When all is gone, how can I believe she'll stay for better or for worse?
When all is gone, how can I believe she'll stay for better or for worse?
"Babe, your coffee is getting cold." Sasha hollered as I was waking our one year old kids up, Ashley and Avery.
I sighed. It feels like it's been forever since I first felt them stirring in my stomach. Well, Ashley was. Our first daughter was Ashley, and she is rapidly growing and now, she can giggle and blurt incoherent words. Avery was carried by my wife but he's biologically mine. There wasn't a doubt about it though. His hair was dark brown, his eyes are hazel and he has light brown skin, while Ashley is blonde and blue-eyed with light skin. They were angels sent to me by God.
"Hey, babies. Your Mommy made breakfast for all of us and she'll be pissed if you guys don't wake up soon."
As I said that, Avery opened his soulful hazel eyes slowly and he smiled at me, showing his pair of teeth.
He giggled as I stuck my tongue at him. Hearing his adorable voice, Ashley stirred and with a scowl, she smacked her brother straight on his face. Avery started sniffling and his sobs were getting louder. I picked him up then danced around while singing him a lullaby. Ashley started crying out of jealousy, not understanding why her brother gets to be carried while she was stuck on her bed.
"Babe. Can you please tend to Ashley?"
She sighed. "What did you do now?"
She entered the room and took Ashley out of their shared crib. But instead of fixing the problem, it made things even worse. Ashley cried harder and extended her arms to reach out for me.
"Oh shit. Carry Ash, I'll take Aves."
We switched the babies we were carrying and Ashley stopped crying immediately. Avery whimpered but he stayed quiet.
Sasha sighed. "It's obvious you're the kids' favorite."
"That's not true, baby. I bet when they grow up a bit, they'll love you much more than they love me. Just give them a little time."
"You're so cheesy." She laughed. "Come on, let's eat. I have our day planned out perfectly so we'll be busy." She smirked.
"Does that plan involve you and me, naked and lying on our bed?" I asked.
"Shush." She shook her head. "The kids will hear." She winked. "But we'll see."
"Mm. Can't wait." I pecked her lips.
We left the children's room and we went into the dining room to eat our late breakfast. There was bacon, pancakes and eggs on the oak table and two steaming mugs of coffee.
"Whoa. First off, babe. You love having fruits and oatmeal for breakfast, anything with grease is a huge no." I laughed. "Besides, what am I gonna feed these buggers?"
She rolled her eyes at me. "Ever heard of Cerelac? And besides, this day is for you. I'll eat whatever the hell you want to eat."
"Aw..." I cooed, planting a chaste kiss on her lips. "That's really cheesy Sasha."
I strapped Ashley on her pink and green highchair while Sasha did the same for Avery in his olive green and blue one. Sasha took out their bowls and filled them with Cerelac mixture that she pre-made. I took their sippy cups and filled them with apple juice. Sasha stopped and stared at Avery halfway through sitting down on her chair.
"What's wrong, Sash?" I asked worriedly.
"Avery is a real smart boy. Look at him, he was the first one to actually say something and he's feeding himself now. He's a great kid."
I looked at Avery. Sure enough, he was trying to spoon some of the formula into his mouth. He was failing miserably, creating a huge mess but for a year old, he was really trying.
"Yeah. Well would you look at that." I said while sitting next to Ashley.
If you ever had a baby, you would know firsthand that multi-tasking between feeding and eating is difficult. But I got the hang of it.
"Here comes the airplane! Whoosh." I said as I fed another spoonful of the mixture to Ashley.
Ashley giggled and opened wide, waiting for the spoon to enter her mouth. She gobbled it up happily, smiling smugly at Avery. But Avery didn't care. Instead he just ate his mixture in silence, watching his mommy intently while she spooned some into his mouth.
"Here comes your airplane." Sasha warned me before shoving a piece of pancake in my mouth.
"Hm. It's not burned, and not undercooked. What can I say, Sash? Your cooking skills are improving." I teased, laughing a little after chewing the piece of pancake.
Sasha glared at me. "Hey!"
"I love you, babe."
"Mhm." She mumbled. "I love you too."
After breakfast, we showered and got dressed. Sasha told me that we were going somewhere formal so I wore a floral dress with a knitted sweater. While waiting for Ashley and Sasha to get out of the bathroom, I went through Avery's clothes and found a green polo shirt and a pair of black jeans. I put a diaper on him and proceeded to get him dressed.
"Looking good." Sasha said as she entered the room with Ashley in her arms. Ashley was wrapped up in a pink towel like a burrito while Sasha was in a yellow robe.
"Which one? Avery or your cute wife?'
She tapped a finger on her chin. "Hm. Both." She answered, kissing me softly.
We got Ashley in a cute yellow dress with a matching hair band and she had her diaper underneath. We both put on their shoes, boots for Aves and sandals for Ash. I carried both of them to the living room to watch Sofia The First and I left them there for a while to check on Sasha.
When I got to the room, Sasha was stark naked, taking a baby blue dress out of her closet. Her eyes met mine and she was telling me the message "well are you just going to stand there".
