Now, Abby is eight months old.
And life is perfect.
I step into the room and steal Abby away from Kale. Her eyes grow wide and surprised for a moment, and then she’s squealing in delight, whirlwinding her arms in the air.
“Look at you,” I coo to her as Kale climbs to her feet. “Daddy has you all wound up right before nap time.”
“Squirt needs her wrestle time,” Kale says as he pokes Abby in the belly, to her delight. “Got to get her prepped for when all those boys are going to be swarming her.”
“That’ll never happen,” I say to Abby with wide eyes. “Those boys will stand no chance between Daddy, and Uncle Lake, and Julian, and Drake. Not to mention Tony. You poor thing, you don’t have a chance at finding a boy. Ever.”
Abby coos and grabs my nose.
I laugh, and Kale presses a kiss to my cheek. “You’d better go get showered, everyone will be here any second.”
“Care to join me?” he says low into my ear.
“Well, I would have, but then you got our daughter all wound up instead of sleepy,” I tease him with a raised eyebrow.
“I regret it instantly,” he says in that cocky, confident way of his. He presses a kiss to Abby’s cheek, and I know he’s a liar. Kale doesn’t regret any moment he spends with our daughter. He’s an amazing father.
But just then, the doorbell rings, and Lucian lets himself in.
“Too late,” Kale says with a chuckle as Quinn and Afton immediately follow Lucian. The three of them let out a war cry and rush Kale, who meets them battle call for call. They collide somewhere in the middle of the hall and go down in a tangle of arms and legs.
“Something smells amazing,” Robin calls as she appears in the doorway. She’s immediately followed by Lake and Riley and Callie and Tyler. The kids throw themselves onto the wrestling pile.
Abby swings her arms in excitement, dying to get down and play with the older kids.
And then there’s Drake and Kaylee, and Sage and Julian.
Nearly the whole family is here. And even though Robert is no longer with us, we can all still feel him. He’s in the heart of everyone here, with his words of wisdom and kind example.
“This family is getting more and more out of control,” Sage says with a smile as she joins my side. “How many more weeks left?”
She directs the question at Riley, who immediately looks down at her stomach and runs a hand over it. “Eight. Which feels like an eternity.”
Eight more weeks and I’ll have another nephew.
“I give! I give!” Kale yells from the bottom of the pile. He busts out from underneath the children. His face is red, and he’s got a new little scratch on his forehead, but he wears a brilliant smile. “Auntie Whitney needs my help with dinner! Why don’t you guys take this to the playroom.”
“To the playroom!” Lucian gives a war cry, pumping his fist in the air.
And the heard of children take off.
“That boy,” Kaylee says with a chuckle as she joins us.
Kale comes to my side and presses a quick kiss to my lips. “What do you need me to help with?”
I still blush every time he kisses me around his family. Because a kiss is never just a kiss when it comes from Kale. “Just get some plates out, please.”
“You got it.” He heads for the kitchen.
I watch him as he goes, admiring the view.
It’s never been easy to love a McCain, but it’s always been worth it. Every second.
Because being a part of this family, it’s the best place in the world to be.
Not in front of the spotlight. Not in front of the cameras, or on the TV, or jet setting all around the world.
What matters most is being happy, and sharing that with the ones you love the most.
And I’m the luckiest, happiest woman in the world.