Desperate Measures

Chapter Twenty- The end.

~Kerrison's point of view~

~Five years later~

It didn't take us long to get where we were. We went beyond that. Cinnamon and I have surpassed anything we had before, and It is better than it's ever been, and we didn't have to fight or work hard for it. It just fell into place. Our love is effortless and just flows. I wouldn't change it for anything. I love what we have.

Kyzer is now almost seven. He is still the perfect mix of Cinnamon and me. He has his own personality and is as headstrong as his mother, Bryant is eleven. The older he gets, the more he looks like Arlington. He had been such a blessing to us. He is our reminder of all the great things about Arlington.

AC is five. That little boy could charm the stars. He is the sweetest kid you will ever want to meet. I know he isn't mine. I know he belongs to Arlington, and that is ok. Cinnamon has no clue and has never brought it up. The last baby was a girl; We named her Keraleigh Elizabeth. She looks just like her mother. She not only has three brothers to watch out for her, but she has four grown-ass men to me, Karter, Tray, and Eric. Let a guy mess with her. He wouldn't live to do it again.

Speaking of living. The guy who helped Elma got out of prison after a year and a half for good behavior. Karter and I paid him a visit. He will never see the light of day again, nor will his body ever be found. Innocent kid or not. He cost family their husband and father. He deserved what he got. I do not hurt the innocent; he was far from it.

We decided after Keraleigh not to have anymore. She and I have two together, and she has two with Arlington. That worked for me. I love all four of them unconditionally; They are all mine. The media did find out after we were married and stirred shit for a while. They have been out of our lives for four years, and we live normal lives now. Our family has not only grown in children but adults as well.

Karter and Katie have two more kids. They have Gia and two boys. Katy struggled with all of her pregnancies, and she put her foot down. Karter got his stuff fixed, so she didn't have to go through it anymore. They are still here. I couldn't make them leave.

Tray married Frankie, the social worker. They ran into each other at a bar. She asked where he worked, and he told her. They figured out pretty quickly that she knew us already. They dated for a year and then married. They live here too. Tray refused to move away from his mother's cooking. Cinnamon inherited two not biological brothers with Tray and Karter. She loves them as brothers too.

Rebecca and Dyson still live in Arlington's house. Dyson sold his office and no longer works. He could afford to stay home. He was smart with his money, and they have plenty to live on. He wanted to be a hands-on dad. I don't blame him; I am too. Cinnamon would help them, and so would I if they needed it. They will never ask. I do know that Cinnamon made him take the money he paid for her car.

Eric is still here too. He runs all the shops still, and he loves his job. He will take Bryant with him sometimes. Just so he can see what his brother did. I don't complain about the closeness between the two. Bryant is our connection to Arlington and Eric is Bryant's. I won't interfere with that. Cinnamon relies on him, too; I don't have a problem with it.

Life has a way of working itself out. Who knew that making a deal with my wife to have a baby would turn into me finding the love of my life? A friend that will live on in our hearts forever, a family that I never thought I would have. This journey is one that I am willing to stay on until I am called home. This is the way I want my life. 

~Cinnamon's point of view~

Five years have passed. It seems like so long ago that everything happened. I know now that this was the path that was set out for me, and I had to go through what I did to get here. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about Arlington. He will always be in my heart. I will always love him; that will never go away.