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She reaches inside her bag on the floor and rummages through it. “I thought it was a false alarm at first and didn’t believe the tests. I know I should’ve waited for you to go to the doctor, but I got so excited and I didn’t want to disappoint you too in case it wasn’t real. The next thing I know, I made an appointment and…” she retrieves a sonogram. “I am pregnant, Cole. It’s true this time.”
She places the sonogram in my palm and I stare at the
little life pictured there. The baby that Silver has dreamt about since that day ten years ago when we found out it was a false positive.
And because she yearned for it, I wanted it with my whole heart, too. Anything that Silver wants automatically becomes my dream.
“You’re pregnant,” I repeat, staring between her and the sonogram.
She grabs my hand and places it on her stomach. “Our baby is right here, Cole.”
I stroke her hair away from her face, unveiling her ecstatic expression, despite the tired look in her eyes and paleness of her skin.
“It’s finally here.”
“It is.” She kisses my cheek softly before pulling back. “Thank you for giving me this.”
“Thank you for being mine, Butterfly.”
She stands on wobbly feet, hugging me, and I tighten my hold around her as she whispers against my chest, “Always.”
V
The Group
21
Astrid
Age Thirty-one
I never realised just how vibrant Levi’s group of friends was until we started meeting for dinners like this one.
The Meet Up has become too small for everyone and their kids. Our twin boys, Brandon and Landon, are playing with their cousin Eli, Remington, who’s Teal and Ronan’s boy. Cole and Silver’s daughter, Ava, is barely walking as she holds on to Cecily, Kim and Xander’s daughter.
Our third baby, Glyndon, is with her grandparents. She’s thoroughly a Grandpa’s little girl — from both Jonathan’s and Dad’s sides. Like, she barely leaves them and she’s the only one Jonathan doesn’t mind when Aurora brings her over.
Levi is playing chess against Aiden, and Cole is helping my husband cheat because he’s in for anything that includes bringing Aiden down.
Elsa, Silver, and I are preparing the drinks while Teal and Kim are trying to ward off their husbands from stealing all the food.
Nothing ever changes. The horsemen are all still playful in one way or another. They merely grew up and with that, they’ve become more ruthless about what they want.
Levi quit football as of the last season, while he was at the peak of his career. He’s now leading King Enterprise with Aiden.
Jonathan, although now in his mid-fifties, is not letting them have full control. However, he’s slowly loosening his iron grip with each accomplishment Aiden and Levi bring to the table.
And in a way, I think his complete devotion to his wife is what’s making him pull back a little in favour of the younger generation.
Jonathan will always be Jonathan with his controlling nature and scary wrath, but ever since Aurora came into his life, he’s turned a new page, especially with Aiden and Levi. Now, it feels as if they both respect him, despite how they disliked and clashed with him in the past.
That’s why Elsa and I thank Aurora every chance we get. She tamed the lion, and we will forever be grateful for that.
I’m proud of how far Levi has come. He went after his football dream, and when he knew that his career wouldn’t last much longer, he switched back to the family business. It wasn’t because of Jonathan’s extortion — although he did make him study business at the same time as playing football at the beginning.
Over the years, my husband has been growing into this focused person whose only care is his family. He loves me and the children beyond words. We’re constantly at the forefront of his mind in anything he does.
When I have an upcoming exhibition, he sometimes spends the entire day with the children outside so I can focus. And if they happen to stay in the house, he teaches them that their mummy needs to concentrate so she can make masterpieces. When Landon asked him what’s a masterpiece, Levi told him it’s something like him, his brother, and his sister.
