The New Ever After (The New Ever After Series)

by Farley, Julie

  There was an audible "Gross," whisper that unmistakably came from Henry.

  "And then, on Monday, I thought we had lost him. I thought I had lost my second happily ever after. I thought I had lost the only thing that made me feel whole again. I didn't want to lose my knight in shining armor. I cried and I screamed a little and I even threw up. I put my feet in the water. I turned on every single light in our house making it a beacon in hopes he would come back. I prayed and wished to every single thing I could imagine. And I waited. I waited for any word. I waited for any sign of hope. I waited for someone to put their arms around me again." Heather wiped away a tear. The audience was filled with sniffles. Peter was still. Still because he just wanted to hold Heather.

  "And on Tuesday, I got a gift that was greater than anything I could have imagined. I got Peter back. I got his arms with the tattoos that make him just enough of a bad boy. I got his five o'clock shadow and his blue eyes. We, the five kids and me, got this guy back who takes care of our every need. I realize that some people move through life without ever meeting their soulmate, and I have been luckier than most. I have a soulmate who adores every inch of me whether I spill wine on his food or burp during one of our first dates. He makes me be a better me. He's the glue that's holding us all together. And when you even have to contemplate for a second that you're going to lose the person who is welded to your soul, you change your perspective. When you get him back, the sky looks a little bluer, the water a little fresher, the wine slightly sweeter and the tick of the clock even more precious."

  Peter couldn't stay in the back anymore. He had to wrap his arms around Heather. He passed George over to his dad because all of the women were crying too much to help. And he walked slowly to the front. He took Heather in his arms and kissed her in front of the audience, which unbeknownst to Heather and Peter included Kelly. Everyone wiped their tears, stood up, and clapped and cheered. Heather let Peter's tongue linger in her mouth for another second and then pulled away.

  "I love you, Mrs. Adamson," whispered Peter.

  She couldn't imagine sitting to sign books now but knew she would have Peter by her side the whole time. The owner of the bookstore came up and thanked her adding with a tear that her speech was one of the most beautiful things she had ever heard. She led them to the signing table and Peter and Heather sat down and signed books for the next hour. Kelly stood in the long line and held out her book for it to be signed.

  "I underestimated you, Peter. I didn't know you were capable of being so in love. I wish the best to both of you."

  Peter and Heather smiled and said thank you but moved right on to the next person. After the signing, they went out to the infamous Fountain Cafe and had lunch with the gang. Heather was determined to go and get each of them the bracelets made out of sailing rope that she used to buy each summer as a teenager at the beach. They walked around town and got a hero's welcome everywhere they went. Peter was inundated with high fives and hugs. They were all thoroughly worn out when they got home.

  Jenny, Heather and Peter sat on the couch with their i-devices after the twins went down for a nap.

  "You are all over the 'net, Heather," announced Jenny.

  "Oh no," replied Heather.

  "Someone must have recorded your little speech. It's even on You Tube."

  Heather went to check Facebook.

  From Elizabeth: I'm in tears. That was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. I'm going to write a speech like that for Todd for our anniversary. Thank you.

  From Tanya: Nice speech. Your boobs looked great in that SUPER low cut shirt.

  Heather laughed. Peter and Jenny looked up. It was not the reaction they expected.

  "I don’t want to care anymore. When I thought I was about to lose my husband again, I realized how stupid it was to care. I’m going to try to ignore it all."

  It had taken 41 years and almost losing another husband to make Heather realize she didn't want to care what anyone else thought.

  "Something else I realized, I want to write more. I loved sitting down to write that piece yesterday. My heart and my mind miss it. I didn't realize how much it helped me after Hank died, and I know it will help me navigate life now too."

  Peter smiled. For once, he was at a loss for words with Heather.

