A Million Wishes

  Hugging her she stroked her hair off her forehead, and kissed her there, smiling. “You don’t have to correct yourself sugar. If you feel comfortable calling me Mom, I think it would be wonderful. It’s up to you ok?”

  “Ok….” She whispered. “I just, it kind of makes me feel guilty. Like, what if my Momma in heaven hears me call you Mom, would it hurt her feelings?”

  “Oh sugar, I think your Mom and Dad would just want you kids to be happy and feel at home. If it were me, I would want my kids to be with someone that made them feel loved enough to be comfortable calling them anything from their first name to Mom and Dad. We’ll never take the place of your parent’s honey, but we can darn sure love as much as they did.”

  Lilah kissed her cheek. “Thank you.”

  “Anytime sugar, anytime. I’ve just about got breakfast done, but you can set the table if you want too.”

  “Ok, I can do that.”

  It wasn’t long before the scent of coffee had Noah up and walking in the kitchen to pour a cup and snuggle Miki up in his arms, kissing her neck. “Good morning babydoll.”

  “Morning Romeo.” She smiled and kissed his chest.

  He walked by Lilah and tugged her hair playfully. “Morning angel face.”

  “Morning Daddy.” Noah sat down and looked up at her grinning like a fool. She casually went on setting up the table like nothing big had happened even though to Noah and Miki, the world just shifted on its axis.

  “Why don’t you go wake the boys up and tell them breakfast is ready sugar.”

  “Ok Momma.” She took off yelling at the top of her lungs for the boys before she even got around the corner of the kitchen and it made them both laugh, while they were wiping their eyes from her sweetness.

  Later that day…

  Miki and Lilah were just getting home from getting their nails done when they heard loud “Hooyah’s” and laughter coming from outside. “Let’s go see what the boys are up too. I have a feeling they are running the obstacle course your Dad and Uncles have been working on.”

  Sure enough once they got closer to the new house the louder the cheers and jeers were. “Looks like the competition is on sugar.” They grinned at each other and rounded the back of the house to see the guys all shirtless and sweaty. Lilah gasped when she saw the extent of the course. It was built to simulate a Navy SEAL obstacle course. One you were required to complete in less than 12 minutes to qualify. Dom was on it now. Everyone was cheering and offering advice. Noah had the camcorder out recording him as he went, looking like a proud Poppa.

  He fell down a few times and Miki winced, not wanting him hurt, but she hooted and hollered right along with every else, just a lot louder each time he got right back up and went at it again. The kid was built. Even she could see that with discipline and guidance this course would one day be a breeze for him. When he crossed the finish line his legs were wobbly and Noah hugged him hard, clapping him on his back and praising him. “You did good son. For your first run through and you did it in sixteen and a half minutes, I’m impressed! Your Uncle Callum barely made it in eighteen, and he’s done this at least twenty times.” The razzing continued while Dom caught his breath and drank water. She introduced Lilah to her brothers, now that everyone was calming down. They teased her about her neon orange toe nails and finger nails, and it just made her smile because she easily teased them back about receding hairlines and gray hairs.

  Noah announced it was now Dakota’s turn. After all this is why they started competing today anyways was the challenge they had issued each other the night before.

  “Sure you don’t want to go first old man?” Dakota had a cocky grin on his face, flexing his muscles at Noah.

  “Go ahead shorty, show me what you got, and then I’ll show you what it’s supposed to look like.”

  Miki’s heart thudded when Noah got all competitive again. He didn’t even have to flex his muscles and she was drooling. So not fair for him to be so damn sexy when he wasn’t even trying. Noah turned to look at her and saw her devouring him with her bright green eyes, he winked at her and put his arm around her waist, jerking her close and growling in her ear. “Stop that.” She blinked her eyes and tried to look innocent. “Stop what Romeo?” He huffed and nipped his teeth on her earlobe before growling out. “Stop looking at me like you want me naked in the bedroom. You’re killing my concentration, and I can’t let the kid beat me.” She tossed her head back and laughed, pinching his bottom before walking away from the start line with an added sway to her hips.

  “Come on Dakota! You can do it!” She cheered. Noah blew his whistle and Dakota took off. The first part of the course he breezed through. When he got to the part he had to belly crawl in the sand with barb wire above him, he slowed. The sand sapped some of his strength but once he was out of it he took off again towards the cargo net that hung high in the air and began climbing it up and over, jumping to the ground. He gait was slower then but he kept going, across the balance logs and over the hooyah logs to the transfer rope. His grip was strong and sure, quickly moving along at a steady pace. He didn’t slow until he got to the weaver. An arch of bars you had to weave yourself through without ever touching the ground. Over, under, over, under then off and running to the Burma bridge. By this time his legs were probably shaky since he took it slow and steady across the way and climbed the rope down, heading over the hooyah logs again and up the slide for life. This was the one that made her nervous. The tower he had to climb was so high, and there was only a tight rope to shimmy down on your belly with your right foot guiding you, while you pulled with your arms. Thank God she hadn’t seen Dom do this or she probably would have had heart failure. As it was, she was about to hyperventilate when her brother Callum put a reassuring arm around her and told her to breathe. By the time she did, Dakota was on foot again racing towards the rope swing. She took a glance towards Noah and he was grinning ear to ear, watching the stop watch and back up at the young man that was flying through the course, past the tires, over the incline wall, across the spider wall and over the vaults with ease.

