can plan a surprise. Although I have to admit, it’s kind of perfect that you’ll be unwrapping it here.”
I follow her back up to our room and she drops her coat on the floor again. Then she pats the side of the bed, motioning for me to sit beside her. Then she hands me the canvas.
“This is for you.”
I unwrap it carefully, leaning it against the side of the bed when I’m done. It’s one of the pictures she didn’t put in the show. I thought the only ones she held back were nudes, but in this one I’m asleep and half covered by a sheet. It’s beautiful.
I’m completely speechless.
She leans over and trails a finger over the canvas. “This picture represents everything I wanted but thought I’d never have. You willingly in my bed every night.”
She runs a hand through my hair. I close my eyes and then turn into the caress, kissing her palm.
“I’m definitely willing. And grateful. But I’m surprised you didn’t use this in the show. It’s amazing.”
“I couldn’t. For me, this is too personal. This is what I used to dream about. I wanted nothing more than to curl up next to you each night and get to wake up with you each morning.”
She looks over at me and her eyes shine with happiness.
“Now you’re here and this is really my life. Dreams really do come true.”
“You’re my dream too, Josie. But the reality we create together is going to be so much better than anything we’ve ever dreamed.”
Josie sighs. “Thank you, Zack. I’m going to love making this a home with you.”
†
“Now this is the life.”
Tank accepts the beer that I hand him and takes a seat in one of the folding chairs arranged on Gabe’s back lawn. He bumps fists with Finn, who arrived ten minutes before and has his bad leg stretched out on another folding chair in front of him.
It’s been a few weeks since Josie’s show and we’ve spent the time enjoying the freedom of having our own house. For a while we completely ignored the outside world and just stayed in our own little nest, christening every part of the house just because we could. I think Josie is just happy that she doesn’t have to hold back anymore. There’s no one to hear her scream. And making her scream never gets old.
Now that Gabe is feeling better, he wanted to have us all over and for that, Josie and I were willing to come up for air. After I told him about my visit with Max, he’s feeling the same way I am. Life is short and there are no guarantees about tomorrow. It’s great to get everyone in one place and celebrate all the things that are going right in our lives.
The girls, Josie, Sasha, Rissa and Emma, are standing under the gazebo Gabe had erected just for this event. Josie and Sasha were really happy to have a chance to spend more time with their future “sisters” as they’ve started calling themselves.
Luke arrives then and we all stand to greet him. Our youngest brother is biracial so he looks slightly different than the rest of us but the family resemblance is still strong. He looks like a tanned version of Tank sometimes.
“You guys remember my mom, Anita.”
His mother stands behind him nervously holding a pie plate. Her long braided hair is pulled back from her face and she’s wearing an elegant black skirt and jacket. Luke mentioned that she finally allowed him to spend a little money on her and buy her a few presents.
“Hello everyone. It’s nice to see you all again,” she says.
Finn is instantly on his feet. He kisses her cheek effusively. “Is that my pie? You are an angel. A goddess. Run away with me.”
Luke pushes him away. “Dude, again with the hitting on my mom.”
Finn takes the pie plate reverently. “It’s this damn crackberry pie. It makes me do crazy things.”
Debbie and Paula come over and welcome Anita with hugs. Their boisterous enthusiasm seems to be putting her at ease and in that moment I love them more than I ever have. A lot of women would be weird about welcoming their sons half-siblings and assorted family members into the fold but our moms have taken it completely in stride.
Tank shakes hands with Luke. “Glad you made it.”
Luke looks uncomfortable. He was reluctant to get too close to us at first but Gabe says we all wore him down.
“Now that you’re