Part Two
Whitney
“Whitney!”
June squealed, her face lighting up as she swung the door open. “Come in!”
Whitney stepped inside, balancing their one-year-old daughter, Blu, on her hip. The toddler’s chubby cheeks were flushed from the cold, and her tiny hands gripped the edge of her mother’s sweater. Behind them, Fade ushered their growing pack of children into the house, their excited chatter filling the air. June stood back and watched the kids disperse like they owned the place—Justin immediately ran off in search of Patrick, while Valedia settled herself on the couch, clearly hoping Elodie would show up soon. The twins, Owen and Andy, plopped down next to Bridgette, the three of them immediately sizing each other up with the silent diplomacy of toddlers.
“You look beautiful, Whitney,”
June said warmly, closing the door behind them.
“Thank you. You’re still hot yourself,”
Whitney teased, her eyes twinkling.
June laughed, brushing a stray curl from her face. Wolfgang emerged from the laundry room just then, wiping his hands on his jeans. “Hey,”
he greeted, giving Whitney a warm nod before his eyes flicked to Fade.
Before Wolfgang could say more, Fade moved up next to Whitney and, completely unapologetically, grabbed her ass.
“Fade!”
she hissed, her face turning red even as she batted his hand away.
June raised her eyebrows, arms crossing with mock disapproval. “You guys trying for another one?”
Fade’s head jerked back in exaggerated horror. “No! No, we finally got the approval from Margaret to, you know…”
He made scissor motions with his fingers.
June’s eyes widened. “Wow. I didn’t think she’d ever let anyone get fixed.”
Whitney’s face broke into a wide grin. “I think we’ve met our quota.”
“Understatement of the year,”
June teased.
“Fade, can you give me a hand with something on the side porch?”
Wolfgang cut in, clearly amused but ready to redirect.
“Yeah, sure.”
Fade leaned down and kissed Whitney’s cheek before following Wolfgang. “You got them?”
“Yes. And if they riot, I’ve got June,”
Whitney replied, already reaching for Owen’s hand as he tried to make a break for the hallway.
Once the men were gone, June leaned against the counter, watching the kids with a fond smile. “It’s been three years, and I still can’t believe you got him to name the twins Owen and Andy.”
Whitney grinned, setting Blu down on her wobbly little legs, keeping a hand on each of her tiny fists for balance. “It’s only fitting, right? Besides, Valedia’s named after my mom. It’s all about balance.”
“Well, we couldn’t be sentimental with both our kids,”
June said, glancing over at Bridgette, who was currently trying to wrestle a toy away from Andy. “Wolfgang was too in love with the name Bridgette to decide on anything else.”
“She’s beautiful, though,”
Whitney said softly, watching the little girl with an affectionate smile. “Just like her mama.”
June’s face softened. “Thank you.”
Then her smile turned knowing. “Patrick only ever says the nicest things about Justin at school.”
Whitney snorted. “Well, Justin likes to brag that he’s the firstborn’s firstborn’s best friend. He thinks that gives him street cred.”
They both laughed, and Whitney released Blu’s hands, watching proudly as her daughter tottered toward June on unsteady legs. June’s face lit up, and she crouched down to scoop the little girl up, peppering her with kisses as Blu giggled.
“Life turned out pretty great, didn’t it?”
Whitney said softly, watching the easy joy of the moment.
“It did,”
June agreed, her eyes meeting Whitney’s. There was a warmth there. Gratitude, happiness, and the quiet understanding of two women who had been through so much and had come out the other side, stronger and whole.
The front door tapped, and Valedia shot off the couch like a rocket. “Elodie! Come see this game I got!”
she called excitedly, pulling the other girl inside without so much as a hello.
“Hi, Max! Hi, Shianne!”
June greeted warmly as the next guests stepped through the door. She balanced Blu easily on one hip and wrapped them both in quick hugs.
Shianne smiled as she slipped off her coat. “Oh—there was another car pulling in behind us,”
she added just as June reached for the doorknob again.