: Part 5 – Chapter 21

I never realised just how vibrant Levi’s group of friends was until we started meeting for dinners like this one.

The Meet Up has become too small for everyone and their kids. Our twin boys, Brandon and Landon, are playing with their cousin Eli, Remington, who’s Teal and Ronan’s boy. Cole and Silver’s daughter, Ava, is barely walking as she holds on to Cecily, Kim and Xander’s daughter.

Our third baby, Glyndon, is with her grandparents. She’s thoroughly a Grandpa’s little girl — from both Jonathan’s and Dad’s sides. Like, she barely leaves them and she’s the only one Jonathan doesn’t mind when Aurora brings her over.

Levi is playing chess against Aiden, and Cole is helping my husband cheat because he’s in for anything that includes bringing Aiden down.

Elsa, Silver, and I are preparing the drinks while Teal and Kim are trying to ward off their husbands from stealing all the food.

Nothing ever changes. The horsemen are all still playful in one way or another. They merely grew up and with that, they’ve become more ruthless about what they want.

Levi quit football as of the last season, while he was at the peak of his career. He’s now leading King Enterprise with Aiden.

Jonathan, although now in his mid-fifties, is not letting them have full control. However, he’s slowly loosening his iron grip with each accomplishment Aiden and Levi bring to the table.

And in a way, I think his complete devotion to his wife is what’s making him pull back a little in favour of the younger generation.

Jonathan will always be Jonathan with his controlling nature and scary wrath, but ever since Aurora came into his life, he’s turned a new page, especially with Aiden and Levi. Now, it feels as if they both respect him, despite how they disliked and clashed with him in the past.

That’s why Elsa and I thank Aurora every chance we get. She tamed the lion, and we will forever be grateful for that.

I’m proud of how far Levi has come. He went after his football dream, and when he knew that his career wouldn’t last much longer, he switched back to the family business. It wasn’t because of Jonathan’s extortion — although he did make him study business at the same time as playing football at the beginning.

Over the years, my husband has been growing into this focused person whose only care is his family. He loves me and the children beyond words. We’re constantly at the forefront of his mind in anything he does.

When I have an upcoming exhibition, he sometimes spends the entire day with the children outside so I can focus. And if they happen to stay in the house, he teaches them that their mummy needs to concentrate so she can make masterpieces. When Landon asked him what’s a masterpiece, Levi told him it’s something like him, his brother, and his sister.

He can be over the top sometimes, but in the best way possible. He’s my number one supporter and that says something since both Dad and the bug, Daniel, fight to buy my paintings even when I tell them not to.

“So I’m curious about something,” Elsa tells Silver, pulling her attention away from whatever conversation she’s having with Cole through their eyes alone.

“What?” Silver places the cups on the tray.

“Don’t take it the wrong way, okay?”

“Of course.” Silver’s brow furrows, as does mine because they’ve been friends since university. Everyone knows they threw the past behind them and moved on.

“It’s just that I’ve been curious about this for so long.” Elsa runs her nails over a bottle of beer.

“About what?”

“Remember that time at school when you posted a selfie of you by Aiden’s pool? There was a hand at the bottom of the picture.”

Silver’s lips pull in a shy smile. “Oh, that.”

“Aiden told me it wasn’t him and I believe him. But who was it?”

“Who do you think?” Silver motions at her husband, who’s now holding little Ava on his lap as she claps joyfully at the chess game.

“What was Cole doing in Aiden’s pool?” Elsa asks.

“He followed me. It was around the time when I used my engagement with Aiden to make him jealous. As soon as I got there, Cole showed up and kind of kicked Aiden out of his own pool.”

“He did that?” I ask with a laugh.

“Yeah, Cole can be crazy sometimes.”

Elsa raises a brow. “You mean when it comes to you.”

Silver touches her butterfly necklace, smiling. “Yeah. I guess so.”

“You guess so?” Elsa and I say in unison, teasing her.

“Stop it.” She wiggles free. “It’s not like Aiden or Levi are any different.”

“True that.” Elsa grins. “The other day, Eli walked in on us while…you know, and because he was interrupted, Aiden sat him down and told him there’s no more sneaking into the third floor or Daddy is going to be very mad.”

“At least Aiden was diplomatic about it.” I chuckle. “Levi actually yelled at Brandon to get the fuck out. He lost his dad of the year award that night.”

“Thankfully, Ava sleeps soundly at night.” Silver shakes her head. “She wakes up early and makes it her mission to wake us, though. Having a toddler is no joke.”

The three of us sigh in agreement before we burst into laughter.

Levi raises his head from the game, and as usual, time stops when I get lost in his blue-grey eyes. They’re like a magnet to a secret part of me.

He motions upstairs with a slight tilt of his head, and I try to reprimand him, but he just smirks and keeps tilting his head, then motions at Brandon and Landon.

I love those two to death, but because of them and their little sister, we barely get time for us. Our only reprieves are either when Jonathan and Aurora take them or in settings like these where they’re busy playing with the other kids.

So I tell the girls I’ll be back and precede Levi upstairs.