  The rest of the trip was like one big fat Maine party. It was filled with lobster and crab, sand and shells and lots of sun and smiles. After Jenny and Janie left to head back to the 2-3-1-1-3, Peter insisted the big kids try sailing in Sunfish. His boat couldn’t be retrieved but he wasn’t ready to sail again either. Not that Heather would have let him anyway. He hired certified instructors and had lessons for each of them. He didn't want them to be afraid of sailing because of his experience. Peter was happy to spend some quality time with his parents. As a single man, he popped in and out of Maine for quick visits but hadn't had this much time with them in years. He knew it was important and he cherished it. When the time came to head back down South, he had made up his mind that they would spend a good portion of each summer in Maine from now on. He told the kids and they all seemed to agree.

  Chapter 41

  Feeling that all was right in their world, with her friendship with Jenny almost back intact, a fabulous vacation behind her and her parenting batteries recharged, Heather felt like she could take on the 2-3-1-1-3 again. All of the kids went to sleep in their own beds peacefully after the 13-hour return trip. Peter suggested she head up to the tub after their drive, and he stayed down to go through the mail. She soaked in a luxurious bubble bath and decided not to question her life but to enjoy it.

  Peter went through his mail and the family mail quickly. He found a letter addressed to him in a handwriting he recognized but couldn't place. As soon as he opened the envelope, he smelled the familiar scent and knew the letter was from Kelly.

  Peter,

  I made the biggest mistake of my life when I walked away from you. I'm not sure I'll ever get over it. I knew what you wanted. But I was too involved in my materialistic side. I couldn't see what was good for me or who was good for me. I thought I was picking someone who would give me everything I wanted. I chose the path to the easiest success. I chose the path to the greatest failure. If I had stuck it out with you, if I had listened to what you wanted, it would have all been different. We would have been living in Maine with our family. You wouldn't have gotten mad at me and gone out on that boat. You wouldn't have been lost if we were together. I'm still here...waiting for you to realize we would still be good together. I will always love you, Peter Adamson. I will always love you like I did all those days on the beach lying in the sand together losing the innocence that we had.

  Love,

  Kelly

  Peter put the letter down and shook his head. He knew he had to show it to Heather. He didn't want to hide anything from her. But Kelly was bat shit crazy. He had never had the feeling that they would stay together forever. First loves rarely do. Although if he had met Heather in his twenties, he was certain they would still be together. He walked upstairs and found Heather just out of the bath.

  "Read this." Peter handed her the letter. Heather looked at it, read it and rolled her eyes.

  "What is it with you and psycho girls? Let's introduce her to Aiden."

  Peter laughed. He was shocked that she was blowing the letter off like that.

  "Are you going to respond?"

  "No. I want her to leave me alone. I think ignoring her is best."

  "Me too. Now go get in bed so I can show you how much I adore you. I still haven’t gotten you back for tying me up."

  "I like the sound of that."

  Heather really had no idea what she was going to do to Peter. She scanned her brain to try and see if she remembered anything from all of the romance novels she had read over the years that might be appealing to either of them. But since she had never been the adventurous type, or even ever gone to a sex shop, she had no idea what to do. She thought about blindfolding him or runnin
g ice all over his body but truthfully it all felt like a lot of work. So she decided to take a page out of Peter's book. She was going to boss him around just like he did to her.

  "Lie down,” yelled Heather from the bathroom.

  "Don't move. I'm in charge," she said as she walked out and found Peter sound asleep. After driving all thirteen hours by himself, he must have been exhausted. Even too exhausted to let Heather boss him around.

  Chapter 42

  Jenny was afraid to move about the 2-3-1-1-3 on her own in fear of running into Victoria. As soon as Heather returned from Maine, she went with her to the grocery store and to Target. Peter even went with her to Lowes in the unlikely event that they might run into Victoria there. They made sure she was not alone and never had to face Victoria.

  Jenny felt like she could handle seeing Matt when he came to pick up the kids for dinner. She was fine discussing the kids with him but she couldn’t imagine forgiving him and didn't really care what he had to say. Matt was also very predictable, and Jenny knew he wouldn’t want to create a scene in front of anyone, especially the kids. Victoria was a wild card. You never knew what she was going to say or do, and she wasn't afraid of making a scene and then turning it around on you. That's what Jenny was afraid of.

