Free Happily Ever Addendum by Sadie Grubor, Monica Black Page B

I found it held multiple compartments. It took me a moment to figure out
how to access each one. Once I did, I was a little taken back.
    "I thought all the jewelry was in
safety deposit boxes." I mumbled.
    As I went through all of the jewelry, I
remembered seeing some of this on my mother when I was younger.
    "It was their jewelry." I whispered.
A tear slip over my cheek as I lifted the gold necklace that had graced my
mother’s long neck. Memories of watching her put the necklace on, or fingering
the chain, flooded me.
    Lilli’s placed her hand against my cheek,
wiping away the tears and pulling me away from my thoughts. Her face was so full
of compassion I couldn’t help but wrap my hand around the nape of her neck,
pulling her into my arms. Our foreheads pressed together and she embraced me
without hesitation, rubbing soothing circles against my back.
    "My mother wore this frequently. I…I
can remember it."
    She hugged me tighter. Pulling back, I
kissed her forehead and ran my fingers over her cheek.  Her warm smile
instantly brightened the sadness surrounding me.
    Closing up a box which held about a half
of a million dollars in jewelry, we moved on to the next. Inside were more
photos, letters, notes, dried flowers and a silver brush and comb set. This had
been my mother’s as well. Memories of sitting on her bed as she would brush her
hair at her vanity flooded back to me. I clenched my hand around the small,
silver hair combs as tears welled in my eyes again. Lilli move closer, sitting against
my side and soothingly ran her hand over my shoulder.
    "These were my mothers." I
croaked, unable say anything else.
    Lilli’s hand slid up the side of my
head, pulling me to lean on her. Holding my head against her chest, she allowed
me to sob over memories from so long ago.
    Finally pulling myself together, I moved
on to the next box. It was evident that these were Grandma Isobel’s things.
There was a large, red leather book with her name in gold calligraphy across
the front. Pulling it out, I leafed through the pages of what turned out to be her
journal. Looking back into the box, there were a few more leather books. They
were all journals. I put them aside for the moment and looked into the black box.
Small tokens, lace gloves, a small, silk purse that held a lock of hair, a
small photo frame of a couple, I assumed were Isobel’s parents, and then there
were photos of two different babies. At first, I thought it was my father but
realized the babies were in coffins. A chill ran through me.
    Turning the photo over, I discovered two
children my grandparents had lost. Both dated before the birth of my father.
Grandma Isobel and Grandfather had lost two children. Once I processed the new
information, I glanced at my wife’s swollen stomach.
    Lilli looked up from the photos she was still
perusing.
    "Wh-what?"
    Cutting her off with my lips, I put all
of the emotions from tonight into worshiping her mouth. Deciding to forget the
past for tonight, I picked Lilli up bridal style from the pool table.
    "Aidan! Put me down!" She clung
to me, fisting the material covering my chest. "I am too heavy for this."
    Laughing loudly, I held her tighter. Even
seven months pregnant, she wasn’t exactly heavy. Hell, she couldn’t have been
more than a hundred and twenty pounds, at most, before she got pregnant and
now, well, hell, she still barely weighed much. My laugh made her huff. Once we
got to the bedroom, I laid her back onto the bed and curled up next to her.
    "Are you okay?" She whispered.
    "I’m more than okay." I kissed
her lips and moved, hovering over her body. " You make me more than
okay."
    Brushing away a few strands of hair from
her face, I moved my lips to the crook of her neck, tasting her skin.
    Her pulse quickened under my lips.
    "Aidan…" She panted.
    Pulling my head back, I looked into her
large, hazel eyes. She chewed on her bottom lip, remaining silent. Grabbing the
sides of my face, she pulled my lips to hers.