"God, Sash. You're so hot." I said in awe.
"C'mere. We have ten minutes." She hooked her finger up, telling me to come closer.
I practically ran to her but I tried controlling myself. As soon as she was in arm's reach, I was fondling her right breast like crazy. My other hand found her butt and I started squeezing the life out of it too. Her lips found mine; her kisses were needy but passionate and so full of love. I was just about to enter her core with two fingers when there was an unmistakable sound of a doorbell.
Ding, dong
"Who the hell is that?!" Sasha growled.
"I'll go check." I said.
"Don't you dare leave me, Shea Moore." She snarled.
"I have to. It might be important. Go get dressed."
I walked out of the room to check on the gate and I swear, I heard Sasha stomp her foot so hard I think it broke her ankle.
I opened the gate of our house and I was greeted by Sasha's brother Sam with a bag of toys and pillows for the kids. I opened the gate and let him in.
"Are you all ready?" He asked once he was inside the living room.
"Ready for what, exactly?"
He looked at me weirdly then realization flashed on his face. "Oh. Right." He hugged Avery and carried Ashley.
Sasha left our room and shut the door carefully. "Hey, doofus."
"Hey, buttbreath." Sam answered nonchalantly.
Sasha was wearing a grey jacket over a yellow dress and had her sunglasses on her head like a hairband. Her hair was falling over her shoulders like a golden waterfall, framing her cerulean blue eyes. She went from looking at Sam, to me. Her eyes sparkled and I swore to myself that I would never let this woman go.
She smiled. She whispered. "I love you."
I smiled back. I didn't have to say anything. She already knew that I loved her so much. I didn't have to say it again.
She kissed my cheek and took Avery from the couch. I turned the tv off and grabbed the bag Sasha prepared for our day.
We got onto Sam's SUV. I was riding shotgun while Sasha was at the back with Ashley on her lap and Avery was in his car seat.
Sam left and we made small talk, about our life with the kids, our jobs, our family. He was talking about his ex-girl friend and how he really thought that he would end up marrying her.
Sasha fell asleep at one point during the ride. She had safely tucked Ashley into her own car seat before dozing off. Her light snores filled the car. Sam and I fell into silence. I looked over my shoulder, and saw my family. Asleep, comfortable, and silent. It made my heart stop for a moment.
This is a second worth remembering forever.
Sam caught my stare eventually. He chuckled softly before saying, "I wish my sister found her forever in you. You're her best friend in the world, and she loves you so much...thanks Shea, for being with her through thick and thin. I couldn't think of anyone better to be her wife."
"Thanks, Sam. Really, it warms my heart up and I can tell you honestly, your sister is the best thing that's ever happened in my life."
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Kathleen was diagnosed with liver cancer and needed a transplant. To her shock, she discovered that her husband of five years, Joshua, not only intended to give the liver to someone else but also had a mistress and an illegitimate child outside their marriage. Upon learning the truth, Kathleen was utterly heartbroken. She realized that she couldn't hold onto a man who had betrayed her, but she was determined to reclaim the liver that she had been promised as a donor match. Kathleen dialed a number she hadn't contacted in five years. "I'm going to Jaxperton for surgery. Come pick me up in three days." But after she left, Joshua was driven to desperation.
Corinne devoted three years of her life to her boyfriend, only for it to all go to waste. He saw her as nothing more than a country bumpkin and left her at the altar to be with his true love. After getting jilted, Corinne reclaimed her identity as the granddaughter of the town's richest man, inherited a billion-dollar fortune, and ultimately rose to the top. But her success attracted the envy of others, and people constantly tried to bring her down. As she dealt with these troublemakers one by one, Mr. Hopkins, notorious for his ruthlessness, stood by and cheered her on. "Way to go, honey!"
Rejected by her mate, who had been her long-time crush, Jasmine felt utterly humiliated. Seeking solace, she headed to a party to drown her sorrows. But things took a turn for the worse when her friends issued a cruel dare: kiss a stranger or beg her mate for forgiveness. With no other choice, Jasmine approached a stranger and kissed him, thinking that would be the end of it. However, the stranger unexpectedly wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered in her ear, "You're mine!" He growled, his words sending shivers down her spine. And then, he offered her a solution that would change everything...
Yelena discovered that she wasn't her parents' biological child. After seeing through their ploy to trade her as a pawn in a business deal, she was sent away to her barren birthplace. There, she stumbled upon her true origins-a lineage of historic opulence. Her real family showered her with love and adoration. In the face of her so-called sister's envy, Yelena conquered every adversity and took her revenge, all while showcasing her talents. She soon caught the attention of the city's most eligible bachelor. He cornered Yelena and pinned her against the wall. "It's time to reveal your true identity, darling."
Livia Shelby, 19, is forced into marriage with Damian Alexander - a ruthless CEO with a cold heart. Hate simmers beneath the surface, and sometimes it blurs the line between resentment and desire. But what happens when the love that grows between them is bound by a contract... and forbidden to be spoken? Author's Note: This book has been previously published on several platforms. This version is a revised and improved edition.
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