  A few days after they all returned from vacation, Jenny asked Heather if she and the older kids would come to ACAC, the local athletic club, with her. Jenny's kids had been asking to go, but she had been hesitant because Victoria was a member who frequented the pool. Heather still felt guilty that she had not told Jenny about the affair right away. She also felt eternally grateful that Jenny had driven to Maine to help her, so she said she would go. Heather picked Jenny and the kids up. It was August and a typically hot day in Richmond. Heather knew there was no way she could sit on the lounge chair the whole time. She would need to get in the water. Her kids were thrilled to go because ACAC had water slides. The kids scattered into the pools and Jenny and Heather put their things down at some of the chairs.

  Heather spotted her first. Victoria was sitting next to the beach entry pool with her kids. After they got settled, Jenny suggested going over and sitting in the water at the beach entry pool. Heather looked at her quizzically. They would be dangerously close to the enemy, but she didn't dare question Jenny's motives. She just followed her. They didn't acknowledge Victoria. They both pretended as if they didn't see her. Victoria sat in her beach chair and started to get twitchy. Her head had a nervous shake, the same nervous shake Heather had seen a dozen times right before Victoria took an opportunity to cut her down. Much to Heather's surprise, Jenny started talking.

  "I went to the doctor this morning."

  "You did?" asked Heather wondering why Jenny had gone to the doctor.

  "Yes, I asked her to give me a thorough check. And she did."

  "Good idea." Heather said still not knowing what Jenny was talking about but realizing she must have something up her sleeve.

  "She checked and checked and did not see any genital warts and didn't see any signs of them."

  Heather had to bite her tongue to stop from laughing. "Thank goodness. I bet that was a relief after all the other tests she ran."

  "God punishes evil. I'm just glad the evil wasn't passed onto me."

  "Me too."

  Victoria called her kids in a high pitched, nervous voice. She started packing her bags and kept staring at her bikini line. Heather and Jenny had their lips inside their mouths biting as hard as they could to keep from laughing. Victoria left the pool deck within three minutes.

  "I’m sure she’s calling her doctor right now," said Heather. "Priceless. How did you think of that?"

  "I’ve had plenty of nights sitting up thinking about what I would do if I ran into her. I felt like that was the perfect thing to freak her out and I guess I was right."

  "Hope not too many other moms heard us."

  "I don't even care if they did. That was awesome."

  Heather and Jenny stayed at the pool for another hour or so. Without Victoria and with a little bit of revenge, Jenny was relaxed and it felt like old times to Heather.

  When they left, they all went back to Heather's for a barbecue. Heather could easily stay in her house and not venture out many places other than to get food or necessities. In hindsight, she was glad Jenny had suggested ACAC as the change of scenery had done her good.

  When they got back to the house, they couldn't wait to tell Peter all about their little trick on Victoria.

  "You two did that?" He was incredulous but proud. "You guys deserve a drink for that one. Go sit on the patio and it will be my pleasure to serve you."

  And they did. The kids were already in the pool. The twins were toddling around next to Jenny and Heather. Peter brought them one of his special margaritas and some tomatoes with mozzarella and basil. Heather took this chance to look around and examine her life. This summer had forced her to realize, once again, how precious every moment of her life was. She spent so much time caught up in the mundane details of everyday life and it brought her down. She put too much emphasis on those who were not important in her life. She was ready to be a mom, wife and writer and ignore the noise in the form of Aiden, Kelly or Victoria that invaded her space. She finally felt ready, after her summer filled with unfortunate incidents, to completely enjoy her new ever after.

  Epilogue

  After a summer that Heather would never forget, it was the first day of school. The beginning of school brought with it the stress she had left behind; buying 44 jumbo glue sticks, sharpening 96 pencils, making lunches, getting up early, getting on the bus, doing homework, PTA and volunteering. After a summer of unpredictable big time stress, Heather was happy to settle for petty little annoyances. She was also ready for the kids to get back to school. She was anxious to have a schedule and actually have a few minutes to herself.

