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E merson

Ten Years Later…

“Promise me that you won’t tease your brother too much,” I tell Anthony as he drives the SUV up the long driveway.

“Babe,” Anthony says, drawing my name out like our kids do when they’re pouting about something.

Dahlia and Kinsley both giggle in the back seat, used to their dad and uncles teasing each other.

We’re headed up to a cabin in Pennsylvania. We try to do a family vacation with everyone at least once a year. Normally, it’s over the winter break but Anthony took this year off to work on a new set so we planned two.

Ames and Alexander and their spouses are meeting us at the cabin, along with the boys’ parents. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone but especially about talking art with Arthur and Aileen.

Arthur retired from teaching at Harvard a few years ago, wanting to slow down and spend more time with his wife and grandkids, but he’s always up to talk art with me.

It will be nice to see Eden and Rory again too. I don’t get to see them as much as I would like, even though Eden and I live in the same city.

“Are we there yet?” Dahlia asks, leaning over the front seat.

“Almost,” I tell her as the roof of the log cabin comes into view.

The girls are excited to see their cousins and grandparents too. I think they’re more excited to be able to run wild for a few days.

I wish that Layla and Theo would have been able to come with us. They’re off in France, celebrating their sixth wedding anniversary. I think Theo had a photoshoot there in a couple of weeks so they’re planning on staying over there for a month or two.

Layla’s hit the New York Times Bestseller and USA Today Bestseller list half a dozen times in the last ten years. She just found out that her latest release has been pitched for movie rights and I couldn’t be more proud of her.

The cabin comes into view and I laugh as the girls start to bounce in their seats.

Ames is outside with Alexander and they’re both grabbing luggage out of the back of their cars.

Dahlia and Kinsley are out of the car as soon as the car has come to a stop and I climb out, stretching before I follow after them.

“Be nice,” I call out to Anthony as I follow the girls inside.

They’ve already found their cousins and I head into the kitchen, smiling when I see Aileen, Eden, and Rory gathered around the kitchen island.

They squeal, running toward me with their arms outstretched and I laugh as I hug each of them back.

“I’m so glad that you’re finally here,” Eden says as she squeezes me tight and I smile.

“Me too.”

I wash my hands and start to help them with dinner. If you had told me ten years ago that one day, I would be married to a famous comedian, living in New York, and working my dream job, I wouldn’t have believed you.

Not because I didn’t want all of those things, but because I would have been too afraid to even wish for those things.

Then I met Anthony on a random cross country trip and he had me wishing for all kinds of crazy things.

He’s my best friend, the love of my life, and all of my wildest dreams wrapped up into one.

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Looking for Ames and Alexander’s books? Then be sure to check out Ames and For Better or Worse today!