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Stevie? Nothing toa very nice profit, and o with his love and life partner, Darren They live a grand total of five miles fro out on the back deck, I do a quick survey ofall around My oldest, Felicity, so beautiful at age thirty-six, and the spitting ihter, who I hold in e, sitting by her side and bouncing their son, Elijah, on his knee

My eyes slide left, seeing my son, Mark, in a deep discussion with Stevie and Darren He just turned thirty-two last week, as aabout politics They are polar opposites when it comes to fiscal issues, but on the flip side, they are perfectly aligned on the social agenda Mark is a pediatrician and practices here in Denver, and he’s so busy, he never dates I’randchildren out of him

Finally, my eyes land on Lucas, our last child He’s thirty-one, and yes, we banged him out quickly after Mark, because we had set our limit at three He has dark brown hair, just like his father, but hasSavannah, his wife, sits cuddled on his lap, and he rubs his hand over her swollen belly Grandchild number three, and I cannot wait to see that littledown off the deck, I walk over and hand Felicity to her mother Then I turn and walk over to the love of eously handsome He works out every day and still wears his hair a little long His temples are streaked with so as the day I met him

Our life here in Denver is quiet After he retired froree and now teaches high school English I’m not sure he’ll ever retire from that, and it keeps hi I’ve continued to dabble in over the years I took tier, especially because of the way Garrett traveled so much for his career We both felt it was iaze captures Garrett’s and he givesin front of a large cake with the words Happy 40th Anniversary written on it in large, scripted letters

I reachin the feel of his strong aro around me

"Hey, hot mama," he whispers in ive hi kiss "Hey, stud," I tell hiet a room"

Garrett leans his head up and calls out over et the hell out of our house"

Everyone laughs, including reat I’m healthy and whole

My lymphoma was beaten into remission by Dr Yoffman and has recurred only once, and that was o It scared the hell out of the kids, but so to be okay By then ere in Denver, and ested a bone- to be okay because I had Garrett by my side He never once let me feel sorry for myself, and because he was retired from hockey, and because he had more flexibility in his work schedule, he was able to finally be the one and only to take care of ood It made me feel better

"And here we are," he says as he kisses my temple

"Forty years Can you believe it?"

"See into bed on our first date You were quite the seductress"

"Still am," I affirm

"That you are," he says in a low rumble, a sound that never fails to make my heart race

"Happy anniversary, baby," I tell him "Best forty years of my life"

"Best ofstill to do"

"Yes, we do, my love Yes we do"