Epilogue
On the bright side, I’m not addicted to cocaine.
—Romina to Bernice
Bernice
“Mom!”
I ignored it.
“Mom!”
I ignored that, too.
“MOTHER!”
I eventually looked up from the presents that my kids were getting, then looked at the other grandkids, and felt ire light my veins.
“Children,” I said as they stared in shock at all the presents that they were getting, and all of the presents their cousins weren’t getting. “Can y’all go outside to play with your cousins?”
My precious angels got up and walked outside, catching the hands of their cousins on the way.
Their cousins looked dejected.
I wasn’t sure what the hell Vera was thinking, but this was unacceptable.
“You know,” I said when Vera ignored her own children. “This is something that I really think you need to do some soul searching on.”
Vera, who hated my guts but loved my kids, looked at me with narrowed eyes. “And why is that?”
“Because if you keep this up, you’ll be spending your life alone,” I said.
“Your husband has already threatened to leave you today. Your own children are fed up with you. And now you’re disappointing your grandkids.
You gave each of my children six presents.
The rest if the grandkids have one. A tiny one at that. Why would you do that?”
All of the kids were close in age.
The moment that Hux and I got married, we immediately started having kids.
All of the grandkids were within three years of each other.
So at five and six for my kids, and nine for Hampton’s oldest, then all the age ranges between, our kids knew when something wasn’t right.
And Vera’s attitude wasn’t right.
“It’s just presents.”
“It’s not,” I said. “This is beyond ridiculous. Yes, life isn’t fair.
I know what you’re about to say. But let me tell you something.
And I want this to really stick. You’re cultivating how they’ll treat you right here, right now.
And I can guarantee you, my kids won’t like you.
They’re being raised by one of the best men on earth, and that man can’t stand to be in the same room as you.
Do you think that won’t rub off on his kids if they see how you’re treating their cousins? ”
No comment.
I threw up my hands. “We’re out of here. Enjoy your Christmas.”
Heidi, Candice, and Romina followed.
Hampton, Harvey, and Bells already left the room after this shit started.
They’d noticed the shit that was about to go down and left before their anger could get the better of them.
Not that I could blame them.
Heidi had tried to hold it together, but the presents that came out from under the tree and into the pile in front of my kids had done the job.
“Wait! But we haven’t opened anything…”
“And we’re not going to,” I said as the door slammed.
When I got outside, it was to find Gerald, Hux’s dad, trying to convince the men to stay.
“Let’s just go to my place,” Hux said. “All of our gifts for each other are already there anyway.”
“What about dinner?” Bells asked.
“The new Chinese restaurant that just opened up downtown is open tonight. Let’s grab that.”
“Perfect,” I said. “Kids, truck.”
The kids scattered, half of them getting into the wrong vehicles.
I just shook my head and let it ride.
We were all going to the same place anyway.
When Hux drove us home, I turned around and looked at Romina’s youngest and said, “I love you, Moo.”
“Moo” was actually Morrie, but Moo for short.
Moo’s face was hard to read. But her next words made me realize why.
“Why does Grandma hate us?”
I heard the creak of the steering wheel as Hux’s hands tightened on the wheel.
“Grandma is Grandma, buddy. I don’t know why she does what she does.
Your dad and Uncle Hux, Aunt Heidi, and Uncle Hampton have had to deal with this crap from her for their whole life.
I think after this, though, you won’t have to deal with it anymore.
We’re just gonna let Grandma live her life by herself, and we’ll celebrate from now on without her.
No matter what, though, you’re special in our hearts. And that’s all that matters, okay?”
Moo smiled. “Okay.”
My daughter squeezed her best friend’s hand.
Born only a few days apart, they’d grown up as birth buddies.
They were practically twins at this point.
“It’s okay, Moo. We’re going to have a great time without her. This way she won’t make us organize her pantry, right?”
Moo fist-pumped. “Right.”
Hours later, as we watched the kids play with the boxes more than the toys, the eight of us sat at the table watching.
It was Romina who said, “I’m washing my hands.”
“Me, too,” Hampton growled. “No more.”
A knock at the door sounded, and Gerald arrived with a bag in his hand.
My brows rose.
“I left her,” he said. “I can’t deal with it anymore.”
Thank fucking god.
“Dad,” Harvey asked after a while. “Why does she not treat us fairly?”
Gerald scrubbed at his face. “I have no clue. She wasn’t like this before we had Hux.
But something happened in that hospital room, and it was like she came out a different person.
I should’ve left her a long time ago, but I just didn’t want to rock the boat.
I loved you guys and never wanted to make you choose. ”
“You should have,” Hux grumbled. “So who gets The Mercantile?”
“Me.” Gerald bared his teeth. “She can’t run it on her own. Plus, no one will work for her. The only reason half of them stay is because of me. She’s going to move to Florida with her sister.”
“Well, there is a God,” Candice groaned.
“Grandpa!” our oldest cried. “You’re here!”
Hux threw his arm around my shoulder, and I placed my hand on his wrist, my ring clinking against his watch.
He switched his grip and caught my hand, rolling the diamond around on my finger.
“It’s everything I ever wanted, baby,” he said into my ear.
I leaned my head against his cheek. “It’s everything I ever wanted, too.”
Hours later, we had a pile of kids in the living room on blow-up mattresses and in pillow forts.
Hux’s siblings had gone home, but they’d left all their kids behind.
As I stood there looking over them, the light of the Christmas tree in the background, I felt yet another fear in my chest melt away.
I’d survived.
I had everything I could ever ask for.
And I was safe in my husband’s embrace.
“Merry Christmas, baby.”
I twisted my lips to meet his. “Take me to bed.”
He didn’t make me ask twice.
He took me to bed and made sweet love to me.
His hips were thrusting, soft and easy, when he said, “I’m so glad I stalked you.”
I snickered. “You and me, both.”