Page 68 of Right Side of Paradise

Somebody’s Mama

My life was made up of too many moments I loved for me to play favorites.

But some would always linger at the forefront of my mind.

Marrying the three loves of my life on a whim during our Christmas vacation.

Then marrying them again because my grandmother felt a way about not being there with us. She was our flower girl and volunteered Mr. Tiny as our ring bearer.

Witnessing people embrace my creativity after a year of developing a series I didn’t think anyone would watch.

It had taken six months to gain traction, but when it did, it opened up so many opportunities I didn’t see coming. I got to spotlight this beautiful island I called home and collaborated with brands I never imagined.

Finally checking sex on the beach off my updated fuck-it list

It was on a private island and Christian got our butler to find a tent to make it happen, but it was amazing. We laughed through the whole thing, jumping whenever a wave crashing on the shore sounded too much like footsteps closing in on us.

That was my favorite part. The way we had fun, no matter what. Even after six years together, we were still evolving and learning each other. As life partners and not just friends.

Becoming someone’s mama.

August Theodore “Teddy” Donovan was the calmest baby I’d ever met. I thought because my pregnancy was so mild it meant he was gonna give us a run for it when he got here. But that wasn’t the case. He was sensitive and quiet. And so freaking affectionate.

“Mama, do you need a hug?” Case in point . The toddler asking the question through my door right now when he should have been in bed.

“I know that ain’t the child we put down two hours ago.” Rico cut his eyes at me, yawning as he plucked his readers off the bridge of his nose.

Rico had started graying around his temples last year and my God , I didn’t think I could be more attracted to this man.

“I’ll get him, baby.”

“No, you rest.” I waved him away, climbing out of bed. “I’m not that tired. I’ll read him a story.”

I slipped my robe over my shoulders and padded to the door to find my sleepy-eyed child on the other side.

His little head was tilted back to peer up at me.

“Hey, Teddy, what are you doing up?”

“You don’t need a hug?”

“I could always use one of your hugs, baby. You give the best hugs.”

I scooped him in my arms and walked toward the stairs.

He laid his head on my chest, nuzzling against me.

Opening the baby gate, I walked down the stairs until we reached the first floor.

By the time Teddy learned to walk, Rico had contracted someone to take down one of the walls upstairs and move the baby’s room to the third floor.

He hated the thought of a floor separating us and Teddy was making him stand on that decision.

Laughing quietly to myself, I sat down on the couch with my child in my lap and rubbed a hand over his hair. His coils were tight and soft just like mine. Just like Soul’s.

We didn’t know the official paternity results and didn’t know if we’d ever check, but I had my suspicions. It would make so much sense if Soul had put another Leo in me to even out the energy in this house.

“You wanna read a story, Teddy?”

“Yes!” He sat forward and looked at the books laid out in front of us on the coffee table. I had turned all our travels into coffee table books and Teddy loved hearing the stories that went with the pictures.

“Where do you want to go tonight? Bliss Peak? Mauritius? Thailand? Guatemala?—”

“Volcano!” he exclaimed before I could get the last word out.

“Okay, Guatemala it is.”

He sat back on my chest and waited for me to open the book. We walked through the pictures like it was our first time and he helped me turn every page, careful not to tear them.

“Did you know you were in my belly when I took this picture?” I pointed to a picture of me and Christian in front of a dormant volcano, a shaky smile stretching my lips and my husband’s hand at my back, rubbing away what he thought was altitude sickness at the time.

“When are my daddies coming home?” Teddy wanted to know.

“Tomorrow. They’re almost done traveling for daddy’s work.” I dipped my chin to kiss his head. “But I know they can’t wait to hug you when they get home.” Christian and Soul were away at a chapter event for the American Massage Therapy Association.

“Can I see grandma Gina tomorrow?”

“Mhm, we can have lunch.”

Soul’s mom, Gina, and Christian’s mom, Monica were heaven sent.

My relationship with my own mother had shape shifted a lot in the last three years.

She wanted the relationship with Teddy that his other grandmothers had with him but didn’t realize that wasn’t automatic.

It was still a work in progress, but Teddy at least knew who she was.

Meanwhile, he loved his grandpa Brock. He and my mother ended up getting back together, but that hadn’t been the awkward hurdle I thought it would be. He respected our boundaries when it came to my mom and my relationship with him now was stronger than it had been when they were first married.

Life had settled into a rhythm that was as good as it had ever been for me. I had everything I wanted in life and in love. All because I decided to stop running.

And it didn’t matter where the rest of this life took me, I would never regret coming home.