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“As I was saying…”
Then it happened.
The goat went for Scarlett’s bouquet.
He snatched it from her hand so fast that Scarlett didn’t seem to know it was gone for a few seconds.
Patches took off running down the aisle. I watched as Steed dove for him—thankfully he had handed Gage to Paxton. Then Mitchell went after the goat. Then Wade, who had given Amelia the baby. Patches had maneuvers a pro football player would die for.
Chloe sighed and shook her head, calmly walking toward her crazy goat.
“Here we go again. I told him to behave.”
Scarlett and I busted out laughing.
“What is happening?!” Pastor Scott cried out.
“Patches is what is happening! Steed Parker, you better get that bouquet or I’m going to put that damn goat down myself!” Waylynn cried out, joining in on the chase.
Gage called out, “Wun Patches! Wun!”
The goat stopped and looked straight down the aisle.
“Oh. No,” Scarlett and I said at the same time.
“Run! Save yourselves, he’s coming for the roses!” I yelled out.
And, boy howdy, did Patches make the best effort he could to get those roses on the trellis behind the pastor. But he came to a halt. Turned, eyed the diaper bag sitting next to Harley and quickly grabbed it and took off running.
Now Tripp was on the chase.
Turning back to Pastor Scott, I grinned. “You should just keep going, maybe cut the things that aren’t important.”
He nodded. “Right. Let’s do this again.”
As the pastor quickly had us say our vows and exchange rings, he told me to kiss the bride. Before I did, Scarlett grinned. “Told you three times was a charm.”
“Yes, you did, Mrs. Parker.”
Seven months later—Christmas Day
Nine kids.
That was how many were lined up on the floor in front of the Christmas tree. Aurora was nine months old and sitting in-between Chloe and Merit. The three of them were thick as thieves. Next to Merit were Rose, Max, Gage, John, and baby Hudson, Waylynn and Jonathon’s little boy who was born in early August. Next to Hudson was the youngest Parker baby, Shep. Mitchell and Corina delivered a healthy baby boy on September 12. Shep may have come into this world a little late, but he made up for it by being what everyone in the family declared the perfect baby. I didn’t think I had heard him cry yet.
Melanie and John were both lying on the floor, attempting to get the perfect picture of their grandchildren.
“Mom, you’d better hurry. Look at all those hungry eyes scanning the presents.”
“Oh, hush. Look at all my little angels. They’re all so perfect!”
“Mom, you need to hurry. Someone pooped,” Waylynn said, waving her hand in front of her face.
“Oh God, I smell it, too!” Mitchell said, making a gagging sound.
John chuckled and picked up Shep out of his carrier. “Glad you smelled it because it’s your son.”
Mitchell took Shep and kissed him on the cheek as he grabbed the diaper bag.
“That’s my boy, stinking up the whole family room on Christmas morning. Just like your Uncle Cord.”
Cord cried out and threw a pillow at Mitchell. “It was one time, Mitchell! One time! And I was sick!”
“Watch the baby, Cord Parker!” Melanie stated, pointing her finger at Cord.
I snuggled into Trevor’s side, taking everything in. We’d spent our Christmas together earlier this morning with Aurora sleeping next to us. My favorite moment was when Trevor opened the picture frame that held a collage of photos of him and Aurora in the NICU. One of his hand and her clutching his finger. One of her sleeping on his chest. One of Trevor smiling as he put her first outfit on. And the last was Trevor putting her into her car seat, her NICU Journey beads sitting around her little neck. When he finally stopped staring at the picture, he looked at me and gave me the most beautiful smile I’d ever seen. I didn’t want the moment to end. Now I wasn’t wanting this moment to end.
Chloe was holding Aurora on her lap, explaining the process of how to open a present. Aurora glanced between Chloe and the plethora of presents under the tree and all the blinking lights, her eyes wide with excitement.
“Scarlett, I wish your folks were here to enjoy this first Christmas with us,” Melanie said as she took Hudson out of his carrier and brought him to Waylynn. “Here, sweetheart, we don’t want him getting trampled when the all-clear is given.”
Waylynn beamed as she took her four-month-old son. Jonathon leaned over and gave the baby kisses all over his face, making him laugh.
With a soft sigh, I gave Melanie a half-smile. I’d finally cornered my father and asked him if he and mom were getting a divorce. Something had been strained between the two of them. When he confessed to not being my birth father, I thought it was odd I wasn’t upset, or at least surprised. Instead, so many things made sense to me in that moment. “Yeah, I wish they were here too, but they’ve been wanting to go on a cruise for a while now.”
