Lauryn:

 

            “Here we go, Tristan,” I cooed as I seat belted the car seat into my new Expedition. Shea and Tristan were coming home. Brian had been staying at the apartment, helping me get everything ready for their return. What she didn’t know was that Howie, Brian, and I had organized a surprise party for her. Our families had flown in from Sedgwick that morning for the occasion, and I knew Shea would most definitely be surprised. We invited the other Boys, but I doubted anyone but Brian and Howie would show up. At least I tried.

            “Ready to go home?” Brian asked Shea as he helped her in next to Tristan.

            “After five days of hospital food, I am definitely ready to go home,” Shea chuckled. I smiled to myself as I hopped into the driver’s seat, barely being able to hold my excitement in.

            Shea caressed Tristan’s soft cheek as I drove home to our apartment. I pulled up to a stop in front of our building and hopped out to help Shea while Brian unfastened Tristan’s carrier. With Shea holding on to my arm and Brian carrying Tristan’s seat, we made our way up to our fourth floor apartment. When we reached the door, I pulled out my keys and unlocked the deadbolt. We walked into the foyer and Brian flicked on the light. “Surprise!”

            Shea jumped at the sound of all her friends and family all shouting at once. “Welcome home, Sweetie!” Regina Walker, Shea’s mom, squealed, embracing her daughter tightly.

            “Oh, there he is!” she cooed as she looked into the seat Brian held in his arms. “Oosha booboo,” Regina blabbered in Tristan’s face. “Can I hold him, Shea?” she asked.

            “Of course you can, Mom. He is your grandson,” Shea answered with a chuckle. Regina lifted Tristan out of his seat like a pro and cuddled him against her chest.

            “Oh, Shea. He’s perfect,” Regina sighed as she rubbed Tristan’s back tenderly. “Isn’t he perfect, Ed?” Regina asked Shea’s father.

            “He certainly is.” He hugged Shea and kissed her forehead. “You make beautiful children, Angel. Nick is fool-hearted.”

            Shea slid her arm around her father’s back. “Thank you, Daddy.”

            The party continued on with everyone oohing and ahing over Tristan. Shea’s face glowed with pride every time someone made a comment about her son being beautiful or perfect. I walked out of the living room and to the kitchen, returning with a tray of plastic champagne glasses in one hand and a bottle of bubbly in the other. “Gather around! It’s time to make a toast!” I announced.

            The small group of friends and family each took a glass and Brian poured the champagne. I raised mine high above my head. “To Shea. The most wonderful person in the world and my best friend,” I began, winking at Shea. “And to Tristan. My perfect nephew and beautiful child. Nick has no idea what he’s missing,” I finished.           

            Everyone raised their glasses and shouted, “Hear! Hear!” before taking a sip of the sparkling liquid. In midst of our toasting, a faint cry came from Tristan’s carrier where he slept. “I’ll get it, Shea,” Brian said, setting his glass down. He picked Tristan up and held him in the crook of his elbow. He smiled his adorable smile down into the baby’s face when Tristan stopped fussing. He looked so comfortable with him cradled in his arms. He looked so proud of him. Like a proud papa.

            Howie turned the music back up and the party resumed. “I’ll be right back,” I said to Shea as she sat on the arm of the chair, looking down at her sleeping son nestled in Brian’s arms. She nodded but never took her eyes of Tristan and Brian.

            Once again I shuffled into the kitchen. As I stood at the sing, Shea suddenly burst through the kitchen door. “Lauryn, you might want to come out here,” she said with wide eyes.

            I shut off the water and followed Shea into the living room. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary except the music was turned down and Howie and Brian talked in hushed voices, both of them sporting worried and confused looks on their faces. “Where did she go?” Shea inquired frantically.

            “Outside,” Howie answered.

            “What’s going on, Shea?” I asked, folding my arms under my breasts.

            She grabbed my shoulders and stared into my eyes. “Kevin’s here,” she replied.

            “What?” I questioned, dropping my hands to my sides. My heart palpitated a mile a minute and my palms became moist with perspiration.

            “He knocked on the door and your mother answered. She didn’t look to pleased to see him,” Shea answered.

            I peeked out the peephole. There he stood. Kevin. The love I’d missed for so long. And my mother. Talking with exaggerated hand gestures. The little lines around her mouth stood out visibly. Something that only happened when she was incredibly pissed.

            I yanked the door open just in time to hear my mother utter, “If you don’t leave right now, I’ll call the police.”

            “Mother, what are you doing?!” I screamed, taking a step into the hall.

            “Lauryn, this is for your own good. Go back inside,” Mom ordered, pulling on my arm to make me go back inside the apartment.

            “No, Mother! Not until you tell me what the hell is going on!” I shouted, jerking my arm free from her grasp. Kevin stood on the opposite side of the hall, his back against the wall and his hands shoved deep into his pockets. His face was somber and sullen. I glanced at him and he forced a weak smile at me.

            “I asked Kevin to go,” my mother stated.