  Peter was the first one up and out for a run. Heather was packing lunches in the kitchen when he returned.

  “Ready to put this summer in the history books?” he asked.

  “Absolutely. There were definitely some things I could have done without. But it’s bittersweet. Half the time I want to push the kids out the door and on the bus and the other half I want to grab them and keep them with me forever.”

  “You could homeschool them.”

  “Are you crazy? I’d end up in handcuffs!”

  “Speaking of handcuffs, what did you have in mind for me the other night when I so carelessly fell asleep?”

  “Nothing with handcuffs, that’s for sure.”

  “Feel free to show me anytime you’d like.”

  “Hmmm…ok. Mr. Adamson, I’m pretty busy right now though. Mind waking up the big kids?”

  “Not at all.”

  The kids trickled down slowly dressed in their new first day of school outfits. Heather fed them breakfast and lined them up on the stoop to get the obligatory first day of school picture. They packed up their backpacks and were off.

  Heather played with the twins on the floor for a bit, reveling in some one on two time with them. They were getting so big and more and more independent. She knew it would be a blink of an eye before they would be off to kindergarten and Hayes would be off to college.

  While Peter was in the office working on his next bestseller, the phone rang. He answered it and brought it over to Heather.

  “It’s the school,” he whispered. “They want to talk to you.”

  Crap, the school calling on the first day is not a good sign, thought Heather.

  “Hello, this is Heather.”

  “Are you kidding?” she asked turning bright red.

  “I am so sorry.”

  “Yes, I will speak to him when he comes home.”

  Heather hung up and looked at Peter.

  “What happened?”

  “Well, Henry was out at recess and he brought a little toy with him from home.”

  “What kind of toy?”

  “A tampon.”

  “A tamp
on? What the hell did he do with that?”

  “Apparently, he’s turned them into mini rockets. He had about a dozen stuffed in his pockets they said and he launched them all off of the top of the slide.”

  “Ingenious!”

  “I am so embarrassed. Leave it to Henry to make this a first day of school I will never forget or stop hearing about.”

  “Remember, it’s all fodder for your books. It doesn’t matter. It was harmless.”

  “Maybe I’ll post it on Facebook before anyone can yell at me for it.”

  “Good plan, my proactive babe,” Peter said as he rubbed the tension out of her shoulders.

  Knowing she couldn’t beat them at their own game, she decided to join them and put a post on her public author page about the first day of school incident.

  Heather Meadows Adamson: Most embarrassing thing ever? Getting a call from the principal telling you your second grader had a dozen tampons that he was launching like rockets from the top of the school slide.

  By the time Tanya got around to commenting on her post, Heather had 146 likes and tons of LOLs. And a bandwagon of people that jumped on Tanya when she yelled at Heather for not being careful with her feminine products. Heather laughed and thought about how much she had learned this summer. She treasured her husband more than she ever had after almost losing him. She honored her friendship with her best friend even more after almost destroying their bond. And she realized the importance of every moment and vowed to make each one as good as she could.

  Before she went to sleep, after reprimanding Henry and explaining things that she didn’t want to have to explain to a seven-year-old boy, she wrote a post for her Facebook wall.

  Heather Meadows Adamson: The new ever after isn't always happy. It's filled with sadness and tears and overwhelming happiness. It's messy and chaotic and highly structured. It's days filled with nothing and hours scheduled by the minute. It's love and hugs and slobbery kisses. It's wishing the kids were all in college and crying that they are going to kindergarten. It's finding sand in weird places. It's not wanting to roll over and kiss the one you're with and it's the hottest sex you've ever had while you're tied up to a headboard in a foreign country. It's fighting with your best friend and realizing there's no way you can live without her. It's life, and it's your life and it's passing you by with hours that feel endless and years that are gone with the blink of an eye. The new ever after, it's what real fairy tales are made of.