Hot 4 (Multiple Love)

By the time I make it upstairs, Carmella is in the dress. She's taken her hair down a little, so it's less formal and compliments the simple lines of her new gown. She looks beautiful and so much like Mom it hurts my heart.

"It's perfect," she says, smoothing the dress. "Thank you."

"It's the way it's supposed to be."

She crosses the room and pulls me into a tentative hug, obviously worried about crushing the material between us. "What did Dad say?" she asks as she draws back.

"He was never going to be happy, but we just need to accept that and feel the happiness for ourselves."

My sister nods and smiles cautiously. "I want to be just like you when I grow up," she says.

"Like me? I've always thought I need to be more like you."

"You've got guts, Connie. You've always tried to stick to your own path."

"And what a path she's on," Sandy says, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Shame Derek doesn't have a twin brother," Carmella says, and we all burst into fits of giggles.

"You know, my boys have some cousins. If you're serious about the lifestyle, you should come and stay. I'll arrange a small party and let nature take its course."

"How many cousins?" Sandy asks, her eyes widening with interest.

"Five. And they're all cowboys." It's my turn to wiggle my eyebrows, and both Carmella and Sandy snort with laughter.

"Five. I don't think I'm braver than you, Connie. Maybe two would work."

"Just think about all those good, hardworking men, bringing home the bacon," Carmella says. “Seriously!"

Sandy shrugs. She's talking the talk, but I don't think she'd really want to walk the walk. I guess we'll see.

"So, are we ready to get this show on the road?" I ask.

"We are. Time to face the music," Carmella says.

"Time to marry the love of your life and party hard," I remind her.

As we descend the stairs, I imagine the day it will be me with butterflies causing havoc under my white dress. It'll be my boys waiting to make an honest woman out of me. It'll be our family coming together to unite for life. After all of this, I'm thinking it might be sooner than I'd imagined.

Love is a beautiful thing, and I have more than I ever could have dreamed about. My boys have shown me that I'm capable of fighting for what I think is important. They've given me a life I didn't know I could find. My hot four have become so much more than just a vacation fling, and I couldn't be happier.