Loyalty Card

Nick finished building our new home only a month ago. Everything is new and fresh but the plan to build a home had come when I told Nick that I wanted our family to grow. Gran isn’t getting any younger and I wanted her to see her great-grandbabies. For them to be held in her arms. I want our children to have memories of not only her, but Higgins too. I swear Nick went to work on building us a home the next day. I thought he might want to move back into his childhood home but there were too many memories there. So much had happened that we thought making a fresh start would be the best thing for all of us. Even though we decided not to live there, we ended up turning it into one of the many shelters we’ve made over the years. Nick kept his promise to the girls that he found when he went to confront his uncle. He got them help and then took it a step further by creating a safe place for victims.

“I think Gran is onto us,” I admit. I don’t think I’ve met someone as sharp as Gran in my whole life. The woman doesn’t miss a thing. Sometimes she plays like she doesn’t know something only to get more information from people, but she always knows what she’s doing. She’s usually biding her time until she gets you to give her what she wants. She’s a sneaky thing but in a cute old lady way. I adore Gran and she’s become one of my closest confidants. Nick says we gang up on him but he has Higgins on his side, so we’re pretty even.

“Hmm,” is all Nick says. I pull back and glare up at him.

“She got you!” I half shout, smacking his chest.

“She didn’t get me,” he defends but looks completely unsure of himself. “Maybe she got me.” He shakes his head. “I don’t know.” I laugh because I’m guessing that he might have made a small slip when he went out there a few days ago to play bridge with her. I had to miss going because I hadn’t been feeling the best. I tend to get worn out easily lately but the doctor told me that it should pass soon. Nick wanted to stay home with me but I made him go. I knew I shouldn’t leave him alone with her. He probably played right into her hand. I smile, thinking about how much I love that little old troublemaker.

“She’s sneaky. She was all ‘What are you going to name the baby?’ when it was my turn to play. I wasn’t thinking and might have said ‘We haven’t picked a name yet.’” I giggle in his hold because I can see Gran’s triumphant smile in my head. “I tried to play it off all ‘when we have one’ but I don’t think she bought it.” I continue to laugh. “This is all your fault. I knew I should’ve cancelled when you weren’t feeling well.”

I continue smiling as I pick my head up and kiss my man. “Gran sure did lay the guilt trip on pretty heavy when she thought you weren’t going to come that night. She knew exactly what she was doing. You were doomed before you even went over there. Sucker!” I say before I laugh again. These moments remind me how lucky I am to have found someone that loves me with everything he has. I may not have had the best childhood, but Nick, Gran and Higgins have made up for it. They’ve taught me what it means to have a family.

“You’re going to pay for that sucker comment later. I’ll show you exactly what kind of sucker I can be.” He smiles before kissing my mouth. I try to deepen the kiss but get interrupted by the doorbell.

“They’re here!” I jump away from Nick, half running for the door. Higgins was picking up Gran on the way over. I fling the front door open.

“I’m pregnant!” I shout.

“About damn time,” Higgins says. He reaches into his back pocket, pulling out his wallet, fishing out a twenty and handing it over to Gran. “You couldn’t have done this last Christmas? That’s when I called it.” He shakes his head at me.

“My bad?” I half laugh. He grabs me, pulling me into a hug.

“Congratulations, sweetheart. You’ll make a wonderful mother. Hell, you are already one to all of those girls you help every day.”

“That she is.” Gran hugs me next. “I’m so happy for you. I thank God every day that Nick went to the grocery store that day. There has been a lot of sorrow in our lives but this is a new beginning for all of us.” I hug her a little tighter. “Thanks for getting me that twenty, too.” Higgins groans behind me as if twenty dollars is going to make or break him.