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I’m standing in the back corner of Poison Pen Anchorage holding my three year old daughter in my arms. Olivia is sound asleep with her head on my shoulder. Taylor has our one year old son, Aiden in his arms while he talks to Baratta.
Baratta has his arms full too. He and Fiona have 2 year old twin girls, Morgania and Antonia named after their Grandparents. Lily and Austin completed Cordelia’s adoption about six months after I left White Summer, the same day they found out they were expecting Micah.
I can’t help thinking back to the day Fiona interviewed me for the apprenticeship. I was so scared, my Mom had bitched me out for hours that morning, my nerves were shot, and I was shaking so bad I thought, “She’s never going to pick me.”
Thank God Fiona saw past my nerves, she changed my life. I’m just about to rejoin the party when the front door opens. In walks the most beautiful teenage girl I’ve ever seen in my life, her mom Sydney right behind her.
“Naomi?” I whisper yell across the room.
“SURPRISE!!!” She yells back before she runs to me. From the corner of my eye I see Taylor hand Aiden off to Lily. He comes over and takes sleeping beauty out of my arms just in time for Naomi to throw herself at me.
I have to look up at her, at just 13 years old she is already taller than me. Reaching up I wipe a tear from her eye. “Why are you crying?”
“I finally get to meet my brother and sister.” she answers. My head snaps to Sydney who just smiles and nods. I can’t believe she knows. I’m crying now.
It starts as a trickle and before I know it, I’m full on bawling my eyes out like a baby. Fiona steps up and says something but I can’t hear her. Then her and Lily each take an arm and escort me out the back away from our guest.
We are almost out the door, when Fiona spots something in the corner and stops in her tracks. “Is that?” I look to see where she is looking and smile.
“Yes, yes it is.” I answer my dog Mouse is curled up in the corner on her doggy bed.
“No way!” Lilly laughs.
I just shrug my shoulders. “She spends her days either here in the shop with me or at Taylor’s office. Everybody loves her.”
“What did you do, drug her?” Fiona asks.
“Nope, it just took some patience and an obedience class.” I can tell they don’t believe me.
Finally stepping outside the first thing I do is look up. Even after all this time the Northern Lights still affect me.
“I’m so jealous; you get to see this all the time.” Lilly fake pouts before Fiona demands our attention.
“Sisters, I want you to know how proud I am. Six years ago I returned to my hometown to start my own business. We had nothing, now we have everything. We have our men, our children and each other. We collectively own 15 tattoo shops in 5 states. Even our baby sister, Arin, has become a household name in art around the World.”
Reaching into her rental car that is parked by the back door, Fiona pulls out a bottle of Champagne and 3 glasses. “To five years!”
“None for me.” Lilly says, putting her hand on her stomach. “Austin doesn’t know yet.”
“Pour me a double!” I shout.
Fifteen minutes later the back door opens again. Baratta, Austin and Taylor find Me and Fiona tipsy while Lilly is laughing at us.
“Where are the kids?” I ask Taylor as he pulls me into his arms.
“Sydney offered to stay with them, while we celebrate. We got her settled in with them in the upstairs apartment. She’s going to be in town for a few days.”
“Mmph.” Is all I can say with my mouth against his neck.
Fiona and Baratta had a stalker. LilyAnna and Austin had a psycho ex. Taylor and I had to deal with a psycho. If we hadn’t gone through those things though we wouldn’t be where we are today.
After watching my friends leave for their hotels, I lean into Taylor. “Take me home Mr. Burns.”
“You got it Mrs. Burns.” He scoops me up into his arms and carries me to our house behind the shop.
THE END