Female Novel
Chapter 183
Epilogue one
“Three months! She’s three freaking months,” Elijah mumbled, looking down at his baby and smiling ather in her crib. “Can she stop growing?”
A laugh escaped Peach’s lips as she stared at her husband standing over their daughter’s crib andthen she walked over to him wrapping her arms around his waist, saying, “She is not going to stopgrowing. You have to prepare your heart to watch her become a woman.”
“I don’t want her to…” Elijah said as Piki grabbed his hand, trying to pull it into her mouth.
“There’s nothing we can do about that, honey. All we can do is be there for her and record her growth,so we can have something to look back on. That’s why today is important.”
“I know, babe… Honestly, I can’t wait for them to meet her.”
A knock on the couple made Peach let go of Elijah and walked over to the door, and when she openedit, Miss Grace was standing there with a smile on her face.
“Matt and the others are here.” Miss
Grace said, causing Elijah to raise his head and gaze at the doorway.
Because of Bryan’s case with Landon Rayan, the others had to stay back with him for a couple ofweeks, so today was going to make the first day of them seeing Piki.
With a smile that reached his eyes, Elijah took Piki out of her crib and rushed with her out of the room,making Peach and Miss Grace chuckle at his excitement.
When Elijah arrived at the staircase, Matt and the others were awaiting him, and when they raised theirheads and saw Elijah with Piki their eyes beamed with excitement as Elijah raised her in the air.
“Little Boss, is so cute!” Scorpio, Matt, Ryan, Jame, Rookie, Jerome, Dice, Larry, Ricky, and James allsaid in unison.
And then they all slightly bow as a sign of respect and loyalty towards Piki, their hearts swelling withlove for her.
Calmly, Elijah walked down the stairs with his daughter, and when he reached the group, he handedPiki to James, who looked into her eyes, listening to her giggle, and said, “She is even more perfect inperson than in the pictures.”
After holding her, he passed her to Matt, and carefully, Matt brought her up and kissed her foreheadbefore saying, “I vow to protect you until my last breath.”
Then after his turn, he passed her to Rookie, and Rookie tenderly cradled her close to his chest, andsaid, “My loyalty will never waver towards you, Little Boss.”
A moment later, Ryan rushed for Piki, taking her carefully from Rookie and hugging her gently, saying,“You have a lawyer for a lifetime. Free of charge.”
Eagerly, Dice waited for his turn, and when it was his time, he held Piki and said, “If anyone ever looksat you the wrong way, I will not let it slide.”
Staring at him, Piki chuckled, and Larry, Jerome, and Ricky said in unison, “Don’t worry little boss! Wewill protect you with our lives.”
When it was Scropio’s time to hold her, he gently put her in his arms, and she giggled, looking up athim and reaching forward with her tiny hands, and tears settled in his eyes.
“He’s crying” Elijah whispered, not expecting that his men will get so emotional over his daughter.
Wiping away his tears with a sniff,
Scorpio cried, “Your father trusted me and save me at the lowest point in my life. I vow to spend my lifeserving you, little boss.”
His words triggered the rest of the group and they all started crying. The moment they all had waited forthree months was finally here and seeing how cubby and cute she was just made them all emotionalwith love.
“I can’t believe a baby made a bunch of grown men cry.” Peach whispered to her mother as they staredfrom the staircase.
“Your husband has built a community for your daughter, and I can just see her growing up with so muchlove and protection having them as uncles.” Miss Grace said, tears still running down her cheeks asshe watched the scene in front of her.
Patting her mother back, Peach smiled at them doting on her daughter and she mumbled, “They aregoing to spoil her rotten.”
“That’s good. Your daughter gets to have a better life, and break the family circle of trauma. I am happyfor you baby.” Miss Grace cried, snuggling into her daughter’s arm.
When James raised his head and stare at Miss Grace, he smiled and then focused on Peach, saying,“Thank you for giving us our little boss, Peach, dear!”
Immediately, Matt and the others focus on Peach, and they all suddenly bowed deeply, staying thatway for a couple of minutes. The hall grew silent, but it was the loudest silence Peach had ever known.
Tears started rolling down her face as she looked at the sight in front of her and she clutched onto herchest, smiling at them all.
After they raised their head, Matt smiled at Elijah and said, “We brought gifts. I hope that’s okay.”
“Of course.” Elijah laughed, knowing Piki already had a lot of things, but refuse to turn away their gifts.
“Great. We will go out for it them.” Ryan said, excitement laced in his voice.
In a rushed, they all walked out of the mansion, and a moment later, they returned with a bunch ofwrapped huge boxes.
In one of Rookie’s hands, he carried an enormous white teddy bear, Matt was holding a pink kid fordmustang in his grips, Larry was carrying a large stuffed horse, and Jame was holding a beautiful purpleunicorn…
“She’s three months,” Peach laughed.
See. I told you that they are going to spoil her rotten.”
A moment later, the dining table was covered in food as everyone sat around it. The room was filledwith the sound of laughter and excited voices.
Then Mr. Maxwell suddenly stood up, clinging his glass gently to get everyone’s attention, and said, “Ihave a few words to say.
The room grew quiet as everyone turned to look at him, and he cleared his throat, looking over atElijah, and Peach as she held his only granddaughter.
