Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 50527 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 253(@200wpm)___ 202(@250wpm)___ 168(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50527 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 253(@200wpm)___ 202(@250wpm)___ 168(@300wpm)
All of us bring a few gifts so that the kids have things to open. My wife still decorates each room with a theme, and several of them are specifically for the kids, organized by age range. It had all been her idea, but it wasn't surprising.
In her free time, she volunteers at the local elementary school. She knows all the children in this town well beyond just passing acquaintances. She makes each and every one of them feel special.
If you didn't know better, you'd bet she was born and raised here. Both of us, really, at this point. Neither of us wants the city life, even if Maxwell Holmberg is no longer in it. I suppose the city life wasn't for him either. He was carted out to a federal prison in a whole other state on the other side of the country. He won't be getting out until he is a very old man, if he makes it that long.
"Daddy!" My two little girls come barreling into my office, each holding a brush in their hands. They are already dressed for the party. They insisted on putting their dresses on the second they woke up in the morning, not caring that the party was hours away. True princesses in every way. It’s adorable. They have me wrapped around their little fingers, and they know it. I can’t imagine it any other way.
"I want two ponytails." Luna holds up two of her fingers, showing off her sparkly gold nail polish.
"I want clips," Stella tells me next, showing me the bright red and green clips that match her dress.
"Oh! And bows on my pigtails." Luna is searching inside of the pocket of her dress to pull them out.
"I think I can handle that." I stand, going over to the couch in my office. Doing the girls' hair is another tradition, one that I do every day. Both Luna and Stella bounce over to me.
They're almost identical with the whitish blond hair they got from their mother and fair skin. I can tell them easily apart, but the one thing that is glaringly different about them is their eye color. Stella's are a bright blue, while Luna's are a deep green. It's part of how we'd come up with their names. Luna represents the moon, and Stella represents the stars.
We found out on Christmas that first year we were having girls. That too had become a tradition. When Candy got pregnant again, we'd done the same, waiting for Christmas Day to reveal the gender. At the moment we have two girls and one baby boy who is often covered in pink glitter from his sisters.
It doesn't take me long to do both of their hair. I'm a pro at this point.
"Daddy, don't worry about Teddy. We did his hair already," Stella informs me, Luna nodding along. I should have known they were up to something. Ahh, so today it won't be pink glitter on Theodore but likely red and green, flaking off from some bow they'd clipped in his hair. It doesn't bother him. He only giggles when his sisters treat him like their own live baby doll.
I never knew this amount of joy existed in the world. I have Candy to thank for every second of it. It only took one look and I was down for the count for that girl. Obsessed at first sight is more like it. None of that has changed over the years. If anything, I’ve gotten even more so.
“Aunt Kindred gave us some gifts early. She said you can never have enough sparkles.” They both nod their heads as they tell me as though this is some sort of golden rule. Kindred may be the town sweetheart, but even after all these years, she’s still like an annoying little sister to me and a pain in my ass. But she’s part of our family. Our girls adore her.
“I’m sure she did. Now let’s go see your mama.” I grab a hold of each of their hands and head in search of my wife. I know she’s in the master getting herself ready for the party.
Kindred was here earlier for the bulk of the getting ready part as well. Those two have their own traditions when it comes to the day of the party. Hair, makeup, and everything else in between. They’ve become so close over the years. It’s been wonderful to see Candy blossom. Not only as a wife and a mom but as a friend as well. She’s formed bonds and put down real roots for the first time in her life.
“Mama!” My girls let out a high-pitched squeal as soon as we enter the master bedroom and they see her.
“You look like a princess,” Luna says. They drop my hands and take off running toward her.