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I swear, we really do love our kids. They’re the perfect mixture of the both of us.
We had our boy Denton first and our Sophia, or Fia as we call her exactly sixteen months later. Needless to say, after back-to-back pregnancies and c-sections, I made Jake go get the big snip. I wasn’t taking any chances. We found out with Den that the birth control shot isn’t as effective when you’ve been on it for a long time. We had only been married less than a year when realized our error. And that bullshit about not getting pregnant when you’re breast feeding? Yup, just an old wives’ tale.
But as much as we love them, we really like getting to be alone too. Having a six- and seven-year-old doesn’t leave a lot of alone time. People think the baby and toddler years are hard, but those were easy. They can’t just come barging into your room when you’re trying to have some naked fun with your husband like older kids can. And don’t even get me started with how quickly they pick up on things. You know, unless it’s how annoying they’re being, then all of a sudden, their deaf, dumb, and blind.
And being in this God-awful place in one of the hottest times of the year, with our parents and children, isn’t really adding to my mood. Happiest place on earth, my ass! This place is like a cesspool of sweat, odor, long lines and overpriced everything. Seriously, eight dollars for a bottle of water, are you kidding me?
“Could you two try and act like adults,” my mother chastises. “This is a happy family vacation. Fucking act like it, dammit.” You would think at her age she might’ve curbed her mouth a bit, but it’s only gotten worse. You have no idea how many calls from the school principal we would get after a visit from my mom. It took us two months to get Fia to stop saying fuck all day when she was four.
“You could’ve left us at home or at least the hotel,” Marrow mutters petulantly.
“Jacob!” His mother chides while holding up an ice cream for Fia, because it’s not like she’s old enough to hold it herself. Spoiled asses are the only grandchildren on either side and it shows. “You better start acting right, do you hear me? I am still your mother and can still take you out of this world just like I brought you into it.”
“Yes, Mom.” His teeth are clenched so hard I’d be surprised if we don’t have to take him to the dentist when we get back home.
The amazing wife that I am, I don’t even snicker at him. Okay, it’s mainly because my own mother is eyeing me like a hawk just waiting for her opportunity. But, whatever.
Finally, after a long day in hell, we’re finally back in our air condition hotel room after having just given the kids each a bath. Marrow is currently tucking them into the bed that they’re sharing because I sure as hell was not paying for two separate rooms at the insane price they charge, even if I sort of regret it now, as I sit on the balcony drinking wine and eating some expensive dark chocolate. At least at night it isn’t so hot outside like in the daytime. The warm breeze actually feels really nice, or the wine is making me feel that way.
I hear the sliding glass door open and close before Marrow plops down in the chair next to mine. I open up the little cooler we have and grab him a beer.
“Thanks,” he grunts as he takes it from my hand and pops the top. He chugs half of it in under a second. “I needed that.”
“There’s eleven more,” I mumble around the chocolate truffle I just shoved into my mouth.
He chuckles and shakes his head. “That might only take the edge off at this point.”
I look at him and smile. He’s still the most handsome man I’ve ever seen; even after years together, I only want him more each day. My man has aged like a fine wine that I want to drink all night long. Hmmm, yeah, I probably shouldn’t have pounded those two glasses after dinner when we first walked into the room. Oh, well.
We’ve definitely had our ups and downs over the years, but we’ve always made sure to talk it through. The last time we went without barely talking to each other was afterThe Dick Incidentas my mother started calling it. No matter what, we both make sure to get everything off our chests before we even go to bed that night. We both learned a valuable lesson all those years ago. Even if the make-up sex was hot, the misery beforehand was not.
Surprisingly, I still had nightmares for a few years even after Dominic was put away, though they completely stopped when he died in some prison fight or something. Which probably makes me sort of an asshole for not feeling the least bit bad that he died. But I worked through all of that with my psychiatrist who told me that it was normal to even be happy that my abuser was truly gone. It was a sort of closure to know that he couldn’t ever come back to hurt me again. I understand it, but still feel like a bit of a jerk.
Each year being married to Marrow is even better than the last. I swear, he is the sweetest man in the world, though he still thoroughly disagrees with that, something about being a badass or whatever. But I’m pretty sure badasses don’t play dress up and bake cookies with their daughters. But I could be wrong.
“I love you.” I sigh, with a dreamy smile on my face.
His lips twitch in that way that makes his beard move. “You talkin’ to me, the wine or the chocolate?” he questions.
My eyes narrow. “You, you jerk.”
He raises the bottle to his lips, “Just checking,” he mumbles before taking a sip. I may love him but there is still times I want to throw something at him. I have a feeling that we’ll be old and gray and I’ll still want to.
I stare at him blankly. “And?”
He glances at me as he runs his tongue over his teeth. “I bathed the little demons and put them to bed all alone so that you could drink wine and gorge yourself on chocolate. If that doesn’t say it all, nothing will.”
I nod my head. “Fair enough.” I raise my glass to him and he raises his bottle before stopping.
“What are we toasting to?” he asks with happiness shining in his eyes, a look I’ll never get tired of seeing.
I shrug. “Completing this vacation alive with some sanity left?”
He chuckles, but shakes his head. “How about to Tinkerbell and her Beast.” I’ve long given up getting offended over the height comments.
I raise my glass and clink it against his bottle. “May they live happily ever after, in a forest far far away from here!”
“I’ll cheers to that.”