“Son, I am sorry that it took so long to see the man that you are and not the man that I wanted you tobe. I got lost in parenting you, that I forgot that I was raising another human, with his dreams, feeling,
plans, and thoughts… I am proud of you… of the man, you have become.” He said with a smile.
When Peach looked at her husband, she could tell from the look in his eyes that he had waited years tohear this.novelbin
“I love you, my boy, so much,” Mr. Maxwell said, and his mother clapped her hand over her mouth,tears staining down her face to hear him say this after denying Elijah those three words on countlessoccasions in the past.
Waking up from his chair, Elijah walked over to his father, walking straight into his arms and hugginghim tightly.
At this point, Peach, Miss Grace, and Mrs. Maxwell were all crying their eyes out, and Piki stared attheir faces for a while before bursting into tears too.
Everyone was drawn to the sound of her voice, Matt, Dice, and the others making gentle noises tocheer her up.
Withdrawing from his father’s embrace, Elijah walked over to Peach, smiling tenderly at her beforetaking Piki from her hands, and then he carried his daughter to his father, handing her over to him.
Afterward, he grabbed his glass of wine and said, “A toast to a new beginning and the next generation!”a
********
At two o’clock, Bryan was standing at the doorway, and he gently straightened his coat before hittingthe doorbell, waiting patiently for the door to open.
A moment later, the door opened and Elijah walked out, and the second they locked eyes, Bryan pulledhim into a hug, tapping his back as he said, “Brother!”
“I am glad you’re here, bud!” Elijah said, pulling back with a smile.
“I hope I am not late.”
“No. The photo shoot is this afternoon, at five. The others are already here.”
“Great!”
Looking over Elijah’s shoulder, Bryan hesitated before saying, “Can you please get someone to helpme get the things in the car trunk, and backseat?”
“What is it?” Elijah asked, already having a guess, and yet, still curious to know.
“They are gifts for Piki.”
“Your car trunk and backseat?”
“She has so many uncles… And the spot for ‘favorable uncle’ is going to be tough to get. So I need towork hard to get it.”
A laugh escaped Elijah’s lips as he stepped aside for Bryan to walk into the mansion before meetingone of the guard eyes and said, “Vin, can you get the things in Senator Checks’ car and bring itinside?”
When Bryan got into the living room with Elijah, he greeted everyone before focusing on Peach andthen Piki, “Oh my, look at her… She’s perfect.”
“Do you want to hold her?” Peach offered, waking from the couch.
“Yes, please!”
“Here,”
Slowly, she passed Piki to Bryan, and a smile appeared on his face when he held the baby, rocking hera little, and then said, “Hello, there, little one. It’s your favorite uncle.
Eyeing Elijah, Peach raised a brow as she tried not to laugh, and Elijah give her a let -him-have-thislook, chuckling silently.
“My credit card is yours… yes, it is… It’s all yours to spend.” Bryan cheerfully said, smiling down at Pikiwho cooed and gurgled happily up at him.
At four o’clock, the camera crew arrived at the house with the stylists and hairdressers, and Mrs.Maxwell gather everyone in the living room, instructing,
Okay. The theme is ‘elegant baby pink.’ James, you and the guys head upstairs to the first room in thewest wing to get dressed.”
Then she looked over at Elijah and Peach, saying, “You guys know what you have to do.”
“Yes, mother.” Peach said, smiling at her mother-in-law.
A moment later, everyone scattered, to get dressed, and Peach and Elijah were the only ones whoturned down a stylist and hairdresser.
The two were in their room, and Peach sat on a stool, in front of her dresser, and Elijah stood behindher.
After giving her a quick kiss on the cheek, he reached for the brush and got a hold of her hair,beginning to brush out each strand, and he told her softly, “I can’t wait to be doing this for Piki.”
“I thought you were afraid of her growing up?” Peach whispered, teary up at how tenderly he washandling her hair.
Reaching for the hair wrap, Elijah sighed and said, “Even though I wish she can stay my baby forever, Ithink I can only do certain things with her only if she’s grown, so it’s like a bittersweet feeling.”
Tenderly, he wrapped her hair in a ponytail, and then he reached for the pink diamond- embeddedheadband on the dresser and places it on her hair, staring at the reflections of her smile.
Afterward, Peach stood from the stool and then reached for a light pink tie from the rack, tiptoes toplace it around his neck without breaking eye contact with him, making the atmosphere between themheated, and they both leaned in close together.
And then she dropped her gaze, tieing his tie, and then whispered, “Not in front of the baby.”
“Come on, just a kiss.” Elijah teased.
When Peach tried to pull back, he grabbed her by the waist, touching her nose with his, and whispered,“Just a kiss.”
Feeling hot, embarrassed, and overwhelmed with joy, Peach closed her eyes, leaning in, and Elijahsealed her lips with his, taking a slow minute to savor the taste and texture, and the way her mouth fitperfectly into his.
At five o’clock, the grand hall of the mansion was crowded with everyone, Mr. Maxwell, Mrs. Maxwell,Elijah, Peach, Miss Grace, Piki, Scorpio, Matt, Ryan, Rookie, Jerome, Dice, Larry, Ricky, James, andBryan standing together in front of the cameras.
“You guys are perfect like that. Stay that way and smile.” The cameraman said. “ Now, say cheese.”
Hugging his wife’s waist as she held onto their baby, Elijah said, “Cheese.” Before the camera lightflashed in their faces.