Happily Ever After

Jenna

I never believed in happily ever afters. Not in Disney movies or the hallmark ones either. I've never seen a happily ever after before, when it came to my friends and family there was a lot of pain and a lot of let downs. If you told me at some point in my first 22 years of life that there was a happily ever out there waiting for me I would have laughed in your face. I would have said you were dreaming... but in reality it was me who was about to be dreaming.

As I look down at the scars on my wrists and legs I see that they almost completely faded. Thanks to a few treatments and the tattoos and a lot of healing they were almost gone and could be easily covered with just a little makeup. But I know all too well covering up what happened won't help me. Only when I heal will I get better. And now that I am able to heal and get better I am more and more thankful for everything that has happened along the way here.

Kris and I got married in July of 2017 and we had our first kid a short nine months later. We named our first born daughter Francine after her beautiful aunt she will never have the pleasure of meeting. But her cousin loves her a lot and takes good care of her, maybe even better than me. But Mary is seven now, a kindergartener and a hell of a singer already. She's been taking lessons working on what she loves most, I wouldn't be surprised if she becomes a pop star some time in the future. But for now she's one of my best friends and the greatest representation of her mom that a mother could ask for.

And Kris and I have another on the way, due four months from now in December 2019. But right now it's August and the middle of baseball season. I'm still working as a therapist and waiting on our other little angel. Mary was off at a Girl Scout trip and she's killing it. She's a lot better at being away from me now. Hell, sometimes it's harder me to get her to come back. But as soon as I tell her we're going to see the horses she comes right back to us.

As for today I was going to hang out with Kris and Cameron and Taylor all day. It's been a while since I saw my brother and sister and they were in town for the baby shower this weekend. So we go to Connies like always before sitting around and talking about things.

"Have you guys thought of a name yet for him" Cameron wonders and I smile.

"Yeah. We're going to name him Joseph after the man who Kris and Mary and I loved dearly. Even though Joe and Maggie passed away last year they're still such a big part of our lives. I mean Joe and Maggie brought Kris and I together, helped save the cafe and saved my life many times many different ways. This way when he asks why we named him that he will know why" I explain.

Joe sadly passed away from pneumonia about a year ago and Maggie passed not too long after that. They were both 90 years old when they died, they lived a full life all the way up to the end. And they had their happily ever after, they found one in me and Kris and Mary too. Even though the time was short they were god parents to Fran for a little after she was born and they got to see her. I'm sad they couldn't see our kids grow up like they did with Mary. They loved Fran so much and I know they would love Joe too. But things have to fall apart before they come together again and I know that they will never die because I will never let the memories die with them.

"That's awesome, I know Joe would have loved that" Cameron admits.

"He would have" I smile.

We continue to talk until Kris had to leave to get ready for the game. So we head back to the house and get ready for the evening. Kris got my siblings and I good seats and I was quite excited. Baseball was a big part of my life and I do love the game. I just love the guys who play it more.

As I pull on my cubs shirt and stretchy shorts I curl my hair a little. I stand in the mirror and stare at myself asking "how the hell did I get here?" I was at rock bottom my whole life and now look at me, I'm flying. I was genuinely happy and genuinely excited for the future. A future I'm not sure I deserve but greatest appreciate.

I see Kris come behind me before wrapping his arms around me. He places his hands on my stomach and I smile. He wouldn't say it but he really wanted another guy around. A son that he can have a bond with like he did with his dad. Don't get me wrong, he loved his girls and he is a professional at hair and nails now. But he's ready to have a little him running around.

"You look very beautiful today" he says randomly as I start to blush. I was married to this man and yet he still makes me feel all love sick. I hope that feeling never goes away.

"Thank you baby. I feel like a whale though. Being almost six months pregnant in the summer is awful" I admit. I thought I sweated a lot before. That's nothing compared to what I deal with now.

"I don't think there is anything in this world more beautiful" he whispers in my ear. He softly kisses my cheek as my lips pull tight.

"How did I get so lucky" I ask him.

"I ask myself that every day. And I'm not sure there's a answer to our question. All I know is that I love you, I love you so much. And it took me all this time to realize that there is such things as a happily ever after. It's not some made up concept to trick people to fall in love. It's as real as the green grass and blue skies" he says.

"How do you know this is a happily ever after" I question.

"Because. If I died today, for whatever reason I couldn't be with you anymore. I know that my life was complete because I loved you and I had kids with you. So no matter what happens from now on it's a part of the happily ever after" he insists.

"Then I guess this is our happily ever after" I smile.