  “I’ll be damned! Dakota you killed it son! Especially for your first time! Fifteen minutes and eleven seconds. You boys made me so proud.” He hugged them both, and handed Callum the stop watch and whistle.

  “Now, it’s time to show you how it’s done.” Noah took off for the start line and was off as soon as the whistle blew. The parallel bars were a breeze. God knows he’d trained on them enough the last eight months, rebuilding his strength. The tires weren’t even bad, considering he had a prosthetic, but the walls were enough to make him wince a bit when he jumped down. You could tell he tried to take most of his weight on his right leg, but it still had to hurt for him to even show a wince.

  Miki’s heart was thudding as she watched her man fly through the course with ease. He was so sexy. Grinning as he slithered through the weaver like a snake and didn’t even slow on the Burma bridge. He was kicking everyone’s ass and Miki was to the point she was hopping up and down cheering for him so much the kids were laughing and teasing her. Truth be known, they were all cheering for him. He could have given up with his injury but no, not Noah. Here he was crossing the finish line and being hugged by her brother as he told him his time.

  “You still got it Noah. Losing part of your leg barely even slowed you down. Ten minutes and thirty seven seconds!”

  Noah grinned and teased the boys “Who’s the old man now huh?”

  It was Lilah that cracked them all up laughing when she clapped and yelled “Oh! OH, I know! Uncle Callum!!!!”

  Chapter 27

  It was nearly sunrise when Noah woke up to an empty bed. The scent of coffee teased his nostrils like a heavenly elixir drawing him from beneath the quilts. The house was dark except for the stove light and his Miki girl was nowhere to be found. He looked out the kitchen window and smiled. Pouring two mugs of coffee and lacing them with sugar and cream, he slipped on his old tennis shoes and carried the mugs with him out to
the old oak tree. She turned her head when he stepped on a twig and it snapped under the pressure.

  “Morning Romeo.” Her voice was still husky and tinged with sleep; he loved how sexy she sounded.

  “Morning babydoll. Wanna hold these and I’ll come up and snuggle with you while the sun rises?”

  “Mmm yesss…” She purred, tucking her notepad and pen in the knothole of the tree, before taking the mugs and scooting over while he climbed up and got settled. She moved to sit between his legs, leaning back against him. “I love you baby.” She said softly. His arm wrapped her waist as his face burrowed against her neck, kissing her there. “I love you too babydoll.”

  They were silent then. Each lost in their own thoughts as the sun rose, sharing soft kisses and tender touches, as the filtering light between the limbs and leaves of the old oak tree warmed them. That’s how the kids found them. Cuddled up like teenagers in the tree.

  “What’re you guys doing in a tree?” Lilah asked, jumping up on the lowest branch and smiling over at them.

  “This is her most favorite spot since she was a kid. Anytime I can’t find her, this is where I look and sure enough, here she’ll be, writing or just daydreaming about me, or sometimes even writing about daydreaming about me.” Miki laughed and playfully elbowed him.

  “Shush you. You’re so conceited!” The boys climbed up and each found their own comfy spot, laughing at the teasing.

  “Hey now…there is a difference between confidence and conceit. He just knows he got you. You can’t even deny it, it’s written all over your face when you look at em’. You get all mushy and your eyes glow, each and every single time you look at him.” Dakota laughed and winked at her. She just rolled her eyes and huffed.

  “She does, doesn’t she?” Noah kissed her cheek and hugged her. “Such a pretty little thing when she gets all doe eyed and follows me around like a ….Oomph!” The elbow to his ribs shut him up, but it had the kids all laughing, teasing her about being so in love.

  “I gotta take up for Momma though. Daddy gets all sappy when he looks at her too. Plus, yesterday he was flexing his muscles and stuff, showing off for her. He’s just as bad as she is on being all lovey dovey. I wish I had a boy in love with me like that.” Lilah smiled and looked wistfully up in the sky. “Someday my prince will come.”

  “And we’ll all gang up on him and beat his face in so he leaves our baby sister alone.” Dakota chimed in.

  “Nah it would be easier for me to just sit on the front porch with my rifles out, cleaning them while dressed in my gear. One crazy eyed look and the boys won’t even make it into the house.” Noah was laughing and giving the boys high fives while Lilah looked mortified.

  “You wouldn’t dare! How am I ever gonna get married and have babies if you scare everyone off!”

  “Whoa whoa WHOA! Who ever said you’re gonna get married and why the heck are you thinking about babies when you’re just a baby yourself? Nuh uh, no, not happening until you’re at least 30.” Noah looked like he was about to have a panic attack and it made Miki dissolve into a fit of giggles.

  “Come on Lilah, let’s go whip up some pancakes for breakfast while these guys beat their chests and act all manly. When you guys are done acting like cavemen you can come in for breakfast. Need to get the smoker going and put that brisket on Romeo. We have guests coming, so everyone can pitch in.”

