Epilogue
“Enjy, get some good shots. These are a part of the exclusive wedding issue,” I told my cousin, the photographer and babysitter I hired for mine and Luke’s honeymoon in paradise.
It had been a little minute since he’d asked me to remarry him, but after everything, I didn’t want to rush the planning.
We renewed our vows two weeks ago in the same spot of our first wedding, only this time we owned not only the family house but Luke also bought the land behind it, giving me the ultimate space to host all my parties.
“I know, Holli. I promise I got you, cousin. They gon’ be cute as hell. Trust me, girl, I got skills with a camera.” I gave her a stern look but knew better. Enjy fucked up a lot, but she was a master at capturing amazing shots. That was why I’d hired her full-time at the magazine.
I made my way over to Luke playing with our twins, Lamar James and Lilia James. Both of them were the spitting image of their daddy through and through. Well, with my attitude.
I kept the crazy tradition going with our firstborn sharing the same middle name, except I came with two.
“See there goes Momma,” Luke said, pointing to me as I got closer to my family. I took in his fuller beard and longer hair. Since he’d retired, he had been keeping it a bit longer than normal and I loved it.
Luke retired after the twins were born, walking away from the field with seven World Series titles to his name.
He now was a sports commentator, only calling at home for the game he still had a love for.
I started my magazine as I always wanted, working out of the very house where the dream was born.
It was only a year and half old, and growing, but I was damn proud of Black Girl Magic Magazine.
Luke helped me onto the blanket with them with not a second to spare as the twins both attacked me.
“Momma, momma,” they said in unison as both tried climbing me.
I grunted as I did my best to lift them onto my lap while Luke wrapped his arm around my waist, holding me tightly.
I took a minute to bask in this moment while looking at the ocean and the big blue sky, still not believing how I’d gotten here.
Some days I thought I would wake up any day and it would all be a dream, but so far it hadn’t happened.
I felt a sharp pain in my leg that had me frowning as I looked at Luke who wore a sly grin.
“Did you just pinch me, Deke?”
“Yeah, you were daydreaming again. I had to wake you up to live in our forever with me. It’s all real, Hershey.”
“Forever,” I said as he took my lips.
The End