The Boy I Married [hold]

23 | How Clichè

Pun intended.

Once I've looked at my watch, I realize the day has officially rolled into the night. We click the neon sign in the display windows of the brewery off and begin to close.

"The food sold better than I thought it would. Can you believe we made over two grand in one day? I can't tell you the last time my father and I brought that much money into the brewery before this," he says as he folds the table nooks into their concealed position.

"Get used to it because this isn't the last time that we'll be bringing in that type of revenue. We put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears in this place and I intend on exhausting every ounce of that to keep us afloat and hopefully start selling internationally." Jacob returns the thought with a smile before wandering off to another area of the brewery to clean.

It takes us another hour to prepare pastries for the next day and finally close the brewery for the night. We say our goodbyes and make our way out of the parking lot—peeling out at the same time.

At home, an enormous cake rests on the center of the kitchen island with congratulations written across it. I've only just processed the word before the four of them emerge from their discreet places and tackle me in a hug. Blame the hormones or the fact that I'd barely gotten any sleep the night before, but I couldn't control the tears or the sobs that began to fall.

"You proved me wrong. We're so proud of you and all of the hard work you've put into this, Brooklynn. I can't believe my baby girl has her own business," Dad says, pulling me into a hug of our own.

Justin and I eat dinner and cut into my congratulatory cake while conversing with our family. Dad and Justin eventually take over the conversation to tell us about the landscaping project that took them all day to finish. I watch in awe as my Dad and husband's face light at the mere thought. I wouldn't have it any other way. It was great seeing how close Justin was becoming with my Dad, especially after the vasectomy stunt. Part of me thought Dad would never be able to forgive him and to know that he had and was forming a genuine relationship with him was everything to me.

We leave the dinner table shortly after, both of us well past exhaustion from our busy day. He and I shower together but go our separate ways once we've readied ourselves into our pajamas and kiss each other good night. Surprisingly enough, we were nearing two months of abstinence. It wasn't easy, but because of it, every time his hand caressed me, it was like a dose of adrenaline shot up my bones. For the first time in a long time, I craved my husband.

»

The next couple of days play out completely different than I imagined they would. Samaria's second day looked almost as good as the first, we were only a hundred dollars short of what we made on opening. By the time day four rolled around, we made less than half of that.

Jacob, Justin, and I lounged around Samaria's for what seemed to be forever just waiting for another person to walk into the brewery, but no one came.

When lunchtime arrives, I waste no time making a clean break from Samaria's. The lack of customers was getting the better of me and that only meant I needed to put some distance between me and the brewery.

I make myself comfortable on a park bench a few blocks away and take my sandwich from my lunch box to eat. Since entering my second trimester of pregnancy, I've felt more energetic and optimistic about what the future holds for me and the making of our little family. This business was one testament to how much you can turn your life around for the better, but it didn't feel like that right now.