Chapter 29
Mac: Age 27
Kira: Age 24
Michael: Age 20
Naomi: Age 18
Leif: Age 19
Briana and Bobbie: Age 10
"Run around on my sister and if I find out about I will cut your balls off," Michael grumbled in Kent's ear at his and Mac's wedding reception. "And if you think I'm bad, don't even try crossing Pops."
"Mike, come on, cut the shit. I've been with Mac for five years and she's the only girl I love. I wouldn't have married her if I didn't. She knows about me being bi, accepted it, and even let me know if I need a man, she'll understand. Your folks and sisters have no problem with it. Why should you?"
Michael nodded curtly. "Maybe you're right, but I hope you wrap that dick of yours when you decide to put it up some guy's ass. Don't be bringing diseases home to my sister."
"Not that it's any of your business, but yes, Mike, I always use protection, even with Mac. We're not exactly ready for kids yet. I think Naomi will have everyone's hands full with that as it is."
Mac wandered over, putting an arm around her brother and new husband. "You boys having fun?"
"You could say that," Michael nodded. "Just reminding Kent here about the power of the London men."
"Be nice, Mike," she warned.
"There you are, you sexy thing," Mia came up and hugged him. "I need a gorgeous man to dance with."
Michael's mood changed and he raised a mischievous eyebrow. "Well, tonight's your lucky night, beautiful," he said; leading her away. "I happen to be free."
"That's the funniest thing," she giggled. "You said the exact same thing when you took me to the prom two years ago."
"And who knows, my love," he smiled down at her. "I may also be saying them at our own wedding."
Meanwhile:
In the course of the past year, Naomi had graduated from high school, been accepted into college, and had begun her freshman year when she had discovered she was pregnant. Leif was a sophomore at his own college, making the dean's list and being at the top of his class each semester, and both had them had been scared out of her minds about the pregnancy.
It hadn't been the baby either was worried about; both were nervous about facing their parents with the news, particularly their fathers. Naomi had been her papi's little princess and now coming home pregnant at eighteen would likely throw him for a loop–if not into a rage. And God only knew how Brian would react.
Both parents had been shocked–at least at first. They had all been concerned that Leif and Naomi were so young, but once the idea of them sharing a grandchild had settled in, their mothers had gone into the grandmothers-to-be mode.
"How much do you want to wager which grandpa will spoil the baby the most?" Mariah teased as they had shopped for baby clothes. They had just found out Naomi was going to have a girl and were planning accordingly.
"Judging how much both of them talk about it, I say it's going to be a draw," Montana said, looking over a layette.
"And considering how Paul is with little girls, this should be interesting," Mariah added. "It will be a barrel of laughs seeing my husband in the role, though, being our own girls have been driving him nuts."
Now a few months away from her nineteenth birthday, Naomi had been heavily pregnant at Mac's wedding. She hadn't wanted to be a bridesmaid in her condition, but Mac had insisted, even having a special maternity bridesmaid's gown made for her little sister.
Despite her condition, Naomi still went to college full time as well as held a part time job, not letting anything get in the way of getting a degree. Her parents had been great role models in the work ethic and dedication, and she wanted to make them proud as well as be a role model for her own daughter.
Things would be tough for awhile, but Naomi accepted it, knowing once she'd had her nursing degree and Leif had gotten his engineering one, things would get better, and she loved him so much. Of course, they also had the support and encouragement of their parents.
The twins had been excited about becoming aunts, as had Kira and Mac. Kira had already volunteered her baby sitting services and was working hard toward her own degree with the dream of opening her own day care center. She loved kids and looked forward to have her coming niece being her first "client."
Michael, of course, would be the doting uncle and godfather. He had picked up Paul's knack of being good with kids and having them drawn to him like a magnet, another quality in him that Mia had adored. He was in his junior year of college, working toward his degree with the goal of being a sports trainer. Hell, if he could, Michael was even thinking of going the distance and applying to medical school with the prospect of being a doctor in sports medicine. He had grown up seeing his pops successful in sports and theater, even training young, high flying wrestlers in Mexico, and Michael wanted to be just as successful.
Michael himself had wrestled in some independent promotions and Japan, but between his plans for college and missing Mia so much, he had given it up with the exception of doing a local show now and then for "pocket money."
Bobbie and Briana had grown to be beautiful, blond little girls, now halfway through fifth grade, but both were different as night and day. While Briana loved playing with her dolls and wearing "girly" things Mariah bought them, Bobbie had scoffed dresses, dolls, and doll houses, preferring to climb trees, play video games, and wrestle the neighborhood boys. She loved sports and had been thrilled when her Uncle Neal had gotten her a new hockey stick for Christmas, autographed by her favorite team. It now adorned the wall on her side of the room with the sports posters and youth soccer and baseball trophies.
While her mother shook her head in disbelief at Bobbie being such a rough and tumble child, she had been her daddy's girl, Brian reminding his wife a few scratches here and there on "Bob" would build character. He had adored Briana too, but she had turned up her nose at the opportunity to go to a football game, preferring to go to the garden show with her mother.
