I Wasn't Supposed To Like Him

I Wasn't Supposed To Like Him

But I did

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Who loses in a divorce? Everyone, especially the kids.

My parents divorced when I was eleven. It took me a while to understand why, but the situation forced me to mature early. Mom slept with another man after finding out Dad was sleeping with her best friend. Dad got mad and slept with a lot of women. It was an eight-month series of white-hot, angry shouting, followed by icy silence, with a lot of crying. My little sister was eight and didn't understand any of it, so I kept her in my room most of the time so we didn't have to listen.

The divorce was a nightmare, and we got pulled in both directions. One option was for Dad to get me while Brie went with Mom. The Judge asked who I'd like to live with, and my answer shocked everyone in the room. "I choose none of the above."

They ended up with split custody, and the constant back-and-forth got old fast. Dad seemed pissed at me and ignored Brie most of the time. Mom was marginally better. A year went by, and they started dating. I was neutral about their partners unless they were pushed on us. Dad dated a nice woman with a daughter who was Brie's age, and they bonded when we went on mixed outings. She included me as much as possible, and we were both to the point of thinking she'd make a good stepmother when Dad reverted to type and cheated on her. Brie cried for a few days, then went silent.

Mom dated a few losers. One was nice but a little too interested in Brie. It made us both uncomfortable, and when I caught him trying to touch her, I popped him with my bat. Hard. I hit him across the stomach and then across the jaw. The cops showed up, and he got arrested when they found out why. Mom was at work and nearly collapsed when she discovered what had happened. The lawyer tried not to grin when he told me he had his jaw wired shut and he pissed blood for three weeks. It never went to trial; it came to light that he was wanted for a more serious sex crime in another state and was extradited, saving us the ordeal of open court.

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Another year went by, and Mom met Jason. She never said much about him for a couple of months, then started talking about him. The look on her face seemed familiar, and it took a few weeks to place it. It was the look she had when she was still in love with Dad.

Brie was eleven, and I was almost fourteen. We talked it over when we were alone, wondering where it was going and if we could stand to be around him. Thanks to her experience with the jerk, she was distrustful and borderline afraid of every man she encountered.

She invited him over for dinner. Jason was tall, lean, and the most unassuming man we'd ever encountered. He was polite, but we were all walking around on eggshells. He quietly reassured us he wasn't there to steal Mom away from us, but that he wanted her in his life, which would make us part of his life.

They grew closer, and Mom finally told him why her first marriage imploded. He was conspicuously absent for about two weeks, and Mom cried every night. Then, he just showed up and talked with Mom. I wasn't supposed to hear.

"My ex cheated on me, and it was an ugly divorce. The kicker was that she had gotten pregnant, and we had to put the divorce on hold until the baby was born for DNA results. In a way, I wanted the little girl to be mine, but she wasn't. That iced the cake, and we were divorced in ninety days. Her asshole lover abandoned her, and she moved back with her parents, three hundred miles away. She did pop the jerk with child support, which I bet he hated. It's made it hard to get close to anyone for years.

Then I met you, and you were honest with me. Look me in the eye and convince me you can be faithful."

When Mom stopped crying, she answered. "There's only one way I can answer that. Ask me again in twenty years, and if you don't like the answer, kick me to the curb. I'll do anything you want, including a prenuptial where you dictate the terms."

Jason was quiet for a long time. Then he told her he was going to trust her, but the first whiff of infidelity, and he was gone. I told Brie, and she seemed happy. "Jason seems like a good guy, and Mom loves him. Let's see what happens."

What happened was he started coming around more often and staying longer. Then, one day, Mom had to run to the store, and he stayed behind, asking us to sit on the couch while he sat across from us. "Guys, you're old enough to see what's happening between your mother and me. I've got real feelings for her, but we should clear the air before we go any further. Your mother told me a little about the last guy she was with. Through my words and actions, I want you to know that I would never do that. Never, you understand? Besides liking you, that sort of thing makes me sick. Willie, I can't tell you how much I respect you for saving your sister. That takes courage, which you usually don't find in someone so young. Between us, we'll try to keep her safe until she grows up. If anything I do bothers you guys, please let me know. We have to be able to talk to each other, or it'll never work. That's all I have to say."

