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“Baby, you got hurt while arguing with your brother about me. All I’ve done is ruin things since I came into your life. I left you to deal with a pregnancy that wasn’t planned, being a single mother while starting your career.”
Haddie opens her mouth, but I shake my head. I know she’s still sore and it hurts to talk. Madison must sense our tenseness because she starts to fuss. I take her and hug her tight. “Shh…It’s okay, sweetheart.” I kiss the top of her head and she rubs her forehead against my chest. I love when she does that.
“How cud you fink I’d regwet anything?” she says as she looks between the two of us.
“I almost took one of your pain pills. I had it in my fucking hand and was ready to pop it into my mouth. I knocked the bottle into the sink and that stopped me from taking it.”
She grabs my phone from the coffee table. “Call Mawk. Pwease, don’t weave. You can’t keep wunning when fings get hawd.”
A part of me wants to cry, but damn, a part of me wants to laugh because I know she’s being sincere and heartfelt, but she sounds so adorable trying to talk.
Haddie crosses her arms over her chest and I know she knows what I was thinking. It is confirmed when she flips me the middle finger.
I grab her hand. “I’m sorry, baby. You’re right and that’s why I love you. I’ll talk to Mark and I’ll go to a meeting.” I pull Haddie’s hand to my lips and kiss the back of it. “Thank you for supporting me, loving me, and kicking me in the ass when I need it.”
She takes Madison back, I grab my phone, and then head outside to call Mark.
Haddie
I pull up in front of Joe and Chloe’s place and park.
It’s been two weeks since I got hurt. My teeth are fixed, the splints were removed from my nose yesterday. It’s still a little swollen, but not noticeable if you don’t know me. The bruising is gone in some spots and an ugly yellow color on others.
I decided, and Chris helped me see, that it was time to make up with Joe. Life’s too short and we almost lost him once—I’d never forgive myself if something happened to either of us and we didn’t work things out.
Madison is with her daddy and they’re visiting Grandpa Robert. I climb out of the car and take a deep breath before walking up to the door. It opens as I step onto the porch where my gorgeous sister-in-law is standing.
We walk right into each other’s arms, hugging each other tight. It takes a second to realize that there’s a belly pressing into mine. I step back and look down, sure enough, she’s got a small baby belly. “OMG, you’re having another baby.”
“Yep, a little girl.” She rubs a hand over it. “We just started telling people. I kept cramping and spotting and we just wanted to make sure she was here to stay.”
“Oh wow, I’m so happy for you. I hope she’s gorgeous, that’ll be Joe’s payback for his naughty ways,” I tell her and spot Joe standing in the living room.
Chloe throws her head back, laughing. “That’s what I told him.” She turns to look at him. “Didn’t I?”
“Yes, you did, repeatedly.” He comes toward us and wraps his arm around her. “Little man is zonked out. Why don’t you go get some rest?” She nods and then accepts his kiss.
My brother rubs her belly and kisses her one more time before she disappears down the hall. He turns back to me, and I hate the look of sadness I see in his eyes. I step toward him and hug him around the middle. It takes him barely a second before he’s got me in a bear hug. “I am so, so sorry,” he says into my hair. Joe squeezes me tight, but careful of my face. “Does he make you happy?” I nod. “He loves that sweet little girl.”
“He does, and she loves him. They’re so cute together. She’s starting to crawl, and they get down on the floor, facing each other. He makes animal sounds, and she does this sweet giggle and then she crawls to him. He begins bench pressing her. It is the cutest thing ever. If you’d take a chance on rebuilding your friendship, this improved version of Chris is pretty amazing.”
Joe is quiet for a moment. “How’d you get to be so wise?”
“I love you, big brother.”
He kisses the top of my head. “I love you, baby sister.”
“Dadda.” We turn to find Joe’s son, JJ standing in the hallway, rubbing his eyes. He smiles and runs toward us, right to his daddy.
My brother scoops him up and kisses his cheek and blows raspberries into his little clone’s neck until he squeals. I reach out, brushing his hair out of his face. “Hey buddy.”
He smiles at me and gives me a big ol’ smooch.
I don’t stay too much longer, but when I leave, I feel better about everything.
One month later
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