            “No, Mom. You didn’t. You ordered him to go,” I snapped.

            “You don’t need him, Lauryn. He’s not good enough for you. You’re my daughter. I’m just looking after your well being,” my mom explained, placing her hands firmly on her hips.

            “For Christ’s sake, Donna! I’m 23 years old! I can make my own God damn decisions! And if I decide to have Kevin in my life, it’s my choice! Mine and mine alone! Not yours!” I spat, staring directly into her face with angry eyes.

            “Until you can accept the fact that I love this man and want to be with him,” I said, pointing at Kevin, “you are no longer welcome here,” I stated more calmly.

            My mother stalked past me back into the apartment. She came rushing back out, her purse clamped under her arm. “I was just trying to help you get on with your life,” she said through clenched teeth before storming down the hall and stomping down the stairs.

            Kevin and I stared at each other for the longest time. I still couldn’t believe that he’d come back. That he was standing directly in front of me. He looked the same as I remembered. The same as he did every night in my dreams. His green eyes still reflected sincerity and truth. His jaw line still structured and masculine. His neck smooth and perfect. Everything like I had always remembered. Everything that I had ever known. I figured I’d never again lay my eyes on the face of the man that I truly adored and loved, but here he was.

 

Kevin:

 

            ‘God is she beautiful!’ The familiar phrase entered my mind again. Like it did every time I saw her. Nothing about her had changed in the eight months I’d been gone. Her blue eyes still twinkled like precious stones. Her straight copper hair still rested just below her shoulders. I couldn’t believe she’d just shoved her mother to the side to be with me. That she still loved me.

            All the while I’d been living in Tokyo with Ming Li, I couldn’t stop thinking about Lauryn. Knowing that it was impossible for me to get over her. She was my match. She was my soul mate. It broke Ming Li’s heart when I told her that I loved someone else and had to go be with her, but I couldn’t deny my own feelings.

            Slowly, I crossed the hall to Lauryn. My hand cupped her cheek and a tear fell from her closed eye. I wiped it away with my thumb as Lauryn leaned into my palm. She opened her big, blue eyes that shimmered with tears. I continued to caress her cheek with my thumb as I whispered the words that had been burning in my soul for so long. “You’re where my life begins and you’ll be where it ends. I love you unconditionally from now until the end of time.”

            I pressed my lips to hers delicately. The spark that I had felt the first time our lips had met resurfaced strongly. When our lips unsealed, I pulled her close and buried my face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her beautiful scent deeply. “I love you, Lauryn. I’ll never leave you again,” I sighed.

            “Promise me,” Lauryn murmured breathlessly.

            “I promise you. Never again.”

 

Shea:

 

            “I can’t believe he showed up,” Howie muttered, taking a sip of his champagne.

            Brian placed Tristan gently into my arms. “I can. He still loves her and I know she loves him,” Brian stated, stroking Tristan’s soft head tenderly.

            Just then the apartment door opened and Lauryn and Kevin walked in hand-in-hand. I saw the terrified look on Kevin’s face when he noticed Brian standing at my side. Brian ran a hand through his hair as he stepped across the room to where Kevin and Lauryn stood. He cleared his throat before sticking out his right hand for Kevin to shake. Kevin let go of Lauryn’s hand and grasped Brian’s firmly. “Water under the bridge, Cousin. Forgive and forget,” Brian said.

            Kevin pulled Brian in and hugged him. “You just treat her well and don’t let her down again,” he added, patting Kevin’s back.

            Kevin pulled away and smiled. “I’m never letting her go again,” he assured Brian as he slid his arm around Lauryn’s waist. Lauryn’s mega-watt smile illuminated her face, happiness oozing from every pore.

            “Hey, Kevin,” I said as I approached him, Tristan cradled in the crook of my elbow.

            “Hey, Beautiful,” Kevin said back, leaning in and planting a kiss on my cheek. “Who’s this little guy?” he asked, touching Tristan’s hand. As with all babies, Tristan’s grip reflex caused him to wrap his tiny hand around Kevin’s forefinger. Kevin laughed lightly as Tristan stared up at him with wondering, blue eyes.

            “This is Tristan Nickolas,” I answered. Kevin’s eyes shot up and met mine.

            “Nick’s?” he questioned. I nodded. “Where’s he at?” Kevin inquired.

            “He doesn’t care. Doesn’t think Tristan is his,” I replied.

            “How can he deny that he is his son?” Kevin asked, anger rising in his words.

            “Because of a mistake I made with AJ,” I said meekly, pushing my mess of brown curls away from my face. Opening the old wounds brought tears to my eyes. A few spilled down my cheeks.

            Kevin pulled me into a tight embrace and rocked both Tristan and I back and forth gently. “I know it’s not the same as having Nick, but Tristan has three uncles in this room, and you will always have us too.”

            “That’s right, Shea,” Howie said, placing his hand on my back.

            Brian lifted Tristan out of my arms and held him to his chest. “Always,” he agreed.