"Come one babe. She only turns one once. Let her destroy the cake."
I looked over at Lily, sitting in her highchair, surrounded by loved ones. Her face was aglow as she messily ate mouthfuls of chocolate cake
off her chubby palms. Globs of pink and white frosting stuck to her cheeks, arms and most of her chest.
"Well, at least I had the forethought to take her out of her dress," I muttered.
"See--smartest mom ever."
I smiled as he bent down to place a chaste kiss on my ruby red lips. The wicked look in his eyes promised it was just the prelude to an evening
of so much more.
I turned in his arms and watched as our little girl continued to demolish her chocolate confections. Declan wrapped his arms around my waist
and I leaned into his broad chest.
"You don't have to take five thousand pictures Goober," I said, after hearing my digital camera click for the millionth time.
"Well, you handed the thing off to me. I just wanted to make sure I was doing a good job."
"You're doing a fantastic job. You'll be a pro by the time your own kids come around," I said.
"Yeah, that's never going to happen," he answered gruffly.
"Oh come on Garrett! You can't be married to work forever. We need to get you out more. Why don't you go out with me one of these days. Oh I
know--I'm going to the Farmer's Market next week. Want to come with the kids and me? I see young hotties there all the time."
"Sure, farmer's market. Sounds awesome."
I rolled my eyes at his flippant comment. He needed to do something--anything, but sulk in that cramped office of his. He was disappearing more
and more as the years dragged on and even though he was closer since moving home from college, somehow we seemed to see him less.
"You can't force him to have a life Leah," Declan whispered against my ear with amusement lacing his hushed tone.
"No, but I can nudge."
"You just can't help but meddle, can you?"
"Can you blame me for wanting everyone in my life happy?" I turned, grinning up at him as he laced his hands around my waist.
"And Connor and Maddie? What exactly is that?" he asked, arching his brow.
"That's just a gentle nudge. They'd make the cutest grand babies."
"That's kind of fucked up babe--they're kids. Seriously, keep it up and they won't be able to look at each other later on without cringing."
His amusement was growing by the second.
"Nope, you're wrong. I'm just laying the foundation for a beautiful love affair."
"Uh huh. We will see."
As if our conversation had summoned the two future lovebirds, Maddie and Connor came rushing by, reaching for cookies and snacks on their drive
by through the kitchen.
"Woah there," Clare said, halting both of them in their tracks. "Where are you two off to in such a hurry?"
"Connor was going to show me his new Harry Potter wand in his room and then we were going to play video games," Maddie answered.
I turned back toward my husband, giving him doe eyes and made a small heart in the air with my fingers. He rolled his eyes.
Clare shifted her stance, as the wiggly toddler in her arms reached out for the cookies his sister was dangling in front of him.
"Okay," she managed to get out before Maddie took ahold of Connor's hand and they attempted their escape "But make sure you come back down when
I call!" Clare shouted after them.
She gave me an exasperated, frazzled look and I laughed. I'd watched her be a mother long before I'd taken the role on myself and it was nice
to finally have these moments where we could share in the craziness together.
I looked back at my one-year old daughter, covered in frosting and cake, giggling with glee as our friends and family watched with pride. I
never thought I'd have a family of my own--children I could love and love me in return. Declan had given me a life I'd secretly always wanted.
"You did this Leah," he whispered in my ear. "You filled the emptiness in my heart and gave me a family, a home and a soulmate. He brought our
joined hands to the spot where his tattoo lay etched into his chest, a celtic knot, now bearing my initial.
"We did this," I amended. "Together."
I wrapped my arms around my husband and smiled as we watched our daughter further destroy the beautifully crafted confectionary masterpiece.
Family, friends and someone to share your soul with, that's all you need in life.
Well, and maybe a bit of cake.