Clearwater’s Redemption by Tiffany Casper

Epilogue

Fiona Three Years Later

While I sat on my ole’ man’s lap in the backyard for Kiiri’s birthday party I had to stifle a laugh. Our girl was all girl, much to her father’s amusement. And there with her new Barbie dolls and her new horse figures, Maddox sat with her while he played with her.

Knox looked over at Cooper and said, “You payin’, or am I?”

“What do you mean?” Cooper asked after he took a pull from his beer.

“Wedding.” Knox said as he nodded over at Kiiri and Maddox.

Cooper dropped his head and placed a kiss at Miriam’s temple then said, “You’re the father of the bride, so it’s on you, but I’ll cover the alcohol.”

Knox brought his glass of Jack to his lips and muttered, “Good.”

I smiled down at him, kissed his lips, and before I could lose myself in my man’s kiss, our other son and daughter came over with their Aunt Phoebe in tow.

“Mama mama mama.” Was babbled as I bent to pick up Kase, set him in my husband’s arm then I bent and grabbed Kynnydee.

“They may not have had too much cake. Sorry but not sorry. Payback for when Knox  gave my two kids two giant as fuck chocolate chip cookies before bed time last month.” We had watched Bash and Pebbles so Xavier and Phoebe could have a date night.

Even though Knox told them not to tell, it was Pebbles that had ratted him out to her mother.

I heard Knox groan. Smirking, I kissed Kynnydee’s head.

Jacob swooped in and stole Kase from Knox grinning as he spun Kase around. When Knox had asked him to be Kase’s godfather, I had agreed wholeheartedly.

***

Eight years later as I sat in a restaurant with my brood and my husband I couldn’t help but smile at what life had given me.

“Momma, I’m going to get a refill.” Kase said as he grabbed his cup.

“Okay baby.” I watched as he stood, he had gotten a lot better at that. He had on shorts today because he wanted to show off his new prosthesis that Shiloh had painted. It was an exact replica of Knox’s gas tank.

I fucking loved it. When I had tried to pay her she had just stared at me with a raised brow.

However in the next instance I watched some little girl look at him, then she pushed him when he stepped forward. Before I could get to him, my daughters were up and out of their seats.

The girl was laughing and calling my boy a gimp, I had seen red.

Knox stood and then I followed. However, I was smiling all the way over there because I knew my daughters.

Knox

“My momma didn’t raise no bitch; you don’t put your hands on my little brother.” Kiiri snarled.

“And you most definitely don’t make fun of him.” Kynnydee snarled in her five-year-old voice.

I stood there as my two daughters got in the face of a girl who thought it would be funny to push my son down and laugh at him. My son had suffered an infection when he had been riding on his bike down the mountain and hadn’t seen the log until it had been too late. The bike had rolled on his calf causing it to break. Sadly, the bone never healed and an infection had set in, we had done every single therapy and every single medication known to man, but it hadn’t been enough. So at seven years old, my son had a below-the-knee amputation.

And before I knew it, Kiiri pulled her arm back and punched the girl straight in the nose, the sound it made filled up the restaurant. Everyone had stopped eating to watch the exchange

It was then that a woman who was wearing too much perfume walked over and yelled, “Your daughter broke her nose.”

“Then you need to teach your daughter some fucking manners. She made fun of my son and she pushed him when he took a step which caused him to fall. Maybe if you were a better parent you wouldn’t have an asshole of a daughter.” Fiona snarled.

“Do you know who I am?”

“No and I wouldn’t give a damn even if you were the queen of England.”

“You’ll hear from my lawyers about this.” Before Fiona could respond, I pulled my phone out and texted Jacob.

“Good, and you’ll hear from my lawyer. And rest assured, before my lawyer is through with you, you’ll be living in a cardboard box.” Fiona grinned daringly.

The woman put her hand on her hip and glared. “I’m not afraid of you.”

When my phone rang I glanced at it and saw that he was calling, “Why do you need my lawyer?”

“Some little bitch shoved Kase when he took a step, fucking laughed and called him a gimp. Kiiri and Kynnydee saw it, then Kiiri said her momma didn’t raise no bitch and she slugged the girl in the face. The little bitches mother is threatening to sue.”

“They fucking wish. Tell them who my fucking lawyer is. No one fucks with my godson.”

Nodding, I hung up, glaring at the woman I asked, “You heard of Lance Davidson?”

“Who hasn’t? He’s like…” I watched as her eyes widened.

“Yeah bitch, he’s going to eat you for lunch.” Fiona grinned.

And then all three of my kids at one time said, “Chomp.”

Fiona then turned to look at our kids, “Lesson of the day, you ever say bitch again before you turn eighteen I’ll wash your mouth out with soap. Furthermore, that was a fine hit.” Fiona smiled as she turned and walked out of the restaurant.

All the while patrons were clapping as the woman still stared wide-eyed.

Needless to say, we didn’t need a lawyer. No because Jacob had been enraged and had gone after the little girl’s parents. In fact they had to sell everything and donate the proceedings to the Wounded Warriors fund because that was the cause that Kase had chosen.

When he had turned five he had told me he wanted to join the military. Unfortunately because of his accident he would never get that chance.

However, fourteen years later Kynnydee stood in a room as she swore in, in honor of her brother.

I never thought I would have kids before I met Fiona. To be honest I had been scared shitless, to raise a baby when I didn’t know fuck all about it, and neither did Fiona. But my woman, she stood at my side the entire time and guided me. We didn’t follow any rules, we just raised them as we saw fit.

And yes both of my girls had a foul mouth when the need arose for it, but I always saw Fiona smiling proudly when they handled themselves.

A young man walked over to Kynnydee in his uniform and asked her why she joined.

She smiled as she pointed at Kase, “Because this was his dream, and it’s my honor to do this for him.”

And as I watched Kase, Kiiri, and Kynnydee hug, I felt so much pride as I stared at my kids.

However, just as another boy in a uniform approached Kiiri, it was Maddox that stepped in his path and glared at him as he shook his head. Luckily, Kiri wasn’t so much of a girly girl anymore so her wedding wouldn’t be breaking the bank.

I always thought that Fiona was my chance at Redemption. But it wasn’t only Fiona, no it was my kids as well.

They were my Redemption.

The End.