"Face it, Brian," Mariah said, "at least one of them remembers she's a girl."
"This coming from a woman who worked on the ring crew and used language that would have made the biggest wrestler blush before we were married," he reminded her.
Bobbie had fought wearing a junior bridesmaid's dress for Mac's wedding while Briana had glowed at the idea, and even now, Mariah had to settle the girl down from challenging one of the boys at the wedding to a wrestling match, not wanting Bobbie to ruin the gown; the twins' dresses had set Mariah back a pretty penny.
"Sometimes I think I have two sons instead of one," she complained to Montana.
Montana understood. "If it's any comfort, some of them outgrow it. Look how well Mackenzie turned out. There was a tomboy, and now look at her, a beautiful bride."
"Lord I hope so," Mariah sighed. "I think Bobbie's more like her dad than Leif ever was."
"How is expectant daddy getting along, by the way?" Montana asked.
"He's good," Mariah nodded. "Still working hard. He's determined to give the baby a good life. It and Naomi are all he talks about anymore. 'His girls' this and 'his girls' that. How many nineteen year old boys do you find like that?"
"None come to mind," Montana said. "I think Leif may be the first."
"How is Naomi?" Mariah wondered.
"Quite uncomfortable as we know, but other than that, the doctor told her the baby is coming along fine. She's dropped a bit and I'm concerned she might deliver early, though."
"Sounds like me when I carried Leif," Mariah nodded. "Of course, I think he would have come early anyway even if we hadn't been in that car accident."
"And for a baby who had a rough start, he turned out well, didn't he?"
Mariah beamed. "He sure did. Now if I could do something with one Barbara Jean, things would be a little better."
"Give it five years," Montana nodded. "Before you know it, Bobbie will be chasing boys instead of trying to wrestle them."
Across the room:
Paul and Brian had been making the rounds with some of the wedding guests as Kent's "proper" mother had sat at a table, staring icily in disapproval. Her son could have had his choice of lovely socialites, but he had married that .
Helena had found Mac ill-bred and her family even more a bunch of savages. Good heavens, the youngest sister was pregnant and not even married to the father, Mac's own father and brother vile who peppered their speech with foul language, and Kira a little too perky and flaky.. The only person Helena found even remotely appealing was Montana. How did that poor woman get in with such a bunch of buffoons?
She would have really had a stroke had she'd known her own precious, "perfect" son was bisexual, and his new bride had accepted him that way, encouraging him to fuck men had that itch had indeed needed scratched.
And those Kendricks. Helena shuddered. Sure, the boy who fathered Naomi's child was brilliant, but like his father, Leif was blatant and sometimes too honest for his own good, taking cue from Brian to speak his own mind and didn't give a shit what anyone thought. Both father and son also had no sense of shame, telling dirty jokes and using bad language of their own, Brian downing beer like it was water, belching and announcing it to the world, and then sneaking off with Leif to smoke when Mariah's back was turned.
Brian had just come back inside from one of his sneaky smoke breaks, joining Paul for yet another beer and chatting with some other people when a young man came up behind them, addressing them formally.
"Hello," Paul grinned, shaking the young man's hand. "You somehow know me and Brian here, but I don't think I've met you."
"No, sir, you haven't. But I certainly do know about both of you. You see, my name is Paul Brian Southerlyn. My mother was shot the night I was born and you saved her life."
"Oh my God," Brian said, taking in a breath. "I remember that. The arena parking lot. I tackled the guy who shot that woman."
"I know," Paul Brian nodded. "Mom told me everything. She and Dad were so grateful for you saving her life that she named me for both of you. I've tried for a long time from the time I got out of high school to track you down."
"How….how did you find us?" Paul asked.
"Don't worry, I'm not a stalker. Your son happens to attend the same college I do, and when I heard the last name, I had to approach him. When Mike told me you were his dad, I knew I was right all along and could finally thank you both personally for my and Mom still being on this earth. Mike invited me, under the condition you didn't know until I approached you myself."
"I always wondered what happened to that baby," Brian grinned. "Now I know."
"How is your mother these days?" Paul inquired.
"She and Dad are still very much in love and have a successful business," Paul Brian said. "They're going to be grandparents next spring. My wife and I are having our first child."
"You're in college and married already?" Brian was intrigued. "And having a kid?"
"You must have your hands full," Paul added.
"Pretty much," Paul Brian replied. "It kind of happened unexpectedly, but the most honorable thing for me to do was marry my child's mother and step up to the plate. We both work at my parents' business, and they're helping when they can too."
Paul and Brian stared at each other. "Sounds like Leif and Naomi, only without them working in their parents' business and being married," Paul said.
"We're going to be grandpas too," Brian explained to Paul Brian.
"Really? Congratulations."
"It's a baby girl," Paul beamed.
"Ours is a boy," Paul Brian laughed. "This is so amazing how I found you guys and this is all happening at the same time."
"Yes," Paul agreed, "and there are also things in life we don't always expect."