by S. E. Law
Brick's body descends on mine once again, his hands touching my body.
"Why don't we get a head start on our brood?” He presses himself into my side, ready to get started.
"Brick, I'm already pregnant.”
"Well, practice makes perfect, baby.” I laugh as his lips find a spot on my neck.
I never thought a perfect life was possible, but here I am, living it.
Epilogue 2
Brick
Ten years later.
"Hey, little firecracker.” I catch one of my younger sons before he falls after running smack into my legs. The other kids avoid crashing into me and continue rushing off. "Where's everybody going?”
"Harlow has a bunch of new toys, and Momma said we can all help unbox them!” Arlo shouts in a flurry of excitement.
"Oh, I see.” Harlow's unboxings are big events in this household. If it’s a big haul, the whole family is allowed to get in on it, or at least the ones who can be of any help. The twins are still a little too young to enjoy something like that. And I should go check on them before I join in on this family party scene.
“Okay, go join everybody else, but watch where you’re going. I don’t want my little dude getting hurt.”
“Okay, Dad!” Arlo goes to join his mom and siblings. I put my briefcase down and head upstairs. Sammie and Sofie are currently sharing a room. When we got the news that Tammy was having twins, it was a shocker. After five kids, you think you’re prepared for it all, and then something like this happens. We had already planned on moving since space was becoming limited and the kids getting older meant they were probably going to want more room. But having twins on the way pushed that plan into high gear.
We managed to find a place that had a room for each kid, but we’ve kept the twins together because they are young and it’s easier to have them in close quarters. For now, at least.
I tiptoe in their room. As expected, they are fast asleep. We’re fast coming up on their first birthday. We celebrate a lot of birthdays now, but the ball never gets dropped on one. We’ve found a system that works for our family.
I look down at my two youngest children and smile. They’ve been in the room for some unboxings. I think Tammy might let them participate a little bit more in the coming months. A lot of the companies who send Harlow toys to feature on her YouTube channel send things for the other kids as well. If we can get them out of the shipping boxes ahead of time, the twins could tear at some of the wrapping paper. It would just take some extra preparation time.
I leave the twins to their sleep and head downstairs to help out with the family unboxing. Typically, I stay off camera and help with any behind-the-scenes logistics. We have enough people to fill up the screen today either way.
I could tell Tammy was getting antsy after having Bryson. He was our fifth child. Tammy always tells me how much she loves raising our kids, but she had always planned on doing more. Her career just got put on the back burner because I kept her consistently pregnant. We agreed on having all of these kids, though. We never got to the magical number of ten, but we got pretty damn close.
Tammy is a great mother. She takes care of all of our kids’ needs, knowing what each one needs based on their personality.
But I saw her need for something else. So I brought a camera home, thinking that Tammy might have some fun with it. I made a couple of jokes about the last time she got a camera rolling. I still have that tape, in fact. It’s deeply hidden so the kids won’t accidentally find it, but I take it out every once in a while to relive the moment.
But Tammy ended up filming Harlow this time around. Our daughter has a natural presence in front of the camera. I’ve brought her to set before, and everyone loves her. We’ve also done a few just-for-fun videos on camera with her, and she just knows what to do.
I told Tammy our kids would be great, and they all are.
“Okay, okay. I need everybody to be in their calm bodies. Get all those wiggles out now.” Tammy does a little wiggles dance with the kids. It’s how we get them to sit still when we’re all together.
“How’s everyone doing?” I ask the room. They all turn to me. All the wiggles come back as my kids run to give me a hug. They’re all starting to get stronger as they get older, and I’m worried they’re going to start knocking me over with these monster hugs soon. Especially when the twins join in. I’m a strong man, but I’ve only got so much strength.
“We’re going to help Harlow with a video. She has so many toys to open, and Mommy said we get to help and play with some of the toys.” Aurora holds onto my leg as she explains the situation to me.
“I’m excited for you guys.” They all let go of me, ready to tear into the toys. Harlow is at the head of the room. As the star of the show, she is front and center. When Tammy first started her YouTube channel, it was really just for fun. I don’t think too many people outside of our friends and family watched the videos. But that didn’t stop them. The two of them had so much fun, they kept going. And Tammy taught herself video editing. She’d ask me for a few pointers every now and again but stuck to her guns about doing most of it on her own.
Now, my wife is a pro, running Harlow’s channel and taking care of all of the video formatting. She’s even started showing Harlow a few tricks.
“Hi, honey!” Tammy comes over to me, placing a kiss on my cheek. “I didn’t know you’d be home this early.”
“I just stopped by to see how thing are going with the kids.”
“Things are great. We’re about to do a big unboxing. I’m sure someone told you about it.” I nod, giving a quick glance to all of the boxes lining the walls. We usually end up donating a lot of the products we get. Even with seven children, it’s still way too much stuff.
“Are you going to stay for the video?” I love watching my family, but I really only stopped by for a quick visit.
“I can’t. I’ll be back later after work.”
