Morrison (Caldwell Brothers)

“Shit goes both ways, little momma.”

She stops laughing immediately, and everyone laughs harder.

“I have some advice for you. Take it as you will, Hailey: There are only two times a man won’t understand his wife—before and after marriage.”

Everyone laughs, but you hear Livi’s voice over it all. “Not true when you marry a Caldwell.”

“Fucking crazy, beautiful little lady.” Hendrix laughs and kisses his wife.

“If you can’t get him to leave you alone at night and you need sleep, just tell him you want to talk about your relationship,” Jared suggests to Hailey. “If you ask him to grab a few things at the store and then add items, he’ll forget something. Not his fault; it happens.”

I look at Jared and smile. “Love you, man, but I just need to hear two words.”

“Two words you’ll get used to hearing soon are ‘Not now’ or ‘You what!’” Jared laughs, then looks at Hailey. “You love this guy?”

“Very much.”

“You love her?” he asks me.

“More than words can describe.”

“Do you wanna marry him?” he asks Hailey.

“I do.” She smiles at me.

“You know how lucky you are?” He laughs as he looks at me.

“I do.”

“What the hell are you waiting for then? Kiss her.” Jared hands the mic to Marisa.

“We now pronounce them man and wife,” she screeches way too close to the microphone. “And the best daddy I eva had!”

I take a deep breath and grab Hailey around the waist, kissing her like I would if we were alone, ’cause there is no other way with her. There are whistles and cheers, and then Hailey leans back and blasts me a smile brighter than the Vegas lights.

“Marriage certificate; we need to sign it.” She smiles again.

“Adoption papers, too.” I roll my eyes and laugh at myself. “Damn, I’m a lucky man.”

“Apparently, you’re the best daddy she eva had.” Jagger laughs as he pushes the papers up to me and hands me a pen. “Come over here, little chick. Your momma and daddy have a surprise for you, too.”

“For me?” She claps as Hendrix sits her on the pub table.

“Actually, for all of us.” Livi smiles.

“Your momma and I got you this.” I pull the little box out of my pocket and hand it to her, and she immediately tears it open.

“A necklace with a cwown?” she screeches, and points. “Wid a C, like foe a cookie?”

“It’s for ‘Caldwell,’” I say. “My last name, your momma’s last name—”

“And mine.” Jagger tickles her. “Livi’s and Hendrix, too.”

When she appears confused, I look at Hailey. She smiles and says, “Morrison became your only daddy today, so you get his last name, too.”

“Marisa Caldwell,” I tell her.

“So the same as you, and you, and you, and you, and you and . . . all of you?” She beams.

“It’s one big, happy family.”

“Happy like ‘happy eva after’?” She smiles. “I like that. Like in the stories.”

“But better,” Hailey says as tears fill her eyes.

“Happy tears, Mommy?”

“From now until forever, Ris Priss,” Hailey says as she hugs her and pulls me into the mix. “Okay, now you go help Livi for a minute?”

“Livi Caldwell.” Marisa giggles.

“Aunt Livi, now and forever,” Livi says as her eyes fill, too.

“Happy tears, Aunt Livi?” Marisa wipes them and looks at her finger, studying the moisture.

“Nothing but.” Hendrix grabs her. “Now let’s go get to work. Gotta feed the masses.”

“I need you to come with me for just a minute,” Hailey says.

“Oh, yeah?” I’m sure she’s taking me to the office. I’m sure she’s . . . “Where we going?” I ask as she takes me outside and gets into the Escalade.

“Come on,” she yells to me, smiling from ear to ear.

I get in, and she punches it.

“Little momma, where the hell are we going?”

“Open the glove box. Then look at the file.”

I grab the file out of the glove box. “It’s official.”

“Congratulations.” She smiles as she drives faster. “It came a week ago. Sorry, I asked Hendrix not to give it to you yet.”

“What’s with all this cash?”

“Winnings left over from Vegas. Rainy-day fund. I want you to use it to help furnish the apartments.”

“And we were fuckin’ on an air mattress for how long, why?”

Hailey shrugs. “It wasn’t a necessity?” We both laugh. She turns and looks at me seriously, “This way, if I needed to get out of Detroit, I had the money. Now I have family. I’m not going anywhere.”

“And now I have my balls back, so I wouldn’t let you even if you tried.”

She pulls up in front of the building that the bank finally agreed to sell for taxes, a building that is owned free and clear. A building that will not have the burden of a mortgage hanging over it, taking away the stress in making it a dream come true.

“Look.” She points out the car window.

I look at the sign hanging over the door: Momma’s Nest, displayed proudly above the words “The Good in a World of Bad.”