10 years later
Carmine's Pov
Walking inside the door just getting off of work exhausted from how busy it was today. I wanted nothing more than to be home earlier but there were so many problems today. slipping my boots off Im almost tackled to the floor.
"Happy Birthday Dad!" says Jax squeezing the hell out of my middle. Ruffling his hair he looks up to me a splitting image of his mother. "Thanks bud. Where's mom?" Shrugging he lets me go and runs up the stairs. Most likely to his room to play those damn video games.
Following him up the stairs I hear quite whispers come from Beatrice's room. Knocking on her door she screams come in. "Hey dad happy birthday." Handing me a small box wrapped in metallic green and tied off with a purple ribbon I cant contain my smile. My once little girl now almost fourteen and still such a daddies girl.
"Thanks sweetie I love it."
"You don't even know whats in there." Crossing her arms over her chest she looks at me with an all to familiar look. The same one I make when questioning Ravena. Its crazy how much Beatrice has grown to look like me and her bother just like her mother. She beautiful none the less.
"Dont have to if it came from you im sure ill love it just like I love you." I say as I tap the tip of her nose causing it to crunch up. "You cheese ball. Mom's in the garden reading."
A swift kiss to her round cheek I make my way back down the stairs and out the back door to the garden. Still in my socks I know i'll hear it from Ravena about tracking dirt inside later. Finding her among the flowers growing all around her she sits on the bench I had built her to read on after we got back from our honey moon. That was two years after Bee was born.
Headphones in her ears she's consumed by the book she reads. As I get closer I read the title smiling at the one she has chosen to read for the day. Wuthering Heights, her long hair flows in the light wind, glasses on the tip of her nose she pushes them up when flipping to the next page only to stop when my feet wiggle in her view.
"Hey baby." she says popping out her headphones and closing her book. Patting the spot next to her I sit. "happy birthday my love." She says giving me a kiss. It stars slow only to gain heat to it. 18 years together and she still gets to me.
"How does it feel to be 39? Feeling old yet?" she asks wiggling her eyebrows at me.
"How could I feel old when I got you by my side." Wiggling my eyebrows right back at her.
"You really are cheesy." She laughs gently pushing me a little. "Only for you babe." Winking at her I scoop her up in my arms carrying her bridal style inside the house.
"I love you."
"I love you too." Planting a kiss on her lips as I walk us half way up the stairs to our room only to set her back on her feet. "Okay walk the rest of the way im not 21 anymore." Ravena laughs smacking my shoulder only to run up the rest of the stairs.
"Come on your birthday present waits for you." Both of us rewarded by ews we laugh. It's amazing how far we've come.
5 years later
Ravena's pov
"Are you sure you have everything." we both ask Beatrice as she looks around her new dorm room. Shes now a freshman in college while Jax is now starting high school. Tears cloud my eyes as I watch her move around the room.
Quickly trying to stop them from falling I look up at the ceiling, only for arms to wrap around my neck.
"Don't cry mom i'll visit you guys. I couldn't go that long with out seeing the three most important people in my life." She says as her eyes water as well.
Soon after its just three of us headed back home and my heart is heavy. It feels as if a part of me has been lost. It makes me wonder if this is how my mom felt leaving me for college.
"Do you think she'll be ok?" I ask Carmine as I look out the car window.
"She'll be fine." He says tapping the steering wheel to the beat of the soft music playing. Jax totally ignoring everything around him, at the age of fifteen I can only guess whats going through that boys head.
The rest of the car ride home I think back on how everything has come to this point. Carmine and I had a rocky beginning only for us to grow and ending up together. If you would have told my twenty year old self this is where I would be today. With a loving husband and two wonderful kids she'd scoff in your face.
I didn't believe I was worthy of love coming from a broken home. raised by a single mother that was attracted to men half her age. I thought school was all I needed in life. carmine changed that and i'm glad he did. We had a rough few years in the begging both of us having to get used to a relationship.
Since nether of us having been in one really but we jumped those hurdles together and stood strong. And here we are today.
Still in love and watching our family grow just as ours did for us. Its a full circle now and I couldn't be happier in life then I am now.
The end