“Okay,” Tammy sighs. She’s not super upset or anything, but I know she’d have liked it if I could stay. I would have liked it if I could stay too, but Robert and I are looking over potential scripts to acquire. If we wait too long, we might be too late to purchase the rights, so we’re sitting down and zooming through content today.
“I’ll be back for dinner. I can’t wait to hear all about what happened.”
“I’ll tell you everything.” I give her a quick kiss before heading out. Sometimes it still surprises me how successful Harlow’s channel is. I never looked at YouTube like that, but my daughter has millions of subscribers, and last year, she pulled in ten million dollars. It’s a full-fledged business. Tammy has a small staff to help with the channel, so that entire burden isn’t on her shoulders, but damn, if it’s not impressive. My wife has made an entire business off of having a little bit of fun with our daughter. She’s amazing.
She actually has a few business meetings next week to decide on collaborations. A lot of people want to make Harlow-branded toys. It’s a remarkable idea, and I can’t wait to see how it all pans out.
I get back home after work and find all of the kids running around. It also smells like Tammy might have something cooking in the kitchen. I leave my briefcase in the closet, where it usually sits while I’m at home, and make my way to the kitchen, hugging and kissing whatever child happens to pass by me. It’s wild to think we have seven kids. I love each and every one of them, but I just never thought I’d have a whole brood. I grew up an only child, and after throwing myself into my work, I’d never thought about having kids myself, not really. But Tammy changed all of that.
“Something smells good,” I say to my wife before giving her a kiss on the cheek. Every time I see her, intense feelings of love and adoration take over. She’s a great mother, a successful businesswoman, and the best partner I could ask for. She’s perfect.
“Yeah, I thought I’d make some baked mac and cheese and broccoli. The kids have been begging, and I couldn’t say no anymore.” Every single one of ou
r kids is absolutely obsessed with cheese. I’m sure Sofie and Sammie will join in on that begging soon enough. They already love stuffing shredded cheese into their mouths the way some kids do cheerios.
“Well, I cannot wait to eat it.” Tammy finishes mixing everything together and pops the dish into the oven.
“It should be done in thirty minutes, so you’ll get to eat it pretty soon.” Her lips come up to touch mine, and I wrap my arms around her. I hear a peanut gallery of whispers from the children. I stop kissing my wife and look at the few who have gathered around us.
“Hello, children.” They all laugh and giggle before running off once more. The amount of energy these children have is astounding. “I’m going to get cleaned up before dinner.”
“Okay, I’m going to check on the twins. I’m sure they’ve gotten into some sort of mischief in this short amount of time.” I know those two girls are going to run us ragged. It always seems like they are plotting something, but they’re barely one, so that’s all in my mind, I’m sure.
But still, I just know.
Tammy and I split up. I go upstairs to wash my hands and face before changing out of my work clothes. Since I know dinner is going to be served soon, I do a sweep of the upstairs to see if anyone needs to be brought down with me. Everyone’s room is empty except for Dominic’s. He the quietest kid of the bunch.
“Hey, Nic. Are you reading something?”
“Yeah,” he holds up the book for me to see. “It was one of the items those companies sent to Harlow. She said I could have it.”
“Is it a good book?”
“Really good, but I have to finish it before I can know for sure.” He’s so advanced for his age. All of our kids succeed in their own ways, and it was a challenge to foster that individually at first, but it has become easier as time has passed.
“Well, Mom’s almost done making dinner. Can you come downstairs with me?”
“Yeah, okay,” he nods excitedly. We go back down to the living room, where the food is already laid out on a plate for everyone. I help Tammy get all of the kids settled.
We’re all sitting around our huge dining table, digging into the yummy mac and cheese, when I notice the kids have stopped eating. They’re all giving Harlow weird looks, and Aurora, who is sitting next to her big sister, is whispering something I cannot hear.
“Is everything okay?” I know the kids have their own little secrets, as siblings do, but I can’t help but be a little curious.
“Well, Daddy, we heard you and Mommy talking, and we want to know more about some stuff.”
“What stuff do you want to know about?”
“Like how you met. My friend Abby was telling me her daddy met her mommy on a plane. Did you guys meet on a plane?”
Tammy smiles, trying to hide her laughter.
“No, we didn’t meet on a plane. But I think your mommy tells the story better.” I’m a bit surprised that we’ve never told the kids a version of how we found one another. I guess we got too busy and just forgot.
“Well, I met your dad because I wanted to be a reality show contestant.”
“A reality show?” Bryson asks. “Like Top Chef?”
“Yes, honey! Like Top Chef, but this one was for flowers. Now, none of you should ever do this, and I apologized over and over for it, but I went to Daddy’s work without asking. I wanted to use the cameras because I thought it would make my video nicer, but I should have asked first.” The kids are focused on their mom telling this story.
“So, your daddy caught me in his studio, using all of his stuff, and he was nice to me about the whole thing. He even asked me out on a date, and we really liked each other.”
