Kurt gave Luke and Alexis his house when he moved in with my mom almost right after we had Mason. It had to be a little awkward for him but she couldn’t part with the house and just like Cooper he couldn’t deny my mom anything that made her happy. The kids loved their Nona and Pop-pop. My dad was Gramps just like his dad was. He also adored being a grandpa. We had gotten our relationship back to where it was before Gigi came into the picture and there were no hard feelings. I really liked Rosemary and Jacob too. She taught English at the high school they had moved here six years ago from Memphis to care for her father. She’d been a single mom with Jacob before she met my dad and he was a great kid.
Jacob and Vanessa walked up to sit at the table looking exhausted. They grabbed some waters from the cooler.
“Please don’t tell me you’re expecting too.” Rosemary joked with Jacob.
“No mom I have to say that those kids are great birth control. I’m exhausted, I’ll be lucky if I can move tomorrow.” He laughed. Vanessa was blushing.
“Well thank heavens for that because I am not ready to be a grandma yet. No offense.” She looked at me and laughed.
“None taken.”
“Cooper can you teach me how to spar like Mason that kids a maniac.”
“I’ll show you a few tricks sometime.”
“How did you learn to fight like that?” I saw Cooper wince. We didn’t really talk about the how. One day when Mason was watching Power Rangers he asked, okay he begged, for karate lessons and Cooper took him a few times but didn’t think that they were teaching it to his specifications and decided to teach him himself and turns out he’s a natural.
Noticing the slight tension my mom changed the subject.
“Honey, are you excited to be done with school?” She asked.
“I am. I’m more relieved than anything.”
“You’re going to make a great nurse those patients are going to be lucky to have you.”
“I don’t know how you managed with the three of them.” Rosemary added. I laughed watching my three crazy kids running around chasing their cousins.
“She didn’t just manage she excelled.” Cooper interjected kissing my cheek. There were many sleepless nights for both of us but he more than pulled his weight around the house especially when I needed to study. He’d had the basement soundproofed so that I could he could take the kids down there and let them go nuts without disturbing me.
“That’s cause I had you. I couldn’t have done it without you.” I kissed him.
Even though I didn’t need to work for money I wanted to do something in my life with meaning so I decided to pursue my dream and become a nurse it took a little longer going to school in between having my babies but with Cooper’s help I did. My goal all was to work with cancer patients especially mothers. It touched me on a personal level because of Cooper’s mom struggle.
Over the last couple years my mom founded the Holly Kinley Breast Cancer Research Foundation that funded the new wing at the hospital. The organization focused on early detection and offered childcare services to mothers with young children along with other helpful services. She took a personal approach and oversaw each case. Alexis and I helped where we could. Starting next week I would be working at the Holly Kinley Cancer Care Center as an RN two days a week on a volunteer basis. My mom was already in the process of putting together another gala to raise even more money.
As soon as Luke took the food off the grill everyone dug in. I sat next to Alexis and we talked animatedly about being pregnant again. Turns out they’ve known for a couple weeks but held off telling everyone until they were into the second trimester since they had lost a baby last year but the doctor said so far this pregnancy looks great. After dinner I went inside to get the dessert. I’d made dirt cups for the kids which was just chocolate pudding, crushed Oreo cookies and gummy worms and I’d made a cheesecake for the grown ups. I delved out the desserts and ate my cake sitting on Coopers lap nuzzling my head into the crook of his neck.
If someone told me ten years ago that I’d be talking to my dad again, sitting next to my mom who was married to my father in law and that I’d be sitting here at twenty-eight with my soul mate and our three kids with another on the way I would have told you that you were crazy but here I am and for us it’s normal. I truly believe everything happens for a reason. Cooper is my reason. My kids are my reason. My family is my reason. When I thought I was broken beyond repair Cooper saw the real me and loved me flaws and all he helped me become who I am. I’ll be forever grateful that he never gave up on me. I am stubborn and strong willed. I am loving and passionate. I have attitude.
I try and live my life by this quote by Charles R. Swindoll.
“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home. The remarkable thing is that we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude that we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is ten-percent what happens to me and ninety-percent of how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our Attitudes.”
I chose to live every day like it’s my last, to live happily ever after.
The End
Play List
Maroon 5- One More Night
Pink-Sober
Breaking Benjamin- Polyamorous
Jason Mraz - I Won't Give Up
Jason Mraz- I'm Yours
Skillet- Monster
Skillet- Open Wounds
The All-American Rejects- Fallin’ Apart
Rise Against- From Heads Unworthy
The Offspring - (Can't Get My) Head Around You
Cavo-Champagne
Train- Drive By
Calvin Harris- Feel So Close
The Gaslight Anthem - “45”
Christina Perri- Jar Of Hearts
Kings of Leon- The End
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros- Home
Of Monsters and Men- Little Talks
Hinder- Up All Night
Rise Against- The Good Left Undone
Taio Cruz feat. Flo Rida- Hangover
Fun.- Somebody That I Used To Know
Anberlin- The Feel Good Drag
Skylar Grey- Love The Way Tou Lie (Rihanna Demo)
Atreyu- Falling Down
3 Doors Down- Kryptonite
Blink 182 - Reckless Abandon
Kid Cudi0- Pursuit of Happiness (Feat. MGMT And Ratatat)
The Gaslight Anthem- Biloxi Parish
Taking Back Sunday - Cute Without The E
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