Between Him and Us Page 24

  Sometimes better, sometimes worse.

  There one day, gone the next.

  I was fortunate to get a second chance, but only because of Tyler and how much he loved me did Easton and I find that second chance together.

  Eight years later . . .

  “What’s tonight’s wager?” Easton raised one eyebrow, leaned in, and whispered close to my ear.

  “That depends.”

  “On?”

  “Daddy! Come. On!” Our five-year-old daughter argued, interrupting our private banter. “You’re stalling. I already raised you five gold fish crackers and a fun-size Snickers, what are you waiting for?” I turned my cheek and bit back my laughter.

  For a little thing, she had the sass of an entire high school cheerleading squad and the smarts like her daddy. Not to mention those rustic, honey-colored eyes that were going to have all the boys love struck and chasing her around.

  “Alivia. Sweetheart. Patience, remember?” Easton replied calmly.

  Until this day, he was patient as a saint. It didn’t matter that Alivia wasn’t his biological daughter. She would always be a Tyler, in more ways than one.

  “Yeah, yeah. It’s a virtue, I know,” she squabbled. “You’ve been singing that same song and dance for the last . . .” she raised her eyes to the ceiling and moved them side to side. Her dead giveaway when she was thinking hard about something. “Five years.” She smiled sweetly.

  Easton laughed while I shook my head, deciphering just how much we had our work cut out for us.

  “Daddy, come on.”

  Alivia Rae Tyler was our daughter. Tyler’s biologically, but Easton was her daddy.

  On the third anniversary of Tyler’s death, Easton came to me and we had a lengthy discussion about how I would feel if we went ahead and used Tyler’s gametes.

  Apparently, a few weeks before, a man had come to him in a dream. His face unrecognizable aside from his eyes, but Easton had known with every inch of his being it was Tyler. He didn’t remember anything else about the dream, but insisted that we revisit the idea.

  Easton was ready for a family and wanted it with me. During one of our many discussions on the topic, he brought up the fact that, had we met at a later time, I might have already been pregnant or a mother. So what difference would it be if we decided to go through with it, together?

  After giving it quite a bit of thought, a repeat visit to Dr. Hardy, and a few visits to the therapist, we did it. It made us the proud parents to the best, smartest, and sassiest little girl we could ever dream of.

  “All right, sweet pea. I think you’re bluffing, but I’ll match your five gold fish crackers and raise you one sour apple lollipop.” Easton stealthily snuck a lollipop from my stash and threw it into the growing pile of junk food. The only time Alivia was allowed sweets were when we gambled over hands of Go Fish.

  “Hey, that’s stealing,” I mockingly grumbled.

  “Don’t worry, Mommy.” She patted my thigh. “I got this. And when I beat his tush, I’ll give you your lollipop back.”

  “Why thank you, baby. That’s very sweet of you.” I twirled my fingers around her ringlets, not commenting on her choice of word. I turned to Easton and stuck my tongue out at him.

  “We girls have to stick together,” I reminded Alivia.

  “That’s right, Mommy.”

  “Are you sure about that, sweet pea?” Easton asked.

  “Um-hm.”

  “I’ll give you one more chance?” Easton attempted to persuade our little girl, but she wouldn’t budge. I had a strong feeling he had a winning hand and she would be devastated if she lost.

  Alivia was great at winning, but losing, not so much.

  “You’re absolutely, positively, unequivocally, one thousand percent—”

  Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling” came on, and Alivia jumped up, squealing in excitement.

  “Daddy! It’s the sunshine-in-my-pocket song. Dance with me.” She spun around, a wide grin pulling from rosy cheek to rosy cheek.

  This was where she took after Easton. Alivia had a crazy love for music and dancing and cooking. Just like her daddy. For a five-year-old, she could whip up the best pulled pork tacos I ever tasted, with Easton’s help, of course.

  Stepping from side to side, Alivia snapped her fingers, waiting for Easton to get up.

  “Hurry, Daddy. Before the song is over.”

  Reaching for her waist, Easton hauled her up and twirled her in his arms. They danced until the end of the second chorus, and then he set her on his feet, her hands in his, moving a little slower to the beat.

  She adored Easton when he did this with her. And he adored her just as much.

  “Mommy, let’s dance,” Alivia tossed over her shoulder.

  “Okay, one song. Then I have to go and pack your bag for Grandpa Roger and Grandma Sue’s house.”

  “Okay, Mommy.”

  Alivia might not know it yet that Tyler is her biological father, but we couldn’t keep it from Tyler’s parents. The first time I witnessed Roger holding his grandbaby, the tears of love and adoration in his eyes, I knew with all my heart, we had made the right choice.

  Struggling to get up from the floor, I felt my little guy kick—hard, taking after his daddy in the dancing department. I reached under my belly to support my growing stomach and rose to my feet.

  “Are you all right, Sunshine?” Easton asked, holding an arm open for me. I settled into his side while he danced with his two favorite girls. “Everything okay?”

  “Everything’s fine. Our little dancer here got a bit excited.” I laughed softly, and Easton kissed my nose.

  “I love you, Sunshine.”

  “I love you, too.”

  Two minutes later, the song ended, and we resumed our spots on the living room floor for another round of our rendition of Go Fish poker.

