Jasmine
Years Later

“Momma, where do you think Granddad is?” Emily asks. 

“I think he’s in a real good place, excited to one day see us all again,” I tell her as we walk through his old cabin. I carry Bruce, my youngest, in my arms. Devon and Daryl toddle around on their own, and do well staying out of trouble, and Rachel, my second child, follows quietly, as she does.

“I want to keep his couch and TV the same,” Emily insists. “We used to watch game shows in the afternoon, and I want to do that still, because maybe he’ll know.”

“Maybe he will, sweetheart.”

Riftan comes out from the bedroom, a solemn expression on his face. 

“I’ve lined up people to take away what we’re not keeping and bring it to a donation center. Then, soon after, we’ll finish up childproofing the rooms.”

Riftan had the idea that Granddad’s old cabin would be a good playhouse for the kids, and over the last month, he’s started to convert sections of it. 

It’s still hard knowing that he’s gone, and won’t get to meet all his grandkids, but he got to meet five, and he knew that another was on the way. His namesake. 

We finish discussing the changes and go back to the main house.

With the baby asleep, Emily and Elizabeth play with their brothers to give Riftan and me time to be alone and unwind.

“Before we relax, there is a matter we must discuss,” Riftan warns me.

My stomach twists at his stoic tone. “What’s wrong?”

“My father and aunt have come back into the picture now that Granddad is no longer with us. They demanded to see the will, which I showed them. Now, they’re threatening to contest it.”

“Should you just give them money to go away?”

He shakes his head. “Before he passed, Granddad made it clear that we and our children were his sole heirs, and he took steps to ensure it would be damn near impossible to contest his will.”

“What did he do?”

“He left them one dollar each, so they couldn’t claim that in his old age, he forgot about them. Then he wrote a lengthy letter regarding his decision in case it would ever go to court. I’m not convinced that will stop my father and aunt, but I don’t think they’ll win.”

“Whatever you think is best. I only care about honoring Granddad.”

Riftan pours himself a glass of whiskey and makes me a mocktail, so I can feel like an adult.

“To eleven long years,” he says, clinking his glass with mine. 

“Sometimes, I still can’t believe that this is real. That we made this life.”

“Same, and I thank God every day that it is. I remember the desperation I felt when I came home to find you gone, and Ruby sitting in the nook.”

“I can’t believe I let that woman bully me out of my home.” I tilt my head to the side. “You know, I look her up every so often.”

Riftan’s brow lifts. “Oh, yeah?”

“I don’t know why I do. I guess I’m just curious about the woman who nearly cost me everything. She’s not doing too great.”

“That doesn’t surprise me. You reap what you sow.”

I giggle, grabbing my belly. “And you’ve been sowing a lot.”

“And I hope to sow more.”

Do I dare to dream for more when we’ve already been so blessed? 

Of course. Riftan hasn’t let me down so far, and he never will. 

“Emily has started asking how we met. I told her through online dating because I didn’t want to lie. I also don’t want to give her all the details.”

“You know, it’s our story, and it’s not bad. Most people would be lucky to have a story like ours. We could make it G-rated, give it a story time flair.” He winks at me. “My granddad was the perfect fairy godfather, and Ruby was definitely villain material. Your friends, all sentient animals. We could have one of those princess stories on our hands.”

“There’s already a princess Jasmine,” I remind him. 

“You’ll be Jasmine two-point-o.”

“I don’t know. I think kids would prefer a Persian princess to a hillbilly one who lives in the mountains.”

We laugh together, falling into the same rhythm that we do every time we’re alone. 

To think that once, long ago, I almost ran away from this life. That I almost lost it all. 

But like a fairytale princess, I found my happily ever after. 

And Riftan did too.

The End

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