He stood and then stopped. "One more thing. I'll never be your father and won't try to replace him. What you share with him is yours alone; what we manage to share will be ours. I hope we get a chance to make good memories. End of speech."

He walked off while Brie and I looked at each other. That might have been the turning point: when Mom got home, Brie was on the patio with Jason, learning to grill, while I brought the sides to the table. Brie waved her out, telling her she was being treated and she was to relax. Brie served the chicken, watching anxiously while she tried it. After a bite, she smiled and raved about how good it was. "It's Jason's secret recipe, well, his and mine now, and he told me I couldn't share it with anyone."

Jason had a monster grin for the rest of the evening.

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Jason spent more and more time with us until one night when he didn't go home. To his credit, he didn't blindside us; he got us outside and explained the situation. Brie was surprisingly happy with the decision, and we'd had time to prepare, so it didn't upset me. I was comfortable enough to smirk and tell him to keep the noise down. Brie's eyes widened as she exploded into laughter. Jason couldn't hide his grin.

"I'll do my best."

Mom was quiet when we went back inside, but smiled when Jason stood her up and kissed her. It wasn't sloppy, but she flamed red while Brie laughed and clapped. "Does this mean I can have French toast for breakfast?"

Jason made perfect French toast, but each piece was three million calories, so we didn't get it often. Mom was glowing when she answered, "Of course, honey, as a celebration."

I just grinned when it was time for bed. "Don't make me thump on the walls tonight."

Mom flamed red, and then she burst out with my whole name. She would have chased me, but Jason held her.

It took a couple of months to move him in until he decided enough was enough, and we drove his old truck one Saturday to empty his old place. I liked his place better. The house was bigger and sat on ten acres. He'd owned it for almost three years, and I asked why we couldn't live there. "Your mother doesn't want to move you out of your school district. I hope she warms to the idea when the term is up."

"What district is this?"

"East. You'd go to Walton, and Brie would go to Marjorie Morgan."

I couldn't hide my grin. That had been our district until the divorce. Honestly, I didn't like our new school, and Brie hated hers. She'd jump through hoops to get back to her friends.

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While Mom and Jason were warming up, Dad was going in the opposite direction. He had a hard time maintaining a relationship, and he'd been demoted. Brie overheard Alison's mother say there was a minor scandal involving a married woman, and he got downsized to another office twenty miles away. It didn't improve his attitude at all. His house was a mess, and we spent a lot of time cleaning it while we were there.

Brie let it slip that Mom had a new lover, worsening his disposition. It got so bad that he made Brie cry one time too many, and I went off on him as much as a teenager could to a parent. "Dad, you're divorced. You've been divorced for almost three years. You found a woman, and things seemed great until they weren't. Why should you care if she's got someone else?"

He grabbed a beer and stomped out. Dad had given up rotating weeks, citing that we would function better if we were with our mother more, and he was right. It started as every other weekend, but the intervals grew until it might be once a month.

Jason wasn't a burden to Mom. He seemed to have money. He never said, and we never asked, but he upgraded our streaming package and got us better phones, saying they gave him a deal if he opened extra lines, and paid most of our bills. Mom objected, and when she did, he'd grab her, kissing her until she started giggling, and the discussion ended. When Brie's laptop crashed, he bought us new, top-of-the-line models. Mom almost had a fit until he sat her down and talked it through.

"I didn't buy her a toy, hon. She needed it for schoolwork, and I wanted her to have every advantage. I know they're not mine, but that doesn't mean I don't care for them. Willie got one because it wouldn't have been fair to show partiality, and I'm sure he needed an upgrade, too. Be happy for them, for us, to afford this for them."

She sniffled. "It's not us affording it; it's you. I don't want you to think we're trying to take advantage of you or that you have to buy their love. Brie would kill for you, and Willie seems fond of you."

