"Mommy."
"Huh?" I questioned, unaware that anyone had been talking to me.
Zari leaned back in the swing, chestnut hair flying around her smiling face as she struggled to look up at me. Her big green eyes flashed with joy, reminding me of Jace.
She playfully giggled, while reaching for the chain on the swing. "What are you doing, mommy? I've been talking to you." She pouted, her lip sticking out.
I slowly stopped the swing, walking in front of my daughter, to cup her little round face in my hands. She was my pride and joy. It was her fourth birthday and I wanted her to enjoy each and every moment. "I'm sorry, baby girl." I gently tickled her. "What were you saying? Mommy is listening now."
Zari pushed my hands away from her face and jumped from the swing. "I said that grandmas here. Hurry mommy," she said excitedly. "Grandma always has the best gifts."
I stood back for a moment and watched as Zari took off running through the soft grass. Jace playfully jumped in front of her and reached for her arm, but Zari dodged his reach and ran straight to my mother’s arms.
She had always been close with my mother and nothing could ever come between them. It made me happy. So happy, that sometimes I found myself crying at my mother finally turning her life around and being in our lives. It took her about a year after Henry's death for her to start coming around, but when she did, Jace slowly broke her down. Just as he did with everyone.
"Avery," My mother called. "Come join the party.” She flashed me her loving smile and reached her arm out. "I have something to show you." She patted Zari on the butt and pushed her toward Jace. "Go with your father and I and mommy will be there in a few minutes."
Zari nodded her head and reached for Jace's outstretched hand. "You lovely ladies take your time." Jace winked at me and smiled at my mother. "We'll try not to eat the cake without you."
I threw my hands to my hip and laughed. "Very funny. I'm telling you right now that if you eat that cake without us that you will be wearing that cake," I teased.
Jace playfully bit his bottom lip and raised an eyebrow.
"Not in that way," I laughed. "We'll be right there."
Zari tugged on Jace's arm. "Daddy." Jace bent down and placed a finger to her chin. "You better listen to mommy. She might just beat you up again," she teased, laughing in her father’s face.
My mother and I broke into a fit of laughter as Jace attempted to hide his blushing face. "She didn't...," he started. "Oh never mind. You girls always win." He hoisted Zari off the ground and threw her on his shoulders. "Let’s race."
Zari playfully tugged on Jace's hair and giggled as he took off running. "We can't race with me on your shoulders." She laughed. "Daddy..."
My mother reached out, placing her hand on my shoulder, for attention. I quickly turned away from my two angels and smiled. "What is it, mother?" I asked.
My mother's eyes glazed over as she reached into her handbag. "Avery." She paused and smiled. "I have something that I have been meaning to give you your whole life. I know that I haven't been-"
"It's okay, mother. That is the past, "I whispered.” We don't need to discuss it anymore. I'm happy, you're happy, the family is happy. Let’s stay that way."
My mother shook her head and pulled her arm from out of her bag. "This means the world to me." She grabbed my hand and placed something in it. It felt a lot like some kind of chain. She closed her hand around mine and shook her head back and forth. "This locket..." She turned her head away and wiped at her cheek. "Is very important to me. I slept with this locket every night. This was the one thing that Henry couldn't take from me, no matter how screwed up I was. He would have had to pry it from my cold dead fingers."
I slowly opened my hand, nervous to see what the locket held.
I gripped the silver locket with shaky hands and lifted the cover to the case. My fingers lightly traced the circle as my eyes watered. Inside was a picture of my mother looking young and beautiful with a baby in her arms. I knew right away that the baby was me. I threw my hand to my mouth and forced back a sob. "Mother. How… why-"
"You were my world," She stated, shaking her head.. "I was just lost in another world for a while. I knew I would eventually find my way back. If it wasn't for you and your husband," She paused. "I would still be in that world, mourning someone that ruined both of our lives. A monster. He broke us."
I threw my arms around my mother and squeezed her tightly. She had been the best mother and grandmother for the four years and I never wanted anything to ever come between us again. She supported jace and me so much and it meant the world to me. I think she even cried more than I did when Jace proposed. It probably reminded her of the good days that she had with Henry.
One day, she promised to sit down and tell me about their past and how they met. I told her to only share with me the things that she felt comfortable with. Maybe someday soon, I would understand why my mother fell in love with Henry. The guy that changed my life and caused me to find my world.
"Avery," Jackie called. "Zari said to say this exactly." She threw her hands to her hip and huffed. "Mommy, I already stuck my finger in the cake. It was really good and I want more. If you don't hurry then I'm going to let daddy push you in the pool. He said that he was going to." She removed her hands from her hips and rubbed her round belly. "That message came directly from the princess. I think she means business."
"Mommy, why did you run off?" Little Jaxon poked his head around the sliding door and whined. "Hurry."
Jackie shook her head and laughed. "Go find your daddy, booger. Mommy will be right back."
I reached out and placed my hand on Jackie's belly. She was twenty-nine weeks pregnant with her second child. A little girl that was to be named after Jace and Jackie’s mother, Olivia Anne.
"She's restless. Olivia kicks me every time that I touch your belly."
Jackie laughed and grabbed my hand. "She's just happy to meet her aunty." She looked down at her belly and rubbed it. "Right, baby girl." She made little baby noises as we made our way inside to join the party.
Jace looked up from the table and reached for my hand. "I thought you girls got lost. I was going to send a search party." He winked and kissed my cheek. "Jaxon attempted to shove his face in the cake at least four times. I had to stand and guard it."