“Did you name him after Michael?” she asked, gesturing to Mike. Kyle came around the corner, and Mirielle handed the toddler to him. The little boy screamed with laughter as Kyle tossed him over his shoulder and took off running. Crazy bastard hadn’t changed a bit in the last ten years.
“Yes, we did. He was born just a few days after Sophie got Michael out of the camp. We didn’t know at the time, but we wanted to honor him, one way or the other.” Carter swallowed the wave of emotion that always followed when he thought about how things could have ended up for Michael. “Would you like to hold him?”
Mirielle eagerly took the baby from his arms. Mike stared, transfixed, at her face. She was still stunning, even after a decade and two pregnancies, one of which had resulted in twins.
“That was a beautiful thing to do.” She held one of Mike’s chubby hands. “I haven’t spoken to Michael yet. We ended so badly and didn’t keep in touch after the end of our year. I wasn’t honest with him, and I feel terrible about that.”
“I do not know if I was very honest in our relationship either,” said Michael, who had come up behind them in the hallway. “However, I have learned recently that it is never too late to make things better. Come, we will talk.” Mirielle smiled, handed Mike back to Carter, and together they went out on to the front porch to talk in private.
“Oh, I am batting a thousand today, buddy. Your daddy is the man.” His son smiled back and grabbed for Carter’s blond hair. “Watch it there. I’ve already lost too much of my hair, and I don’t need any help.” Janet appeared beside him, untangling their son’s fingers from Carter’s thinning locks. He pulled her into an embrace, Mike snuggled between them.
“I love you,” Carter said. “Thanks for letting me do this, having all these people in our house. It means the world to me.”
“I know it does, baby. I love your classmates, too. Makes me wish I could have traveled with you.” She pulled back and gave him a sharp look. “But if anyone throws up, breaks the furniture, or gives birth on the good rug, I’ll kick your ass.”
“Language in front of the baby.”
Janet grinned and covered their son’s eyes while she kissed him.
-
By 1 a.m., the party had wound down. The class would spend the weekend in the New York area, so they had plenty of fun times ahead. Families with kids headed to hotels for the night, sleeping children on their shoulders. The singletons camped out in the den and in tents in the backyard. Carter shuddered to think what those tents would do to the grass, but that was the gardener’s problem, not his.
Michael and Sophie came in, hand in hand. “We’re heading to bed,” she said.
“Sure you wouldn’t like to have an argument first?” Carter asked with a grin. Michael huffed with annoyance, and Sophie blushed. “C’mon then.” He led them upstairs.
“Here, I put your stuff in this room.” He opened one of the guest rooms. “There’s a bathroom attached, right through that door. Try to keep the noise down, okay? Mike’s sleeping right above you, and I don’t want him traumatized.”
“Shut your mouth.” Sophie glared at him. But her face softened, and she threw her arms around his neck. “Thank you. This is the best surprise of my life. I love you so much.”
“Thank you,” he whispered back. “You brought him home to us.”
Michael and Carter embraced. Michael didn’t say anything, but the look on his face was enough. Carter smiled, and went upstairs to his family.
-
Sophie was already curled up in bed when Michael joined her. She held her arms out to him invitingly, and he smiled.
He could tell by her face that she wanted it sweet that night. After the day they’d had, he couldn’t imagine any other kind of love. His mouth came down on hers, and the easy pleasure of their lovemaking began.