"I like them both, baby. You did well with them. I promise we'll discuss things more from now on. "

I was almost an introvert, preferring solitary activities most of the time. Brie was almost entirely the opposite; she thrived around people, and one or two of her friends always seemed to be around. It took them a while to get used to Jason, but soon, they'd be right behind Brie, especially if it was the weekend, and they could talk him into grilling. He was a whiz with any grill, from wood smokers to gas grills, and everything he cooked tasted great. We'd never eaten grilled corn or shrimp before we met him.

Soon enough, the parents would show up, and it sometimes got crowded. The Turners were frequent guests. Their daughter and Brie were BFFs, so Candice was around a lot. They also had an older daughter my age that they brought along. I thought she was the prettiest girl I'd ever seen and was friendly, but I'd end up tongue-tied in an hour. Jason noticed and asked me to go with him to check on his house the next day. We were rolling along when he spoke, "So, Becca's pretty, isn't she?"

He let me stutter for a minute before calming me down. "Relax, Will. You're both at the age where you start noticing the other sex. She's just as mystified as you are, but girls tend to be smarter than boys. Look at your mother and me. I walk around, dazed and confused, and she smiles at me most of the time. You need to relax. She's as interested in you as you are in her. I'm going to save you about three years here. Talk to her. Speak to her like she's intelligent, and listen to what she has to say. Some men never learn that little trick, but it makes all the difference."

"Like my Dad," I thought, with my epiphany dawning. He hardly ever listened to Mom and often treated her like furniture. I figured out he cheated first, and the disrespect drove her to seek comfort with another.

I thanked Jason for the advice, promising I'd try the next time we were together. Two weekends later, I got my opportunity. Brie and Candice were in their little world; the parental units were chatting, leaving us alone. "Becca, what's your favorite game? Do you game?"

She smiled, and I nearly went blank on the spot. "I don't game much. Mom says they're too violent."

"Most are, but I have one you might enjoy. Only a little fighting is involved, and the mission is to create a civilization capable of sustaining itself. A lot of thinking is involved: laws to be written, threats to be overcome, economies to create and maintain, and the style of governance. You can drown in the details. Wanna try?"

She did, and we spent most of the afternoon creating. We were so involved that we didn't notice the parents watching us, smiling. She left with the promise to finish it as soon as we had time. I didn't want to look like a complete idiot, so I researched a bunch of civilizations and the causes of their failures. I nearly fainted when she asked if I wanted to go to the movies with her church youth group. I knew she meant to go with her, and I barely slept that night. Mom teased me a little until Jason asked her to ease up. The night before, he gave me fifty dollars. "She's your date, so don't let her pay for anything, and be sure to ask what she'd like when you get to the concession stand. And even though I don't need to tell you, behave."

The day came, and I was all over the place. Jason took me out in the backyard, put his hands on my shoulders, and told me to look him in the eyes and breathe with him. In five minutes, I was calm, and he smiled. "Now go and impress her."

We had an excellent time, the best part being when she snuggled as we held hands. I was almost fifteen, and she was a little older, three months past her birthday, so I was seeing an older woman.

The van dropped us off, and Becca rushed into our house to huddle with her mom, Mom, and Brie. You couldn't have pried the smile off my face with a backhoe. Jason waited outside. "Did it go all right?"

"I listened to your advice and treated her like a princess. The other girls were a little jealous, and she got possessive. I don't think her hand left mine the whole time. Thanks, Pop."

I realized what I had said and was worried, but his smile was huge. "You're welcome, son. I hope you didn't gorge on the snacks. Brie insisted we grill lamb chops."

"You're gonna make her fat."

"Not now; her eyes are still bigger than her stomach. Come on."

We'd never had lamb before Mom met Jason. Jason seemed to delight in exposing us to foods we'd never encountered. I liked Indian food, especially spicy curries. Brie loved Thai food, and Mom liked Mexican. For Mom's birthday, he took us to a smoky and dark tapas place, where the waiters would carve your choice from a hanging slab right before you. I thought we would have to carry my sister to the car.

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We spent the weekend with Dad, and Brie told him I had a girlfriend by showing him a picture on her phone. He leered and asked if I'd nailed her yet. I got so mad that I couldn't talk, and then I thought about the difference between how Jason and he reacted. Dad would come in last if they were in a Father Of The Year race. He got a phone call and said he'd have to take us home early; something had come up he needed to handle. Neither of us complained.

