Page 42 of Right the Wrongs (Broken Vows #5)

“So, I guess you didn’t get a vasectomy then,” Charlie comments.

Griffin shakes his head. “No, I did. Apparently, I managed to sneak one more past the goalie before that, though.”

I can’t help but laugh. For some reason, I always find him hilarious when I’m pregnant and incredibly sexy. Actually, that is all the time. It’s pretty much how I ended up pregnant with my fifth child.

“Our babies will be about the same age,” Harlow exclaims. “Elisa, our little one, and the new baby Hale, will be their own little posse.”

“Julio and Will are in the process of adopting a little boy,” Charlie adds.

“I’m building a playground,” Griffin declares.

“Is there space for new members?” Ben asks.

We look over and see Elisa playing alongside baby Maggie.

“I think there’s room,” I answer.

“What do you say, Bessie, want to have another one?” Donovan asks her.

“We are the only ones with only one kid. I feel kinda left out,” she replies.

Harlow grunts, then grabs the side of her belly. After a moment, she exhales long and slow. “We’re going to be seeing this little one any day now.”

“Are you in labor?” I ask her.

“Braxton-Hicks,” she replies.

“What did the doctor say earlier?” Griffin asks.

“That she’s already starting to dilate, and it can be any time,” Scott answers. He’s got a tense look on his face. The one that all the dads in this group have worn at one time or another.

Hell, I’ve been pregnant three times, and Griffin has had that same look each time. While childbirth is miraculous and all, it also comes with risks. No man who loves his wife isn’t equal parts excited and terrified. Scott is definitely a man who loves his wife.

Hattie pulls Harlow aside to check her out. After a couple of minutes, she comes back to the group. “Ben, Heather, I’m so sorry, but I think we’re all going to the hospital.”

“The baby’s coming?” Scott asks. You can hear the sound of rising hysteria in his voice. “I need to go get her bag and the car. I think the bag is in the car. I just…where is my car?”

“Calm down, Kid, we’ve got your back. Also, your car is parked out front. We’ll get you both to the hospital safely and in plenty of time. Now, let’s go to your car. Hattie will take the girls home, and I will take you to the hospital.”

After the twins were born, we decided that we shouldn’t all descend on the hospital to wait for the new baby.

First, we have too many kids among all of us.

Second, the nurses all get a glassy-eyed look when Griffin, Charlie, and Donovan are all together.

I can only imagine what would happen if we add Scott to the mix.

Something about seeing buff men holding a tiny baby that makes a woman ovulate.

We will go to the hospital, but in shifts, in case Scott and Harlow need anything. Charlie will go first. He already called it months ago. He and Scott have developed a weird bond, mostly based on Charlie insisting on having a “dad gang.”

So much has changed over the years I’ve known all these people.

Charlie is no longer a player jumping from one woman’s bed to the next.

Griffin isn’t as grumpy as he was. In fact, and don’t let him hear this, he’s pretty cheerful most of the time.

Just uses very few words. Donovan, well, he’s actually pretty much the same, only married.

We’ve settled down, sure, but I’ve learned that doesn’t mean we’ve become boring. Life in this family will never be dull, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

When Griffin and I leave my childhood house, I feel at peace. Selling it had always been a strain on me. I felt like I’d let them down by not being able to keep it. Now I see that I was only a small piece in its story. The memories are still mine, no matter who the house belongs to now.

When we get back home, the moving trucks are still parked out front. Griffin gets Elisa out of her car seat. She’s sound asleep, safe and comfortable in her father’s arms.

“I’m going to go put her down,” he whispers and kisses me on the cheek.

“Parker, Clark, and Logan, follow your dad upstairs and get ready for bed,” I tell them.

We were in Harriston until late, then we had almost an hour to drive home. They were tired when we left, and if we don’t get them in bed soon, they’re going to get a second wind.

“Are you coming?” Griffin asks.

“In a minute,” I promise.

He goes into the house, and I pull out the scrap of paper he’d written Liam’s mom’s contact info on.

I wait a few minutes, and Liam comes out of the house. I extend the paper to him, not really knowing what to say.