  Rearranging the cards in his hand, Easton looked at me and casually asked, “Have you decided on any more names?” I shook my head, still undecided but hung up on the names Kaleb and Ethan. Though, I never mentioned the name Ethan since Addie and RJ had already named one of the twins after Tyler.

  Easton was stuck on Jack, and thankfully, we had a little more time since tomorrow would mark just twenty-eight weeks.

  “I like Kaleb Ethan,” Alivia threw out nonchalantly, and I shifted my wide-eyed gaze toward Easton.

  He shrugged in confusion.

  “Where’d you get that name?” I asked gently, shock filling every part of me.

  “The angel,” she stated matter-of-factly.

  “What angel, sweet pea?” Easton sat up straight.

  “The one who would come and play tea party and dress up with me.” My eyes slid slowly to Easton, who looked equally as shocked.

  “What’s his name?” I inquired, equally nervous and cautious. I didn’t want to spook Alivia and have her not tell us.

  She shrugged her tiny shoulders. “I don’t remember, but he has really pretty eyes. The same like me and Daddy.” She looked up at Easton and smiled. “He’s really handsome, too, just like you, Daddy—and nice. He always tells me how special I am and that he loves me very much.”

  Tears streamed down my face. I looked to Easton, silently asking him if he was thinking the same thing. That Tyler was the angel our little girl spoke of.

  Easton smiled and then nodded. He pulled us both into his arms and whispered, “I love all of you so very much, including you, Kaleb Ethan.”

  In less than three months, I would give Easton his son, and our little family would be complete.

  THE END

  “They look real good together.” A part of me hated to admit that the girl of my dreams, the woman who owned my heart, who I was lucky enough to make my wife, looked happy and in love with another man.

  “That they do.” She patted my back, similar to the way my grandmother used to. “Thank you, Tyler. Thank you for your selflessness. I know how much my grandson would appreciate you suggesting to the Big Man”
—she pointed upward, her eyes smiling —“that we bring those two together.”

  “Don’t mention it, Ms. Georgia Rae. I would never want Lilly to be alone.” I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “She’d never admit to it, and it wasn’t as if she wasn’t an independent woman, but Lilly needs someone by her side. With such a big heart, it would be a waste if she didn’t share it.”

  We stood there, Ms. Georgia Rae and me, watching Lilly and Easton stroll hand in hand along the dock. The one place that had been hers and mine was also theirs. I stopped and took a minute to let it all sink in. It didn’t matter that we could no longer be together; I would love Lilly until the end of time.

  “You’re a noble man, Tyler.”

  “Thank you, ma’am.” I nodded once. “So, what happens now?”

  “We rest in peace. Nothing could be more beautiful than that.”

  She made a very valid point. No more hurt, no more pain and suffering. We would live out our eternal lives peacefully in paradise.

  “Will we ever see them again?” I asked nervously. I wasn’t sure how I felt about never seeing Lilly’s face ever again.

  “We’ll always be able to see them, but not the other way around. They might sense our presence, but that’s about it.”

  “Why is that?”

  “That’s just the way it is. Our work here is done. We’ve earned our wings, except I believe you earned yours quite a while ago.” She grabbed my hand and gave it a light squeeze.

  A shrill scream sounded through the air, and my heart stalled in my chest. When I turned to look, Easton had Lilly in his arms, playfully threatening to throw her into the water. My fear morphed into amusement, drumming up all the times we had horsed around in the same way.

  She squeezed his neck tight, repeatedly begging him not to do it, but I knew that look on his face. The crooked smile and raised eyebrow gave him away.

  “Easton, don’t you dare!” she screamed out her warning.

  “Or what? What are you going to do about it, huh, Sunshine?” he goaded and then chuckled, taking another step closer to the edge of the dock.

  “These are brand new wedges. They’ll be ruined.” She stood her ground, most likely cussing under her breath. My defiant and beautiful girl.

  “I suggest you remove them then.” He moved a step closer.

  “Easton Tyler!” she shouted just as he tossed her high into the air. “You’re going to—” She didn’t get to finish the threat. Water shot up a few feet high, catching Easton in the face. Lilly surfaced, treading water, mumbling a few curse words. She screamed again, then laughter erupted around us as he jumped in after her.

  “Maybe we should leave, let them be.” Ms. Georgia took my hand. “I know you’ll always love her, but don’t you worry, my boy Easton will take real good care of her. You can bet your wings on it.” She winked, and before I knew it, we were floating through a thick cloud of white.

  “I love you, Lilly. Always in love with you.”

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  Thank you to each and every one of you for your support, guidance, friendship and everything in between. I have so, so many of you to be thankful for. Whether it’s something big or small or somewhere in between, I couldn’t have done any of it without each of you.

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  To the Readers. Thank you for taking a chance on my work. I hope you have enjoyed this story as much as I did writing it.

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  At an adolescent age Nicole took a strong liking to reading and even had a pipe dream of writing her own book. But of course, life and growing up put reading on the far end back burner. Now she is excited to say that her dream has finally come true.

  A hopeless romantic, she has a love for romance novels which she credits her late, mother passing on to her and now an even stronger love to write her own stories.

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  SHE’S BEAUTIFUL SERIES

  The Beauty of Grace

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  Reclaiming Us

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