It was apparent they had plans. Mom wore a dress we'd never seen before, and Jason wore a nice suit. It looked like we had ruined a date night. Dad didn't even come to the door; he waited until we were on the porch before driving off.

Mom was upset, but Jason remained calm and asked if we'd had dinner. We hadn't, but Brie came out smiling before he could order pizzas. "Don't. We'll stay at the Turners while Mom, Da... and Jason go on their dates."

We both knew what she was about to say, but ignored the elephant in the room. They had planned to double-date with the Turners and had hired an 18-year-old neighbor to stay with their kids. It looked like her rates were about to double. Mom came out with a case and a backpack. "You're staying the night because it will be late when we return. Brie can bunk with Candace. You get the guest room. I don't have to, but I'll tell you anyway. Behave."

We made it in time for them to keep their dinner reservations. Mr. Turner had ordered Chinese, amending it for the unexpected guests. Myra, a college freshman, answered many questions throughout the night, primarily from the girls. Becca contributed some, but we mainly concentrated on each other. We had permission to stay up late, but we were dropping off at midnight, so everyone went to bed. The Turners had a two-story house, and I was staying in a room downstairs. Myra grinned at Becca, told her to give her and the girls time to clear the bathroom, and left us on the sofa. Becca waited until she heard the bathroom door close, grabbed me by the shirt, and KISSED me! I never saw it coming, and while neither of us had ever kissed a non-related person of the opposite sex, we did our best. It was close-mouthed initially, and we were getting comfortable when we heard the door open.

Myra took one look at us and grinned, shooing Becca upstairs and sending me to the guest room. "Sweet dreams!" Myra called just as I closed the door. I didn't sleep right away, licking my lips and remembering.

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Two weeks passed, and a significant shift occurred in our family dynamic. Brie had a habit of snuggling up to Jason if he was on the sofa, Mom was on the other side, and she'd make me sit beside her.

Brie was snuggling up when Jason dropped a bombshell on her. "Honey, next Thursday is Bring Your Daughter To Work Day. Would you like to see what I do?"

Brie went pale and started crying while Mom grinned. "I think she'd like it, honey."

It was a setup. Brie had brought it up to Mom, wishing Dad had taken her. Mom told Jason, and they sprang it on her. So, on Thursday morning, Brie saw how the real world worked. She had to set an alarm, dress professionally, and go to work.

Mom had bought her a new outfit for the occasion: a black skirt, a white blouse under a matching jacket, and hair up in a bun. Mom even let her wear a strand of pearls. Jason saw her and stood in awe. "How does she look?"

"Like the future," Jason laughed as he escorted her out. Brie came home with a big, goofy grin and told me about it. "I was scared to death when he brought me in. Work just stopped, and everyone stared, and then the grins came. Did you know Jason is the general manager? He walked me across the production floor, showed me what the factory did, and introduced me to the team. Then he took me to his office, and his administrative assistant almost choked on her smirk. He left me with her to handle something, and she grinned. "So, you're the new daughter?"

"Uh, no. I'm not..."

She took my hand. "Let me show you something."

"She led me around his desk, and there were pictures. Me. You. Mom. The biggest one was of all of us together, laughing. Candice took it the last time we grilled. I realized for the first time I wasn't looking at the Mom or her boyfriend or her kids; I was looking at a family."

Then she told me how he constantly talked about us and how happy he'd been since meeting us. "He went through some dark days when his marriage imploded. Now, he smiles constantly. Just so you know, when he gets around to asking, I'll be on the groom's side of the aisle."

I had to think about that.

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Jason hinted around, but Mom shut him down, afraid of her last marriage. I could tell he was getting frustrated, so we devised a plan after watching a movie about kids who were abducted and the lengths their father went to save them.

It mainly was Brie, but Jason refined the idea, and we made plans. Two weeks later, Mom returned to an empty house with a big envelope taped to the door. It was a message composed of letters cut from magazines and pasted onto the page.

"I HAVE YOUR CHILDREN! DO NOT CALL THE POLICE! STAY BY YOUR PHONE, AND YOU WILL BE CONTACTED."

