“They said a baby,” I say in awe—the little towheaded boy with green eyes babbles happily in my husband’s strong arms. I’m pretty sure my ovary explodes.
“He is a baby. Left alone and defenseless in a rat infested apartment that smelled like sex and unwashed bodies. I couldn’t leave him there.”
“I know, babe. Well, what’s his name?” I ask. I know I could never turn him away because one look at his happy little face and I fell in love.
“Birth certificate says, Thomas.”
“She gave you his birth certificate?” I ask.
“She did when I paid her for it. Two hundred and fifty dollars.” What a bitch. I half a mind to go over there and kick her ass myself. You are supposed to protect your children.
“Hello, Tommy,” I say, walking over to them. I hold my hands out, and the little boy climbs into my arms. My heart has completely melted.
“You’re not mad?”
“How could I be mad? You saved him, Trig. You saved him,” I tell him. I look up at him. He’s covered in blood, his knuckles torn and bleeding. “Let’s get you boys cleaned up,” I say, walking toward the door.
We walk home, our little family growing unexpectedly early. He appealed to me a way I didn’t expect, but will forever be thankful for.
Epilogue
Trigger
Ten Years Later
“Good catch, Tommy,” I shout as my adopted son scrambles across the yard. The same night we got him, Troi told me she was pregnant. My heart was fucking full of pure, unadulterated joy, unlike anything I’ve ever felt. The two times she’s told me since have made me feel the exact same way.
“Thanks, Dad.” He has no idea that he’s adopted, and that’s the way we intend to keep it. His parents are dead now, not by anything we’ve done, though. Their addictions got the better of them in the end. Our daughters, Gigi and Kyla, are nine and six, while Tommy just turned thirteen. I am sure he’ll figure the math out one day, but we love him like he’s ours.
“Come inside,” Troi shouts from the front porch. “Dinner’s ready.”
“Let’s go, son. You know how she hates to say things twice.”
“Yeah, especially since she’s gonna have another baby. She gets cranky so fast,” he says, running over to me.
“Yeah, bud, she does, but it’s natural. All women go through that, and as the men who love her, we pretend it’s not happening. Just some advice for later on. Trust me.”
“Okay, dad. I’m starving.”
“I think it’s lasagna, so if the noodles aren’t cooked all the way, eat it anyway and tell her it's the best thing you’ve ever eaten. Got it?”
“Got it,” he says, giving me a little fist bump.
Inside, it smells like burnt pasta instead. Shit. I don’t think the girls will be able to pretend.
“Go on and wash up, Tommy,” I tell him, and he takes off for the bathroom.
I find Troi sitting on the floor in the kitchen, clutching a pan with oven mitts on that look like fish, crying.
“Oh, baby. What happened?” I ask, taking a towel off the counter and grab the pan from her, setting it down behind me.
“I burnt dinner. I am so terrible at this. Why do you let me cook?”
“Aww, come on. Get up off the floor,” I say as I help her up.
“What are we going to feed the kids?”
“We’ve got leftovers. They will be okay. You go dry those tears and come back out here. I’ll take care of everything.”
“Are you sure? I feel like I’m neglecting my responsibilities.”
“I’m sure. You’re carrying my baby; nothing else matters right now. I’ll take care of it.” She nods and upturns her lips for a kiss. I give her one, and she takes off down the hallway. I get dinner heated up and on the table for the kids, but she still hasn’t come back out, so I go and check on her. Finding her asleep in our bed, I leave her there and eat dinner with the kids.
Later, after they are in bed, I crawl into bed with her and pull her into my arms. She moans and grinds her ass against my dick, but I ignore my hardening length. She needs her sleep.
While I still work, and the kids know all about it, I’d much rather be at home with my beloved wife in my arms where she belongs. My life has been so much better since I found her. Back then, I was on a self-destructive path. I still don’t see eye to eye with my parents, but who really does? The Vitali family saved me from myself. And Troi, well, she saved me too. Saved me from wandering this world alone, taking feckless jobs, never settling down. I love her more every day and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us.