“What is this?” he asks and takes the paper.

“Your dad was going to go try to convince your mom to come here and answer any questions you might have. I talked him out of it, but I didn’t really have that right. He didn’t either, but you should get to have the choice,” I say, and start to turn away.

“Hey, wait a second,” he calls after me.

“Yes?” I turn to face him, but I don’t go back over.

“I am sorry. I know I’ve said that before and then hurt you again, but I really am sorry. I wish I had the answers for you, but the truth is I don’t know why I acted the way I did. The only reason I’m not the same worthless sack of shit now is that I really have changed,” he says.

“I know.” And I do know. It doesn’t change anything, but I guess it is an answer.

“Doesn’t change anything, does it?” he asks.

“What would you want it to change?” I ask warily.

He shrugs. “I guess nothing. I’m still where I want to be, and so are you. I’d just like to see my dad without so much friction.”

“No more friction. I think the space will be good for all of us. This is the way it is supposed to be. Call your dad, make plans. We’ll make it work.”

“Are you sure? I know my relapse brought back some bad memories for you. I understand it can’t go back to the way it was,” he says.

“Do we want it to? We were pretending everything was fine, but was it ever really?”

Liam shrugs. “I guess not, but how do we move on from here?”

That is the key question. For the first time in a long time, we’ve dropped all pretense. There may have been love between us, once. I am not completely sure about that, but I’m going to assume maybe there was. For way too long, there’s only been animosity.

“I forgive you. That doesn’t mean that what you did to me is okay, or that it won’t pop up to bother me from time to time.

But, as long as it is within my ability to do so, I’m letting it go.

I thought I wanted answers from you, but I really just wanted to know that Griffin wasn’t you.

I know that now. We will all have holidays, barbecues, birthday parties, and the like as a family.

Day to day, we will have space from each other.

It’ll help me let the past go, and hopefully give you and Claudia a clean slate to move forward. ”

“Do you think I should call her?” he asks me, looking at the paper I gave him.

“I can’t answer that for you. I would talk to Claudia about it before you do anything.”

He shakes his head. “I really didn’t deserve you. I think I’ve always known that. I’m sorry I didn’t let you go back then.”

“We can’t change the past. All you can do now is try to deserve Claudia,” I tell him.

“Believe me, I’m going to try like hell to do that.”

“Good luck on the fresh start,” I tell him.

When I turn and walk away, I feel lighter. For the second time today, I am leaving the past where it belongs, and Liam is best left there. He might be Griffin’s son, and he’ll never really be out of my life, but he’s not the center of Griffin’s concerns, and that will have to be enough.

Back inside the house, I go looking for Griffin. I find him standing outside Parker’s room.

I run my hands up his back. Partly to let him know I’m behind him, but also because pregnancy hormones make me want to pet him.

“They’re growing up so fast,” he says in a hushed voice.

“They are, but we’ll have Elisa and this little one for quite a few years still,” I say, rubbing my still flat stomach.

“I just want to stop time. Keep them all little and here with us,” he says.

“You’re having a hard time with Liam moving,” I observe.

“I’m sorry. I am not trying to put any of that on you,” he says.

I push him to turn around. “It’s okay. I made my peace with Liam. I know that it’s hard for you to be away from him. You raised him alone, and for a long time, it was the two of you against the world. I am here for you, even if the issue is my ex-husband.”

“When did this epiphany come?” he asks.

“It’s been coming slowly. I gave him his mom’s contact info. I should have asked you before I did it, but I thought he had a right to any answers he might be seeking. I realized that we’re all just people bashing our way around the world. He doesn’t know the whys of anything any more than I do.”

“What do we do from here?” he asks me.

I shrug. “The best we can.”

“As long as you’re next to me, I’m in for the good and the bad. Till death do we part,” he swears.

I think back to the conversation I imagined with my mom. “Even then, it’s only a pause. You and I are eternal.”

He scoops me up in his arms. “Damn right we are. I love you with everything I am, in this life, and beyond.”

We might have started out wrong, but his love set everything right.