Mom looked at the note and went pale. I know because I was watching her, hidden in the bushes. I could hear her phone ring, and she dropped it as she tried to answer. It was Brie, but she couldn't tell because we'd bought a voice scrambler off Amazon. She chose the deep voice of a man.

"Here are my demands. For your family's safe return, you must follow these instructions to the letter. Understand?"

I felt bad watching Mom tear up, and then I felt a little satisfaction as she received her instructions: "Go into your kitchen and prepare the following: Cube steak smothered with mushroom gravy, whipped potatoes with extra butter, Brussel sprouts braised in garlic and spices, creamed corn, and strawberry pie. You will find all the ingredients present in your refrigerator. Any variation of this will not end well for your children. Do you understand? Commence, NOW!"

Her face reddened. "Brie, you answer..." The line went dead, giving her no one to rant to, though I heard the growl. Later, I heard her slamming around in the kitchen. An hour later, she got the second call. "You have 45 minutes to finish. When you are done, you will receive further instructions."

"I am so going to grou..." Disconnected again. Forty-five minutes later, the third call came. "GO TO YOUR BEDROOM AND DON THE CLOTHES LAID OUT ON YOUR BED. DO NOT VARIATE! WHEN YOU ARE DRESSED, LOOK IN THE DESK DRAWER AND PLACE THE JEWELRY YOU WILL FIND THERE ON YOUR PERSON. THIS IS NOT NEGOTIABLE. FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL END THE HAPPY LIFE YOU ENJOY. DO IT NOW! IF YOU FOLLOW THESE DIRECTIONS, YOUR CHILDREN WILL BE RETURNED TO YOU AT SEVEN. BE WAITING BY THE DOOR. THAT IS ALL."

At seven on the dot, Jason rang the doorbell. Mom opened it, wearing the new dress that matched her eyes, with pearl earrings and a single strand around her neck. Jason and I had on new suits, and Brie wore a dress that almost matched her Mom's.

Brie looked nervous for a moment before blurting out, "Are you wearing it?"

In answer, Mom raised her left hand, displaying the diamond on her finger. Brie screamed while Jason dropped to his knees. "Marie Antionette Jensen, will you..."

"YES!"

The meal afterward was great, though we ate very little. Leftovers almost always taste better the next day.

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It was a June wedding. Brie was Mom's maid of honor, and I was the best man. Candace and Becca were junior bridesmaids, and their mom was one of three additional adult bridesmaids. Pops (we'd quit calling him Jason as soon as mom had the ring on her finger) had two friends from the factory and his brother as groomsmen. It was held in a pavilion by a lake, the sun glinting off the water as white swans swam about. I didn't know you could rent swans, but Pops had found him online.

About a hundred people were present, all cheering after the 'I do's. Mom tossed the bouquet, and a thirty-year-old caught it. I saw her later dancing with Pops' brother. Mom laughed and said it could be an omen.

Becca and I had stopped being an item when a sixteen-year-old discovered her. Her parents didn't like him, probably for good reason, but it wasn't my concern. Pops let me mope for a week before we talked. "I know you liked her, son, but you can move on if they don't want you back. You're in a new school now, so opportunities are out there. You're not ugly and have a good mind, so be yourself and see what happens."

Before the new school term started, Jason moved us into his house. It was bigger and in our old school district, and Jason owned it, so there would be no more rent payments. Mom was on the fence about a job, and Jason laughed. "You've already got a full-time job, wrangling two teenagers. Take some time off to get settled, and if you still want to work, I'll ask around. Something will come up."

I'd been at school for three weeks When Something Happened. My locker was next to a girl, but I hadn't met her. When she showed up, I had a hard time breathing. Karolina was the product of a Ukrainian father and a mother who was half Hispanic and half white. Her curly black hair hung to her shoulders and bounced when she walked, and her brown eyes looked right through you when she talked. She liked to talk, and I was almost afraid to speak. She got me over it quickly, and six weeks later, she told me firmly that I would be escorting her to the Homecoming dance. When I got my voice back, I admitted that I still had two months before I could drive, and she laughed. "I've been sixteen for two months. I'll drive."

