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“And your…friend?” Julia asked her, pulling a chuckle from Avery making her eyes widen a hint in surprise.
“Meredith has protected Colleen the last four years. She’s her best friend and while I might not be totally okay with her being in love with Colleen, it was always one sided and they’ve only been friends,” he explained. “With what she went through, dating and men weren’t even close to being on her list of things to do, so Meredith stepped in, backing them down by claiming they were together. She’s still Colleen’s best friend and she’s moving into the apartment over the garage. The girls are going to rent out their house for now, but this way we don’t completely change Tommy’s world. He’s easily accepted moving in here and his new room, but he’s used to Meredith being there daily and I couldn’t begin to rip that away from him.”
“Can we meet him?” Julia asked, reaching over for her hands, the light in her eyes enough that even if she hadn’t intended to do just that, she would upon seeing it.
“What do you think, Tommy? Want to meet some of Mama’s friends?” Meredith asked from the doorway.
“Oh, my word,” Julia gasped seeing him.
“He’s his mama’s mini-me entirely,” Meredith said, bringing him over as he smiled, reaching for Avery first.
“He’s perfect, ours entirely, and no one will ever be able to tell me differently,” Avery said, kissing his cheek before turning him around to face the others. “So, you ready to be a grandma, Mom?”
“I’ve been ready for years,” she said, leaning closer to them, giving Tommy a huge grin as she opened her arms to him. He easily went to her, and Colleen had no idea why that simple gesture broke her control over her emotions over everything else.
Avery lifted her onto his lap, turning her into his chest, holding her as the tears escaped. His lips pressing soft kisses to her face while the others entertained Tommy.
“He’s so amazing, Colleen,” Julia said, hugging her around Avery’s hold. “Thank you for sharing him with us.”
“Should we be expecting a wedding sometime soon?” Alana asked, laughing as Tommy let out a huge giggle while Gabriel tickled him with his stuffed puppy.
Colleen breathed in deeply, shocked by it a bit, but even more by Avery’s response. “The moment she’ll have me back entirely.”
“You want…” Her words were cut off by his kiss, his hold the sweetest heaven ever, and she leaned fully into it.
“I’ve wanted you as my wife from the moment the papers were signed. There’s never going to be a moment I don’t want you as mine—you and Tommy.”
“Okay,” she said, crying-laughing at the surprise on his face.
“Okay?” he stated, holding her face and she nodded.
“Okay,” she told him again, “but…just something small this time. Okay?”
“Whatever you want, baby. Anything you want,” he agreed, and they spent a few more minutes wrapped in one another before the timer went off pulling a chuckle from him as his dad’s eyes lit up with interest.
“Did Colleen cook?” Addison asked, pulling laughs from the others when they confirmed it.
Colleen was relieved everything went smoothly and over the next few weeks, her heart expanded seeing Julia and Gabriel with Tommy. Three weeks later, she stood in the huge sunroom, Meredith beside her, Tommy in her arms, as Avery gave her a kiss, making her his wife once more.
“How’s that for a second chance?” Daniel joked when they finally parted, patting Avery’s shoulder, giving her a smile. “Don’t fu…dge it up this time, man.”
“Not a chance,” Avery assured her, holding her close long after their last guest left.
Epilogue
Colleen laughed as she opened the door, unable to help it after seeing the state of Avery’s once spotless black pants. They were now covered in splotches of white paint from tiny fingers. She hoped it was just the finger paint. It at least would wash off.
Her smile fell a bit seeing the woman behind the door, a police officer behind her. They’d given her the gate code so she could pull into the driveway without having to wait on them, the same way Julia and Gabriel, Addison, and Alana all could if they were stopping by to visit. “Pamela, what are you doing here?”
“Do you have a few minutes to talk?” the social worker asked, her eyes lifting as Avery slid up behind her.
“Is everything okay?” he asked as they let the woman inside, his eyes going back to the police officer that stayed next to the car.
“It looks like someone’s been having fun,” Pamela said, her eyes roaming over his pants and the papers covering the living room floor.
“Always when Daddy’s doing playtime,” she said, lifting their youngest and newest adopted little girl into her arms. She was only eighteen months old. They’d had her first to foster from the time she was four months old, but she was entirely theirs now, so there shouldn’t be a need for Pamela to stop back by to check on them.
“I was hoping to talk to you, and Avery,” Pamela added, surprising her a bit, but she nodded as Tommy came over, taking Melanie giving Pamela a nod.
