"Fuck." I'd dropped my head to my messy desk.
Loud laughter from where my now fifteen year old twins sat with their cousins pulled me from the naughty memory. A naughty memory that repeated many times since then.
"What are you smiling about?" James asked, with a small grin on his face.
"Just some great memories." Taking a quick look at Lilli, I gave James my full attention.
~
Lilli
Standing on the other side of the room, watching my husband look at our family and friends, I could tell he was thinking about the past. Smiles, furrowed brows, and frowns were passing of his face. Though the one face, the sad one, I knew exactly what he was thinking about.
Losing the baby was one of the hardest experiences I had ever been through. Even with all of the crazy soap opera like events we had experienced, losing that baby crushed something inside of me. It took so much strength to come back from that. If it hadn’t been for Aidan’s strength and understanding, I probably wouldn’t have been able to return to my life. A life that we had built on possibility, heartache, loss, family, and love.
Aidan and I attended Demitri and Lorna’s wedding six months after we lost the baby. It was a small wedding compared to Iverson standards, but it was intimate and beautiful. They had written their own vows and both cried when they read them. When the priest asked if anyone objected to the marriage, I decided to tease Aidan.
"If there is anyone who feels these two should not be united in front of God, please speak now." The words echoed through the church.
Looking to Aiden, I caught his eye.
"I guess this is my last chance to get Demitri." I whispered, pretending to wipe a tear from my eye, and went to put my hand up.
Aidan growled and wrapped his arms around mine, securely holding me in place. I quietly giggled and leaned in to kiss his cheek.
"Not funny, Mrs. Iverson." He grumbled.
"Yes, it was." I lay my head on his shoulder for the rest of the ceremony.
Surprisingly, we became good friends with Lorna and Demitri. Lorna wasn’t able to have children because of severe diabetes. So, Viola and I had helped them adopt three times from the children’s homes we funded through the foundation.
Unfortunately, we lost Uncle Henry two years ago to a heart attack. That was a hard hit for Anne, Liam and James. Even though Uncle Henry and Aunt Anne had been snobs and Uncle Henry had made some bad choices, we'd grown closer. Anne had become much warmer towards her family, especially where her grandchildren were concerned. Henry had returned to AIS, working under James. Aidan had been hesitant with Uncle Henry, but tried to trust him as much as he could.
My father was still going strong and was about to celebrate his third year of marriage with Millie. During one visit to see him, when the twins were ten, I discovered that their relationship was much more than nurse and patient.
The kids and I were in the back yard at my father’s house. They were playing kickball while I was reading on the back porch when I noticed the time and headed in to make lunch.
Before making lunch, I decided to go wash my hands in the bathroom. On my way, I heard my father chuckle and then Millie’s laughter coming from his bedroom. Smirking, I washed my hands and headed back down to the kitchen.
I was in the middle of making sandwiches when my father entered with a large smile. Looking up at him, I smiled and lightly chuckled.
"What’s so funny?" I heard the kitchen chair screech across the linoleum flooring.
"Oh, nothing." I said exaggerated.
"I see…" he trailed off.
"So, when do you plan on telling me?" I turned around, smiling, and leaned against the counter behind me.
"Tell you what?" He looked confused.
For a moment, I questioned my assumption. Swallowing hard, I took the chance. "About you and a certain nurse?"
Donald’s face paled and his eyes became large. "Um…uh…I…It’s…"
"Calm down, Dad." I rolled my eyes. "I wish you would’ve just told me about it. If you are happy then that is all that matters." I finished the sandwiches and started placing them out on the table.
"So, you don’t think that it’s weird?" He kept his face to the table, fidgeting with his fingers.
I had walked over to him and put my hand on his shoulder. "If you're happy, then I'm happy for you."
He grabbed my hand tightly. "Thank you, Lilli."
I patted him and then went to yell for the children.
It took two years for him to get the courage to ask her to marry him. When he finally did and she excitedly accepted, they planned a small civil ceremony that Aidan, the kids, Viola and I flew to Winter Harbor to attend. Phoebe and Adeline, along with Celia, Dixon, and the girls all attended with us.