As soon as I told my parents, they called her parents to invite them over for grilling, though a lot of subtle human grilling was also happening. Brie had Candice over with her parents. They were still close friends. Word filtered back that Becca disapproved, but she no longer had any input. Kari and I managed to take a walk after lunch, careful to be in sight most of the time. I held her hand to help her over a rough spot, and she decided she liked it and wouldn't turn loose.

We rounded a corner, and she pulled me to her. It was the very first tongue kiss I ever got. We had to walk around for another five minutes before the flush left my face. When we returned, all the parental units and Candy and Brie were grinning, and I knew I was glowing.

My parental units were happy with Karolina; her parents were added to their social circle. The dance was the most fantastic experience of my young life until Kari took me home and showed me a few secluded areas where it was safe to park. We didn't have sex; we were too young and, thankfully, intelligent, but we did practice the kissing thing until we made progress. She walked me to the door, and we stood there goofily until Brie snatched it open. "Kiss the girl, dummy, so that she can get home before curfew!"

Mom and Pops were standing in the entranceway, smiling a mile wide when she raised her head. We exchanged a chaste little kiss, which Brie recorded for posterity. Brie shared it with Candace, who showed it to Becca, which led to a phone call.

"Hi, Will."

"Who is this?" I knew who it was, but I was in the mood for a little chain yanking.

"It's me, Becca." Her tone carried her annoyance over the phone. I'm glad she couldn't see the grin.

"Oh. Hi, Becca. How are you? How's Chase?"

Chase was the guy she dumped me for.

"I'm not seeing Chase anymore, Will. It's the reason I called. I may have made a mistake."

I cut her off at the pass—no need to prolong it. Karolina was right beside me and insisted I put it on speakerphone. "Gee, Becca, I'm sorry to hear that, but I'm with Kari now, and I don't think she would want me dating you. I no longer want to date you; I'd always wonder when a better offer would come. You were my first girlfriend, and I'll always cherish the memories. You're hot, Becca, so finding someone else won't take long. Good luck. Hey! If interested, I could introduce you to a few guys at my new school."

Kari chimed in. "Zack! You should introduce her to Zack!"

We both heard the hiss of breath as Becca asked who was talking. Kari adopted her father's thick accent when she wanted to mess with someone. "Is Kari—his girlfriend. My honey not available. Should try Zack. Good guy, not too smart. You blend well together. We go now, goodbye."

She disconnected, giggling, and said something in Ukrainian. "What does that mean?"

"It means a stupid female dog that can't find her rump."

"Oh."

And now, here we were, at the wedding. Becca's parents forced her to come. I had to admit, she was an attractive girl, starting to get her woman's shape, wearing a ridiculously short dress. Kari looked so hot I was almost afraid to touch her. Her hair was up in what Mom called a delicate bun, exposing her long, graceful neck. A neck I knew would break out in goosebumps if you nibbled it just right. Her dress was more conservative but still showed a mile of leg, a shimmery garment that sparkled in the light. She turned heads, especially the older boys. Two college guys tried hitting on her, and she shut them all down fast, holding my arm and telling them unflattering things in Ukrainian. They asked me to translate. "She said fuck off."

Becca tried to get me alone, but we stayed joined at the hip until Kari took a bathroom break. Becca was over in a flash, and I held up my hand. "Becca, stop. I'm with Kari now."

She snorted, "How long do you think that'll last, as hot as she is? She'll get a better offer and be gone."

"You mean as you did with Chase?"

She flushed, then looked up. "I'll be better for you than she is. I'll... I'll even go all the way."

The waters were getting muddy and deep. "Have you already gone all the way with Chase?"

"No!"

"Then why would you with me? It's not love, Becca. Truthfully, your actions have made me dislike you. Why don't you leave before my girlfriend gets back?" As soon as I said it, an arm snaked around my shoulders.

"Too late, baby. I heard it all." She turned to Becca and unleashed a furious lecture, all in Ukrainian. Becca recoiled and looked at me.

"What did she say?"

