chasing the dream, catching you

Chapter Thirty Eight

***
It was April 15th. We got married in three days, and today we were packing everyone up and heading home to Sneedville. Thank god, I had everything we were going to need already at Carter's house because of all the traveling back and forth that I had done. All the girls were staying at Carter's house, including Lauren and her girls. And, the  men were staying at Morgan's family's house. We were driving up several cars up, so we were just waiting for everyone to meet at our apartment. Morgan, Hannah, Kolter Grey, and I were all driving un my car. Maddie, Tae, Naomi, and Hannah were driving up together, Thomas, Luaren and the girls were following us, and the tomrrow was when Luke Combs and Jason Aldean were coming up.

Thomas and Lauren had just pulled in. Because it was Spring, we were all just hanging around outside. When the girls saw me, they both ran to me.

"Where's baby?" Ada James asks.

"He's sitting over by the pic nic table with Hannah" I say. They both look to Lauren. She nods, and they run off.

"That little man is seventeen days old and already has two girls crazy over him" Lauren joked. I laughed.

"Kennedy is going to be obsessed with him too" I say.

"I always forget that your sister has a baby" Thomas joins in.

"She's a blast" I say.

"I'm glad Willa Gray and Ada James will have a new buddy" Lauren says.

"They sure will be. Kennedy loves new people. She met Naomi and now they're besties" I say.

"I can't wait to see all these kids grow up together" Morgan jumps in.

"Me either, man. But I also just want to remember everyone young like this" He says. I shoot a look to him. "What?".

"I thin you've got a song somewhere in that statement" I say. He just smiled at me.

"Lets do it" He says. I nod.

***
After four hours on the road, we pulled into the driveway at Carter's. She, as always, ran outside.

"Sister!" She shrieks.

"I haven't seen you in too long" I say pulling away then picking up Kennedy.

"Well, I love you, but where's that baby?" She asks. Hannah walks over carrying him. "Oh, my gosh!".

"Last time we were here, you were telling me I was pregnant" Hannah says.

"I know. I was thinking about that today" Carter says.

"Well, here. Take him" Hannah says.

"Really?" Carter asks.

"Of course. He's your little nephew, you know" She says. Carter looked like she always going to cry from that comment. "Cal is his second mama, and you're his auntie".

Carter then took him from her.

"Well, hi, Kolter Grey" She says. "My gosh, he looks just like you".

"Yeah, that's a good thing" Morgan says. He was holding Kennedy. We all laughed.

"Kenny, do you want to meet your cousin?" Hannah says extending her arms towards Kennedy. She nods and goes to Hannah.

"Baby" Kennedy says.

"This is Kolter Grey. He's my baby boy" Hannah says.

"Touch" She says.

"You can touch him" Hannah says. She places her tiny hand in his head.

"Soft" She says with a cheesy smile.

Everyone else pulls in. Carter looks at me.

"Is that Thomas Rhett?" She asks. I nod. I didn't tell her that they were coming here.

"Holy crap" She says. She was a big fan of him. He and Lauren walked up holding the girls, but all the kids, minus Kolter Grey, went to Naomi, Maddie, and Tae. Before we knew it, they were all in the back at the swing set.

"Thomas and Lauren, this is my older sister Carter" I say.

"Nice to meet you!" Lauren chirps. It was funny to watch her because she hated the public eye, but when the camera wasn't around, she's more outgoing and Thomas was quieter.

"You too!" Carter says.

"I apologize that you're stuck with me walking down the aisle" Thomas jokes. We all laughed.

"Ignore him" Lauren says.

"Well, I'm so happy to meet y'all. I'd introduce you to my daughter, but she ran off with your daughters, I believe" She says. "But, her names Kennedy".

"We've got Willa Gray and Ada James" Thomas says.

"I bet they'll be the best of friends" I say.

"Well, we all are" Hannah says.

"Yeah, but look at all the crap we went through to get  here" Morgan says. He was holding the baby currently.

"Babe, don't be all negative" I say. He pulled me close to him.

"I'm not. I'm just saying. We went through a lot, but I'd do it all over again if it meant I got to marry you" He says.

"April 18th is going to be the best day in the world" I say. He leaned down and kissed me.

"Well, that one's going on insta" Hannah says. She took a picture of Morgan and I kissing. I didn't even notice that the baby had ahold of my finger. She posted the picture saying:

"Kolter Grey already has @callangrey wrapped around his finger. im beyond blessed that she's the person my son gets to call his second mother".

My heart melted over her words. We had all decided that we didn't want Kolter Grey to think of me as his "step mother", but more like a second mom. We also didn't want Hannah to think that I didnt love him, because as she said, I was already wrapped around his finger. Thinking back, I'd go through all this again to get to where we are. There was a lot of stuff we had been through, but everything was worth it. There was nothing about this life that I would change.