AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When you grow up in a family that’s anything but, the fear of letting anyone get close to you, of anyone knowing your truth, weighs heavy. So too does the anxiety of repeating painful patterns. Not that I was anything like my stepfather, but I still had a lot of anger about my past that needed to be let out. And it took a few years of tackling the subject head on for me to reconcile with it.
I’d never forget the abuse I endured, but it wasn’t going to define the rest of my life.
Both Reed and I faced our trauma and addictions head on and learned healthier ways to cope.
No matter what came our way, we always turned to each other.
Our life wasn’t perfect, but it was perfect for us.
A lot had changed, and we’d grown, together.
For the past two years I’d been working with Max, trying my hand at screenwriting. Reed always said I had a special way with words. At first, I thought my husband was being sarcastic, but it turned out, he was right.
Writing was something I never imagined I would love doing, but did. It was cathartic in a way that was not all that different from acting. And it gave me the opportunity to work from home most of the week. Between that and a few select acting roles here and there, I was busy and fulfilled.
When Kylie was born, Reed became a stay-at-home dad, and he was loving it. Not that he was completely out of the business either. Once a month he worked with Charlene at her casting agency, scouting for new talent. Following in his mother’s footsteps, Reed had a gift for mentoring fellow actors.
We still got calls to star in movies together, but we were holding off. Until the right opportunity came along.
Or, until my latest screenplay was finalized. Which happened to be today.
I had another surprise for my husband this weekend.
Some people buy their spouse flowers, I was giving Reed a script.
Hey, it worked for us.
“And guess who else is coming to visit next week?” Reed announced.
I stopped and turned to stare at him.
“Who?”
“Max and Dylan and the kids as well as Jared, Aiden, and Alex. And their kids.”
“You know what that means?” I said to Kylie.
“Pool patty!” she giggled.
“That’s right, a pool party,” I repeated and kissed her temple.
Reed stepped up to me and slid his arm around my waist, the other around our daughter.
Staring into his eyes, I saw the truth.
I used to chase the Hollywood spotlight. Never satisfied, always hungering for something more.
But this right here, the family that Reed and I had created together?
It was the light.
And I was so damn happy that it was our life.
