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“You tell me? You’re closer to forty than not,” I retort.
“Don’t remind me,” he moans.
As the cashier swipes my card I can’t help but feel like I’ve taken a giant step toward setting my life back to where it should be.
***
This ruling is what the months of back and forth have boiled down to. Any moment now my fate will be sealed. What I thought would be an open and shut case turned into a bitter battle that left me shaken and concerned.
I press my hands flat on the table to keep from balling them into fists. I hold my breath as the room goes quiets and the judge prepares to speak. For the better or worse, my life is about to change.
The court finds Rain Marshall guilty of Child Abandonment in the case of Deja Maloney, Phoenix Maloney, and Echo Maloney. As requested per their father, Houston Maloney, Parental Rights are hereby terminated.”
“No.” Her wail is that of a mourning banshee. She falls back holding her distended belly, and Anthony catches her.
I can’t bring myself to feel any empathy. I raise my fist in victory. It’s been a hellish road. The months have felt like years, and the fear that lived in my children damn near killed me. We're done with this chapter of our life now. I stand and turn to scan the faces. I register my parents and my sister, but there’s only one person who matters. Liv. Even with her tears, red eyes, and puffy face, she’s radiant. A wide grin parts her full lips, and I know it’s time. I walk over to the railing and hug her close.
“Marry me?” I whisper into her ear.
“Yes.”
I thread my fingers in her hair, tilt her head back and kiss her deep and thoroughly. I explore every inch of her mouth, branding her mine for the entire world to see. This is the woman I want at my side until the day I die. We part and I slip the ring from my pocket and onto her finger. I kiss it.
“I love you.”
“I love you too, Houston.”
I move back to the table as the judge closes down the proceedings, and I step out into the arms and love of my family. Congratulations circle our head as the crowd swarms around us. My woman is gracious with thank you’s and hugs, but all I can think about is getting back to my babies and letting them know they won’t be going anywhere.
“Let’s go home and tell our kids they’ve got a wedding to get ready for,” I say loudly to be heard over the commotion.
I pull her to my side, and as we walk out of the courtroom, I realize being left at the altar was the best thing that ever happened to me.
Epilogue
Liv
I push off with my feet to keep the bench rocking back and forth as we watch the children play in the same backyard we were married in. There was no church, crowd, or fuss. Just our closest friends and family, me in an off white dress and him in a hand cut gray suit that still gets me wet just thinking about it. We exchanged our vows under the massive oak that's providing us shade, two weeks after the court case was settled.
I can still see the rows of white lawn chairs neatly placed on either side of the burlap runner covered in pink rose petals. It wasn't a big budget affair, but the vintage themed nuptials were perfect for us. I like that we started our life together in the same place we plan to raise our family.
"What are you thinking about Mrs. Maloney?" Houston asks raising my hand to his lips.
"How lucky I am to be married to the love of my life."
He leans down and brushes my lips. "I been doing some thinking of my own?"
"Oh?"
"I think it's time we expand the family. What do you think about that?"
"Yes," I breath the answer against his lips.
At thirty-five, I'm not getting any younger, and I'd like to see a piece of me and a piece of him in the world.
"No more birth control pills?"
"Not anymore."
"We'll have to practice tonight," he suggests.
"I'm looking forward to it Mr. Maloney.
We return our attention to the children playing in the sandbox and I day dream of babies with curly black hair, hazel-colored eyes, and skin a mix of their mother and father’s. I never imagined that the single event that caused me the most pain in my life would lead to my greatest joy.
THE END