Page 82 (1/2)

I choked out my sobs as I watched her walk over She set Walker down in the crib, and then I pulled her into ht as I could

"I love you, Courtney Thank you for letting me love you"

"Reed, I love you so much"

I pulled back and wiped her tears aith el Only sunlit roads and drea true from this point on"

"Is that a promise?" Courtney said as she scrunched up her nose and smiled

I kissed the tip of her nose and looked down at Walker before turning my eyes to hers "That’s a promise"

Five Years Later

"Ava Grace! Do not bite Gracie’s ear," I said

Reed, Walker, and Jase ran by, yelling, "Tackle, Uncle Layton!"

Whitley laughed as she walked up and gave Taylor and Ava each a cupcake "I can’t believe Walker and Taylor are five Time has just flown by"

I smiled as I looked around and nodded "And Ava and Jase are just turning four It’s unreal"

Whitley let out a laugh "You knohat’s unreal is both pregnancies, ere just weeks apart froled and nodded my head "That’s because you and Layton didn’t wait your full six weeks!"

Whitley turned and looked atopen "Excuse me You had Ava a week after I had Jase Who didn’t wait her full six weeks? I wouldn’t doubt that y’all were having sex a few days after Walker was born"

"Pesh I wish, but Reed did led my eyebrows up and down

"Please Layton wrote the book on how to ood and--"

"Girls, please After all these years, you would think you’d remember when y’all are in public and not to talk about your sex life," Mi toward the swings

"Me, too, Aunt Mio first! It’s my birthday, y’all!" Taylor yelled out as she took off after Mih "Y’all still talking about another one?" I asked as I looked over at Whitley

She shook her head "No I think Taylor and Jase are enough I irl and a boy? I love our little family, and I alanced over at ave my shoulder a push "What about you?"

"Nope Reed already has an appointet the old balls snipped"

"Yuck I didn’t need that visual," Whitley said as shesound

We sat there in silence as atched our little world playing out in front of us Reed, Layton, and Kevin were playing tag football with the boys while Mis

I couldn’t help but notice how Kevin and Jen kept looking at each other They had been dating for the last two years, and Jen didn’t know it, but Kevin was going to pop the question tonight I s about it and how happy Jen would finally be We all knew Mike was the love of her life, and Kevin had spent a few years letting guilt get in his way of pursuing his best friend’s girl But when Layton had told him that Mike would want Jen to be with someone he had trusted and loved like a brother, Kevin had finally given in and asked Jen out

"Hey, Whit?" I asked as I watched Reed running after Walker