Chapter NINE ELLIE

“Mommy!” Sammy squealed as he raced into the room and tackled me around my knees.

I was used to his exuberance and braced myself, so he didn’t knock me over. He was already so strong, and not even four yet.

“You ready to do this, Bud?” I asked him, uncertainty gnawing at my insides.

“Yep! Let’s get married, Mommy!”

Sofia, Destiny, and Meredith left the room, and I knew they would be lined up and waiting to precede me down the aisle. I appreciated their tact, and used those few seconds to compose myself and just look at my son.

He was dressed beautifully in a tiny little tux with a velvet bow tie that matched Andres’ perfectly.

At my son’s feet was Rocky. They were inseparable these days. The kitten had been outfitted with a tiny version of Sammy’s bowtie and a leash.

He was even behaving properly, walking by Sammy’s side, and only getting into a little bit of trouble when he sort of peed on Josef’s shoe.