Beauty and the Baller

I laugh. Right.

“Sabby!” Lia calls, and it’s chaos after that as she runs across the yard. Cleo chases her, determined to get to her aunt first. Oliver plops down in the dirt, then sticks a rose in his mouth.

Nova groans and pulls leaves and petals out of his mouth as Dog chases Dimitri—he does not like that cat and never will. Sparky raises an eyebrow at the show, then pounces on a lizard.

Nova picks up Oliver, gives him a kiss, and then motions to Sabine and the girls. “Get in here with us.”

We line up again, smiles on our faces. Lois clicks the photo, several of them, and years later when I look at them, at all of them, from Nova’s to Sabine’s to our children’s to Sabine’s children’s, I thank the stars for my glow.