“Wow,” Harlow nods. The rest of the kids follow suit. It’s cute watching all of them. “You know,” Harlow continues, “it’s almost like you have your own reality show now!”
“What do you mean, baby?”
“Well, the YouTube channel is like a reality show. It’s not a competition or anything, but it’s kind of the same thing.”
“Huh?” Tammy says. It looks like the kids have illuminated something for us. I never really thought about it that way either.
“That’s a really smart observation, baby!”
Harlow smiles, happy with the compliment. I can tell Bryson is getting a little antsy. He squirms in his seat for a bit before raising his hand. The table looks at him.
“Yes, Bryson?” I ask.
“Um, you and Mommy are in love.” He says this definitively, with a huge smile on his face. I know he wants the same compliment Harlow got, and he’s little, so I give it to him.
“Yes, buddy! You’re paying attention.” After that, the kids all start talking, wanting to get their own little observations in about their mother and me. This is what to expect when dealing with seven kids. They all have their own individual personalities, but moments like this show how much of a family we are. We are distinctly Barrister.
Eventually, the kids start to ignore us in favor of debating among themselves who has the best statement. I use the distraction to turn to Tammy, offering her my hand under the table. She takes it.
I look deep into her eyes. There’s no plan in my mind as to what to say. I just want to look at my wife.
“What is it?” I’ve been staring at her for a few moments, so I can see why she’s confused.
“I don’t know. I just had this overwhelming urge to set my gaze upon your beautiful face, so that’s what I’m doing.”
“Set your gaze upon my face?”
“Your beautiful face.”
“You are such a filmmaker,” Tammy jokes.
“You’re one too now, running that entire channel. Did I ever tell you how proud I am that you’re my wife? How happy I am? Because I’m so fucking happy.”
“You tell me almost every day, Brick.”
I shake my head because I should be telling her every day. My love for Tammy hasn’t diminished in the slightest since we’ve been together. In fact, I’ve only grown to love her more. Each and every day spent with her is more perfect than the last.
“Well, I love you, Tammy Barrister. I love you and all of the kids you have given me. I love every quirk and every flaw – everything about you.” She looks shocked at my sweet words. I enjoy raining down praise, but usually, it’s done in a different time and place.
“What has brought on all of this? You’re being a little sappier than usual.”
I shrug because I don’t know.
“I’m just feeling the love for my family, I guess. Maybe it was the trip down memory lane.”
“Yeah, it all feels so long ago, but not at the same time. So much has changed since then.”
“Isn’t it funny how it’s all come full-circle?”
“Yeah,” Tammy smiles. “It is. And I love you too, Brick. Without you, my life would never have been this full.”
I give my wife a quick kiss. Before I met Tammy, I never really saw myself settling down. The idea of having a family wasn’t something that I was against, but the concept didn’t feel like something I actively needed in my life either.
Even though Tammy and I got together over a decade ago, I still remember every feeling I had for her back then. I loved her so fiercely and so quickly, I knew I wanted to be with her forever. The plan was to do whatever it took to convince such an amazing woman to want to marry me.
And I did it. We’re married, with the most amazing kids in the world who eat way too much cheese. I was always chasing a better life through work – wanting more awards, more recognition, and more accolades – because that was how I measured my success. But if all of that went away tomorrow – the Oscar nomination, the studio, the films – I would be more than happy simply to have my family with me.
“Brick?” Tammy says.
“Yes?”
“Thanks for not calling the police on me. I’m not sure if I ever said thank you for that.” She looks a little remorseful, but in a funny way.
“I would neve
r. But you’re welcome regardless.” We have a private laugh, and Tammy gives me another kiss. This one is a little longer. When we break apart, I look over at our children, who are still engaged in their own conversation.
I managed to get myself the life I never knew I needed, and it has fulfilled me in ways I never imagined.
THE END
More in the Sweet Treats Series
Who falls in love with her friend’s dad and stepdad? Read Marni’s story in Her Honey Pot, available here.
Even worse, I decided to fall in love with both of my mom’s ex-husbands. It’s filthy, but I still like calling them “Daddy.” About My Daddies is available here.
The two cherry farmers are plucking Courtney’s cherry this season in Her Juicy Cherry, available here.
The gorgeous older man made my prom night all better in Forbidden Fruit, available here.
Getting pregnant? A big deal. Getting pregnant by your handsome, hands-on personal physician? An even bigger deal. And don’t forget, he has a business partner who loves being in on the action as well. Playing with Her Doctors is available here.
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Next up: A Sneak Peek of Blackmailing My Dad’s Best Friend. He has something that I want … bad.
Sneak Peek: Blackmailing My Dad’s Best Friend
Renee
My dad’s best friend has something that I want, and I’m not above a little blackmail to get it!
My brown eyes stare at the clock on the wall, watching it tick slowly. The small hand struggles to make it to 2:45, and I tap my pen impatiently, wanting the school day to be over already. I peek down at the doodle I created on my notebook as Mrs. Miller drones on about yet another war. That’s all history class is—talking about wars, politics, and the downside of humankind. How depressing.