Page 129 of With Spite

“Why does Grandma hate us?”

I heard the creak of the steering wheel as Hux’s hands tightened on the wheel. “Grandma is Grandma, buddy. I don’t know why she does what she does. Your dad and Uncle Hux, Aunt Heidi, and Uncle Hampton have had to deal with this crap from her for their whole life. I think after this, though, you won’t have to deal with it anymore. We’re just gonna let Grandma live her life by herself, and we’ll celebrate from now on without her. No matter what, though, you’re special in our hearts. And that’s all that matters, okay?”

Moo smiled. “Okay.”

My daughter squeezed her best friend’s hand.

Born only a few days apart, they’d grown up as birth buddies.

They were practically twins at this point.

“It’s okay, Moo. We’re going to have a great time without her. This way she won’t make us organize her pantry, right?”

Moo fist-pumped. “Right.”

Hours later, as we watched the kids play with the boxes more than the toys, the eight of us sat at the table watching.

It was Romina who said, “I’m washing my hands.”

“Me, too,” Hampton growled. “No more.”

A knock at the door sounded, and Gerald arrived with a bag in his hand.

My brows rose.

“I left her,” he said. “I can’t deal with it anymore.”

Thank fucking god.

“Dad,” Harvey asked after a while. “Why does she not treat us fairly?”

Gerald scrubbed at his face. “I have no clue. She wasn’t like this before we had Hux. But something happened in that hospital room, and it was like she came out a different person. I should’ve left her a long time ago, but I just didn’t want to rock the boat. I loved you guys and never wanted to make you choose.”

“You should have,” Hux grumbled. “So who gets The Mercantile?”

“Me.” Gerald bared his teeth. “She can’t run it on her own. Plus, no one will work for her. The only reason half of them stay is because of me. She’s going to move to Florida with her sister.”

“Well, there is a God,” Candice groaned.

“Grandpa!” our oldest cried. “You’re here!”

Hux threw his arm around my shoulder, and I placed my hand on his wrist, my ring clinking against his watch.

He switched his grip and caught my hand, rolling the diamond around on my finger.

“It’s everything I ever wanted, baby,” he said into my ear.

I leaned my head against his cheek. “It’s everything I ever wanted, too.”

Hours later, we had a pile of kids in the living room on blow-up mattresses and in pillow forts.

Hux’s siblings had gone home, but they’d left all their kids behind.

As I stood there looking over them, the light of the Christmas tree in the background, I felt yet another fear in my chest melt away.

I’d survived.

I had everything I could ever ask for.