“Baby,” I said slowly. “There are a million reasons why Lauren might want to secretly film you. Maybe she was jealous of you or maybe she wanted to have the film for blackmail purposes. Who knows?”
Melly’s eyes filled with tears.
“I trusted her,” she said softly. “She was my best friend at school, and we went through so much together.”
“I know honey, but some people aren’t what they appear,” Zeke said. “That hag will never come close to you again,” he vowed.
After all, we pretty much ensured that Lauren’s life was going to be hell going forward. We demanded that Ralph fire her from the Donkey Club, and due to our connections, she’ll never work as a high-class stripper again. She’s been blackballed at every strip joint in the country. The minute they see her face, doors will be slamming shut. Good luck paying that forty six thousand dollar tuition, bitch.
But honestly, no one cares about Lauren anymore. The whore was an annoying gnat who’s been crushed, and it was time to move onto more important things.
“Honey,” I said, stroking Melly’s belly. “How are you feeling?”
“Good,” she smiled, taking both our hands and putting one on each side of her stomach. “Do you feel her kicking?”
My brother and I were entranced at the thought of our daughter doing somersaults in this beautiful girl’s belly. The visual was bewitching, wonderful, and a dream come true. But there was one thing hanging in the air.
“Wait a minute,” Zan said slowly. “You know it’s a girl?”
“I do,” confirmed Melanie. “I went to the doctor today and,” she said in a rush, “I’m thinking about naming her Trinity.”
Both Zan and I shook our heads vehemently no.
“That’s a terrible idea sweetheart,” ground out Zan. “Trinity was your porn alter ego. If you hadn’t walked away when you did, Melanie would have become Trinity and we would have lost you completely.”
“That’s right,” I agreed. “Naming the baby Trinity is a big mistake. You were drowning in a cesspool. There’s no reason to name our daughter after that.”
But Melanie merely giggled.
“Zander, Zeke, I was joking with you,” she teased. “The look on your faces was totally worth it. Actually, I was thinking of naming her Zanzie after her daddies.”
Zanzie. I liked it. The name was absolutely perfect in every way.
“Baby, that’s a great idea,” rumbled Zan into her ear.
“I love it,” I agreed, closing the circle of trust. “As long as she’s as beautiful and kind as her mother.”
We kissed her slowly, our hands rubbing her tummy in anticipation of the baby to come. Because our stepsister had morphed far beyond merely schoolgirl Melanie or porn star Trinity. She’s become a woman of her own, with strengths, dreams, and a full life to be lived. She’s someone we respect and adore, and the center of our existence. In short, Melanie has grown up … and she’s our dream come true.
THE END