you’re saying we have a slight reprieve before the fireworks start?” Joseph asked and grinned.
Beau chuckled. “I never thought of calling what Diego and Jayla do as fireworks, but it fits.”
“Grandpa!” Ashley shrieked and raced to Joseph with her arms up.
Joseph grinned and lifted the little girl, who looked so much like her mother, against his chest. “How’s my little pumpkin?”
Ashley giggled and hugged his neck tight.
Joseph looked up when a very pregnant Jayla came around the corner.
Jayla smiled and walked up to her godfather and kissed his cheek. “Hi. I’m glad you could make it today.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t miss this little one’s birthday for anything.”
Beau slipped an arm around Jayla and led her into the kitchen.
Joseph and Ashley followed close behind.
“You have to see my cake,” Ashley exclaimed. “It’s supposed to look like a princess.”
“Oh, wow. Well, let’s see this cake,” Joseph said and walked over to the table. “That is a great cake.” He kept his grin to himself. The cake didn’t look anything like a princess. It was lopsided, and part of the bottom had been cut or fallen off. “Who made the cake?”
“Mommy and Daddy Diego,” Ashley said.
Joseph bit his tongue when he caught the frown on Jayla’s face as she looked down at the cake.
“Yeah, it would have looked better if Daddy Diego hadn’t dropped part of it.”
“I heard that,” a voice said from the front door.
Jayla rolled her eyes as Diego came into the kitchen with a few bags of groceries. He set them down abruptly on the counter and turned to face Jayla with his hands on his hips.
“Should we talk about why I dropped part of the cake?”
Jayla cleared her throat, shook her head, and blushed. “Um ... no.”
Diego smirked. “Apologize to me?”
Jayla gasped in outrage.
“Oh, Jesus, here we go,” Beau said under his breath. “How about the three of us go outside in the backyard and play while Mommy and Daddy Diego have their...discussion?”
Joseph grinned and walked out the back door with Ashley in his arms.
Ashley giggled and looked back toward the house. “Mommy and Daddy are going to growl at each other, and then they start kissing like in the movies.”
Joseph choked and then laughed out loud.
Beau brought several drinks out and sat down at the picnic table. The three could hear the other two argue in the kitchen, but ignored them.
“Why don’t you go play, sweetheart? Mommy and Daddy will be out in a bit.”
“You mean after they suck-face?”
Both Joseph and Beau gasped.
“Did Daddy Diego teach you that?” Beau asked.
Ashley giggled. “Not really. I heard him say it to Mommy when they thought I was sleeping.”
Both men laughed and then looked up when the back door opened. They could tell Jayla and Diego had made up, from the flush on Jayla’s face and the grin on Diego’s.
“Are we ready to party?” Diego asked and slapped his hands together.
“Are you done sucking Mommy’s face, Daddy?” Ashley asked.
Beau heard Jayla inhale sharply and then narrow her eyes at Diego.
“Oh, shit, here we go again,” Beau said to Joseph, and then they both relaxed and watched the show.
The End