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TEN YEARS LATER
Elias
I sit on the park bench, smiling as Hudson walks across the park, carrying Parker on his shoulders.
My four-year-old son loves it when his uncle carries him like that, his arms at his sides, making flying noises.
Jaxton – or Flying Jax as he’s calling himself lately – is shooting hoops at the other end of the park with a few of his school friends. Our eight-year-old loves basketball.
I’ve got our newest addition, little Amelia, making soft noises as she sleeps.
Have you gotten lost?I text Della, using a laughing emoji.
She replies.I still can’t get used to you and this emoji thing.
I grin, sending dozens of laugh emojis.
I’ll be there soon. Love you.
Love you too.
Della took Rosalee to get ice cream. She’s our firstborn, and the moment Della cradled her in her arms, she whispered her name.
It was her mother’s middle name, Della’s grandmother’s name, and Della just knew it was the right fit.
I place my phone away, conscious of how carried away it’s possible to get, especially when everything we have, everything we’ve built, started with a text.
I smile as Jaxton shoots another hoop. He turns, catching my eye, and I give him two big thumbs up. I’d usually clap and call over, but he knows I can’t with Amelia sleeping next to me.
His grin gets even wider, and he returns my thumbs up.
I turn as Tina walks into the park, her two sons at her side, twin six-year-olds. They look so much like Hudson, with their brown hair, and they look a little like our kids, too, the little touches passed down from Hudson and Della’s parents.
Hudson carries Parker over. “I think this one’s a little tired.”
I grin up at my brother-in-law and business partner.
After starting as a trainer, Hudson threw himself into every task with commitment. He had the idea to branch out and franchise. He handled all the logistics, leaving me to make more money on the market and fund his projects.
It worked, and now we’re equal partners.
It makes me proud of how far we’ve all come.
He lowers Parker down, sitting him next to me.
Parker grins up at me, putting his finger to his lips. “Shush, Daddy.”
I reach down, gently ruffling his black hair. Dad often says he’s the one who looks most like I did at that age.
Tina sits, smiling over at me.
“Beautiful day, isn’t it?” she says, keeping her voice quiet.
I smile. “It is. Della’s going for ice cream. Would your boys like anything?”
“Yeah, if it’s not too much trouble.”
“The usual?”