  Noah just grinned and pounded his chest, letting out an “Argh argh ugh” which in turn, had the boys smiling and following suit.

  “Ugh, boys are so lame.”

  “As you see there, it doesn’t get much better even when they’re 30 years old.”

  They walked back up to the house, arm in arm, laughing while the guys kept their grunting chant going.

  The morning went by quickly. The kids made their beds after breakfast and got dressed. Friends were called and given directions to the house and Dakota offered to pick up the twins friends since they didn’t have a ride. Miki gave him her van keys and kissed his cheek, tucking a twenty in his hand, asking him to pick up some bags of ice before he came home. Dom left with him after they finished setting up the chairs and picnic tables outside. Lilah stayed home to finish helping get the food ready. Miki’s sisters and brothers started showing up a half hour early, eager to meet the kids, and introduce them to their cousins. At that point Miki shooed Lilah outside with all the kids to run off some energy. She wanted her to have fun, not feel like she had to stay in and work. Not long after that, her best friend Gina and Noah’s family showed up, his parents and siblings along with their spouses and kids. Ever so thankful the weather was nice outside, since the house was so cramped and they had so many relatives, Miki said out loud. “Next get together will be so much easier! We’ll be in the new house and have so much more room. I didn’t realize how tiny this kitchen was until we started making pies and cookies yesterday for today.”

  “Sweetheart even in that old plantation house, once all this family files in, it gets cramped. We just keep growing and growing. Before you know it I’ll have to knock a wall down and put an extra room off the dining room for another table!” Vivi said, pulling Miki into a hug and kissing her cheeks. “Where are my new grandbabies at?” Miki pointed out the kitchen window. “Delilah is outside with her cousins, Dominic and Dakota went to get the twins friends from town. I figured it might help them feel more comfortable if they each had a friend around. Let me dry my hands and I’ll take you out to introduce you.”

  Grabbing a hand towel from the drawer, Miki dried off, and hung the towel on the hook by the sink. “Ok, let’s go outside ladies.” She led her sisters and mother in law outside. Her father in law was already hugging a brightly smiling Lilah. Noah was the spitting image of his father Matthias. It would be easy for the kids to take to him because he was merely an older image of Noah. “Lilah honey this is Vivi, Noah’s Momma.” They hugged and Vivi told her to call them Gigi and Poppa like the rest of the grandkids if she wanted to. Lilah hugged her tight and kissed her cheek. “I never had Grandparents before.” Vivi cupped her cheeks in her hands and kissed her forehead. “Well you do now darlin’ girl.”

  Car doors slammed, and Miki looked around the side of the house to see Tank and 3 kids, so she waved at them smiling and called out. “Come on back here y’all.” Gina was standing next to her and made a squeaking sound. "Oh lordy be, who is that tall, dark, and handsome hunk of man?"

  Miki busted out laughing and told her quickly who he was, and introduced them soon as Tank joined them. "Tank this is my best friend Gina, Gina this is Dakota's friend and track coach, Tank. Those are his brothers and sisters Gina."

  "Well hello there handsome. Boy they don't make men like you often, but I do declare I'm glad to see you don't have a ring on your finger."

  "Gina!!!" Miki was mortified but still laughing because in a matter of minutes Gina had reduced this big, strong man into putty in her palm. Tank took Gina's hand and kissed it, giving her a wink.

  "I admit sweet Gina, I'm pretty damn glad myself to see you don't have a ring on your finger either darlin'." Tank was giving her an amazing smile and it was clear to Miki she didn't need to hang around to see anything more.

  Dakota pulled up then with the kids and it looked like everyone was there. Noah quieted everyone down long enough to do introductions and say a prayer before lunch. Miki and her sisters brought all the food out, setting up a buffet for everyone to fill their plates and grab drinks from the ice chests. Miki looked around at her family and felt emotion well up in her. Some of her biggest wishes growing up included having a family life, her prince charming, children, and happy get together’s with good food and lots of laughter…and love, lots and lots of love. Back then she thought her wishes were too grand, unattainable, that they were goals she would never reach, yet here she was surrounded with it. Miki sat her plate down next to Vivi’s and excused herself, nearly running into the house, to the bathroom and shutting the door before the happy tears that had built up to overwhelming
burst forth.

  A knock at the door surprised her and she hiccupped and tried to quiet her crying. “Babydoll, are you ok honey?” She opened the door and wiped her eyes. “I’m…hic…fine, I just…hic…got overwhelmed and…hic…I didn’t want to cry in fro...hic…front of everybody.” He gathered her against his chest and dug his fingers through her hair loving on her. “Why are you crying baby?” Her little sniffle hiccup made him smile. Even crying she was adorable and beautiful. “I just…this is what I always wished for…and when I realized it…hic…it just, floored me and the tears started and…hic….I had to get away for a min…hic…minute.” She pulled away and grabbed a wad of toilet paper, blowing her nose. He grabbed a washcloth from the cabinet and ran it under cold water, ringing it out and wiping her face gently.