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Alden’s head jerks up. “What?”
A.J. is thrilled with his sudden status as center of attention and nods, smiling. “I swear! I saw it! Finn kissed Emily on the mouth and then Eli shoved him and pow!” He swings his fist through the air.
Alden stands up and I grab his arm. “Nope. Let Paul break it up.”
“She’s twelve.” His shock is adorable.
“She’s a few months younger than I was the first time you climbed in my window.”
He groans and flops into his chair. “I’m nailing her window shut.”
Laughter rings out from everyone, and he looks over at me with a smirk. “I have a sudden urge to call and apologize to your father.”
Paul returns to report that he sent Eli home, and that Finn, Emily, and Rosa are sitting on our front porch.
“You should go hang out with them,” Alden tells A.J. who is only happy to oblige.
I shake my head at him, biting back a grin. “Den, they’re about to be teenagers. It’s going to be a long ride. Better get ready.”
I understand how he feels. It’s hard to watch your children make that leap when you remember how it felt. They have so much ahead of them. So many strong emotions to battle, both good and bad. It’s a strange feeling to be happy for them, for all the adventure and life coming their way, all the things they’ll experience for the first time. While also being terrified because life is also hard and bitter and not everyone gets their happy ending like we got ours.
Not that our lives have been perfect. Alden and I have had our struggles like most couples. We had a lot of trauma to work through that we didn’t always handle in the right way, but we never wavered in our love and devotion to each other. There was never judgement.
I’ve learned that everyone is damaged. Everyone is struggling. Most of us just distract ourselves from it. You have to love people where they are, flaws and all. That’s never been an issue for us. Loving each other came as naturally as breathing.
A lot of memories never came back to Alden. So many special moments that we shared belong only to me now. But we’re creating new memories together. A lifetime of them.
I’m reminded of that every time I walk in our bedroom where the broken trellis hangs on the wall. It holds a picture of Alden kissing me the day Emily was born. Two shiny coins, pressed flat by a train over twenty years ago, adorn either side.
Love and luck.
The End