I grinned. "Let me give you the highlights. She says she doesn't like you and that you need to leave and stop bothering us. If you don't, people will remember this wedding for all the wrong reasons." Okay, so I don't speak the language, but I got the gist of it.

Becca fled, and Kari grabbed me. "Let's dance." So we swayed across the dance floor, watching Mom and Pops look at each other like they were the only people in the room while the other parents smiled and snuggled. I grinned into her hair, wondering at the intricacies of teen romance.

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A couple of weeks later, we went to see our dad to find him gone. The neighbor said he got a better job three states away and left a week ago. This stunned us, and I worried about Brie. She snuffled in Mom's arms for a moment after we returned home and then stood back, grinning, looking at Pops.

"You know what this means?"

"What, baby?"

She jumped into his arms. "It means you got a promotion. You're Dad from now on."

He didn't have a problem with that. I worked summers and holidays for Pops ( I liked it, so I didn't change) until I went to college. Mom talked to a lawyer soon after my father left and popped him with child support. He had a meltdown and got even angrier when she said she'd drop it if he signed off on adoption. It was ugly for a while, and in the end, he agreed to Brie but insisted I keep his name. I was a junior, and he wanted the family name carried forward. I was seventeen, so I grinned, had a talk with Pops, and he agreed. Two days after I turned eighteen, I changed my name to match the rest of the family. Bio Dad was so angry that he never spoke to us again. It didn't bother us as much as he would have liked.

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I raised my glass with everyone else. These days, only a few couples get to celebrate their thirtieth wedding anniversary. Mom still looked the same to me, but Pops was utterly grey. They had both gained a few pounds but were healthy and, more importantly, happy.

I danced with Mom while Pops twirled Brie across the floor. She had been married for eighteen years to a man who thought she walked on water, and she had two girls. I had two boys and a girl who might as well have been born a princess. My oldest was a sophomore in college, following in his grandfather's footsteps.

His brother was seventeen, and when the boys needed advice, I gave it to them. Then I told them to talk to their grandfather because he gave the best I'd ever had. Our daughter was thirteen (an oops baby, which made her much more special), going on twenty, but Mom and Grandma kept her grounded. I danced with my wife as she snuggled tightly, loving life.

As the affair wound down, we said our goodbyes and journeyed home. Becca held my hand the whole way, overcome with happiness.

Becca? Yes, that Becca. Kari and I were an item until the temptation of older boys got to her, and we parted ways. I didn't date anyone special in high school, and we reconnected when I was a rising junior in college. I was at a party, and she showed up. Brie occasionally shared snippets of her life with me because of her friendship with Candice, but I didn't pay attention.

We stopped when we ran into each other, then grinned and caught up. She was also in college, working hard to get her degree. As the night ended, she asked me to take her home. We sat in her driveway and talked more, and I asked her out. We dated casually until we finished school and started our careers. We reconnected, and six months later, we were living together; nine months after that, we said our vows.

We experienced the same ups and downs as most married people, but our unwavering commitment carried us through the hard times. She giggled as we walked into the house.

"I saw Kari today."

"Really? I thought she moved away."

She couldn't hide her smirk. "She did, with her third husband, but she came back alone. It seems even marriage didn't keep her from considering better offers."

There was one more big event that year. As my parents celebrated a long union, my biological father passed away. He died alone; he'd married twice more, and both failed because of wandering eyes, one because of his, one because of hers. He'd stopped speaking to me when I'd changed my name, and I was surprised when I was notified. The tribe traveled to the funeral, where Brie and I met our half-brother for the first time, unaware of him.

He seemed decent, mainly because he didn't know his father. His mother divorced him when Jack was three. She remarried when he was six to a good man, whom he considered his father. We had that in common. When we left, we invited him to come out during the summer and spend vacation time with us, and we were surprised when he accepted.

There were fewer than forty people at his funeral, but all three ex-wives attended. When they found out about each other, they sat together. I'm sure they had interesting conversations at the wake.

Random thoughts ran through my mind as Becca snuggled, sighing in her sleep. Brie and I got lucky. Kids are supposed to hate their stepparents, but I couldn't have had a better man raise me. We were exceptions to the rule.