AllFreeNovel
Share Us
RHETT’S EPILOGUE
Hobo was right aboutparenthood being uncomplicated. I never need a roadmap to understand how to treat Clementine. Fatherhood suits me in a way I never expected. Sure, I was really excited to meet my daughter. She was a little Irina, who is my favorite person.
Yet, I’m surprised by how much I enjoy the day-to-day stuff—getting up with Clementine, feeding her, changing her little outfits, and carrying her around with me. Fatherhood is a damn breeze.
I don’t know what the fuck Asshole Lloyd was always bitching about when I was growing up. Hanging out with kids can be fun if you don’t demand they act like you.
The asshole dies not long after my daughter is born. I’m not invited to the funeral, of course. However, my club family joins me at the cemetery afterward. We piss on Asshole Lloyd’s grave as a final “fuck you” to the man who pissed all over my childhood.
Afterward, I turn off my feelings toward Asshole Lloyd. His death doesn’t bring me any joy. Hating him felt right for a long time. These days, I’d rather focus on Irina and the baby than obsess about the worst parts of my past.
Fatherhood admittedly turns me soft in a lot of ways. After all, Clementine is a delicate flower, easily frightened by loud noises. As a toddler, she fears motorcycles and cries when people argue.
My daughter is even shy around her own friends. I catch her wanting to join in with their wild fun. She’ll nearly talk herself into taking the leap before deciding to sit with Irina and me.
“I too scared,” she tells me when I ask why she doesn’t play when many kids are around.
Her fears make me worry that my baby might miss out on the fun. I never want her to suffer a single regret.
“You were shy, too,” Irina reminds me. “You still got tough and found your path. I was passive for most of my life until I spotted a gorgeous biker and went horndog crazy. Give Clementine time to find her footing.”
As much as I worry about my daughter missing out, I love how she’s a delicate flower. Like her mom, Clementine turns to me for reassurance.I’m her hero.My lap is her safe space. Clementine brings out a tender side of me that I lost when Jillian married Asshole Lloyd.
Though Fiona swore Walker and Clementine were destined to fall in love, they don’t even get along. Ruin’s boy thinks my princess is a crybaby. Clementine often claims he’s a bully. They may become a love match as adults, but they give each other plenty of space as children.
Rather than chase after Walker, my daughter adores Brigitte. They’re both quiet girls who love dolls and making up stories. When our group’s kids are together, Gavin tends to gravitate toward the creative girls rather than the rowdy boys. I don’t blame him. The girls’ stories are like Barbie-starring spy movies.
When Clementine turns two, Irina asks if we should try for another baby before it’s too late.
I’m not sure of the right answer. Our house is often full of kids, including my niece and two nephews. During the summer, they stay for weeks at a time. The boys go fishing with Hobo and me while Diva sticks close to Irina.
“She’s classy,” my niece tells me during our first winter at the house.
Grinning at how the kid gets it, I reply, “Yeah, I noticed that right off.”
With my busy life, I don’t really need another kid. Mostly, I’m afraid to mess up a good thing.
However, Irina clearly wants another baby. Her first three pregnancies were filled with loneliness, stress, and loss. I can’t imagine how relaxing this time could be.
We try for nearly six months before the test comes back positive. Irina keeps everything quiet out of fear of losing the baby. Wynonna figures it out, of course.
“I have a sense for these things,” she insists. “But I won’t tell anyone else.”
