She finally said it the day I received my four-year sobriety chip. I didn’t waste any goddamn time. I asked her to marry me and knocked her up on our dock out back. We were married on those same wooden planks less than a month later. The same day she told me she was pregnant.
I was paranoid as fuck with her pregnancy. Since she had suffered a miscarriage before, she was a high-risk pregnancy. I barely let her lift a finger. I waited on her hand and foot, giving into her every crazy request. Turned out her pregnancy was normal, and she went full term without any complications. We both wanted to focus on Amari being the only child for as long as we could. Finally getting the baby girl that I’d dreamt about for years.
Amari was the spitting image of her mama. She already started asking to dye her hair bright pink, her favorite color. Briggs bought her some pink clip-in hairpieces instead. She was so damn cute when she wore them, carrying around her “Briggs doll” that she stole off of her mama’s shelf in her office, claiming it was hers now. She took it everywhere, and it made Briggs smile every time she saw it. Our son, Michael, was the spitting image of me. Briggs claimed that he already had my “I-don’t-give-a-fuck attitude.”
“I’m ready, Daddy,” Amari said in her tiny baby voice, standing in front of me with her arms up in the air.
I picked her up, placing her on my back. Her little arms wrapped around my neck while I held on to her under her butt. I crouched down kissing Michael on the forehead. Grabbing Briggs’ chin to kiss her pouty pink lips.
“I love you,” I rasped against her mouth.
She smiled. “Be careful.”
“Always am.”
I kissed her one last time. Grabbing my surfboard, we made our way into the water.
“You ready, baby girl?” I asked, lifting her higher on my back.
She nodded. “Yep! Let’s do this,” she replied, enthusiastically kicking her legs at my sides.
I laughed, strapping the leash on my ankle. Lying on my board, I paddled out with Amari safely placed on my back. Her arms were tightly wrapped around my neck, practically choking me. The first wave hit and I dropped in, holding onto Amari tight before I stood. I caught the wave with her on my back like I’d done countless times. Riding it all the way down the peak along the shoreline.
“Yeah, Daddy! Let’s hit a big one!” she yelled in my ear.
Amari loved surfing. She was my little daredevil.
It was one of her favorite things to do with me. We had been surfing like this since she turned two. My baby girl was definitely going to be a surfer when she got a little bit older and could swim better. As soon as my son was old enough, I would do the same with him. All the boys had done this with their kids. It became our thing. Wanting to give our kids something that was so special and dear to our hearts.
We spent the next hour out there, laughing and having a good ol’ time. I finally started going to therapy for my back while I was in rehab. Believe it or not, it worked wonders. I could do the things I loved again without the throbbing discomfort and pain. Sometimes I would lie about it just so Briggs would give me a massage. Naked. After the kids were in bed, sleeping.
“Mama! Mama! Mama! Did you see us? Did you see the big wave Daddy rode? Did you see, Mama? Did you see?” Amari shouted, running up the beach toward Briggs.
She caught her in the air, throwing our daughter up on her hip.
“I saw, baby girl.”
“Mama, Daddy says that maybe I can learn to surf by myself when I’m this many.” She held up five little fingers. “That’s only…” Her eyes looked everywhere, trying to think of the answer. “That’s only… a lot away,” she simply stated, making us both laugh.
“You definitely got a minute or two, baby girl,” I reminded, kissing the top of her head.
“How’s Michael?” I asked, grabbing Amari from her arms.
I sat her on my lap to help her build her sandcastle like I’d promised earlier.
“He’s lounging at the beach and has a full belly. He’s the happiest baby in the world right now. Just like his daddy.”
“Like father, like son, huh, buddy?” I cooed, leaning around Amari to blow raspberries on his chubby belly.
He flapped around everywhere, excited. Lying on Briggs’ memory blanket that she now used for our babies.
I peered back at Briggs who was already looking at me adoringly. She was still breathtakingly beautiful, especially when she was wearing a bikini. Having two kids only made her curvier, she was sexier than hell now. I couldn’t take my eyes off her heavy breasts that were spilling out of her top. Breastfeeding made her tits so fucking perky. All I could think about was motor boating the shit out of them later.
“Austin… stop,” she giggled.
“What?” I glared at her with a predatory regard.
“I know that look! Your daughter is on your lap.”
“Do you hear your mama’s nonsense?” I whispered into Amari’s neck, making her tuck her chin and laugh.