No, because he liked to see us happy, he liked to make us that way and he didn’t mind us knowing it.

From the beginning, he’d demonstrated generosity, selflessness and protectiveness but there was something beautiful about sensing his contentment grow as the hours passed and he got more out of giving something to us than we got out of having it.

I knew before that Mitch would make a great Dad.

But I knew right then that he’d build a beautiful family.

I knew this because he was already doing it.

And knowing that, I loved him more.

Billy slammed his door, taking my mind off my happy thoughts. Then, surprisingly, he drifted to me, his body careening into mine. He slid an arm around my waist, leaning heavily into me and I took his weight, thinking that was beautiful too.

I slid an arm around his shoulders and looked through the SUV windows to see Mitch bent into the backseat. He’d unbuckled a dead to the world Billie and was pulling her out of her booster seat. I watched as he secured her, her little legs around his waist, her head on his shoulder, her arms dangling heavily, Mitch’s arm under her booty. He slammed the door and his other arm wrapped around her back to hold her close to his torso.

Incidentally, that was beautiful too.

I moved Billy toward the sidewalk as Billie and Mitch moved that way and he bleeped the locks.

“The stuff,” I called quietly to Mitch, referring to the variety of souvenirs and spoils of victories Mitch and Billy had won playing games at the park that were in the back of Mitch’s truck.

“Put her down,” Mitch replied just as quietly. “Then I’ll come back and get it.”

I nodded and Billy and I met Mitch and Billie on the sidewalk. I watched Mitch take me and Billy in, again his face registering contentment, that light in his eyes I could see in the evening dark, his lips tipping up. Mine tipped up back at him and my soul sighed.

Maybe that was what he was feeling. His soul sighing.

And, I had to admit, mine sighed again just thinking we gave him that especially with all he was giving us.

We walked up the steps side-by-side and I gave Billy’s shoulders a squeeze.

“Did you have a good day, Bud?” I asked softly.

“Best ever,” he muttered.

Best ever.

He was right. It was the best ever. For all of us. Maybe even Mitch.

I looked back at Mitch to see his still curved lips brushing the top of Billie’s hair.

Yes. It was the best ever. Even for Mitch.

Yeah, oh yeah, I loved Detective Mitchell James Lawson. I loved the family we were building. And I loved that he loved it too.

I looked down to my feet, concentrating on executing the last few steps. My body was pleasantly exhausted and I didn’t want to do a face plant in the stairs to end a great day. Billy’s body remained heavy against mine as we climbed and I kept my gaze at my feet as we made it to the breezeway, my mind winding down, my thoughts happy.

Therefore when I heard Mitch whisper a clipped, “No,” which was shortly followed by a soft, intensely angry, “Hell no,” it so surprised me in the mood I sensed we were all in I lifted my head and twisted my neck to look at him.

His face was carved in stone.

What on earth?

He stopped and I automatically stopped with him, Billy stopping with me. Then I looked where Mitch was looking and I felt my body turn to stone just like Mitch’s face and I knew when Billy saw them because his body did the same against mine.

Mom and Aunt Lulamae were standing outside my door. Their eyes were on us. Their hair was amped out to maximum volume. Their makeup was a tribute to raccoons. Their cle**age was bared. Their arms were crossed on their chests pushing it up and bearing more.

And their faces were smirking.

I knew why.

Standing with them was Jez.

Jez!

Billie’s mother.

My heart had stopped when my body turned to stone but taking in Jez, it started stuttering madly. No rhythm, it tripped unsteadily as my pleasure after the best day ever oozed out and fear settled in.

I hadn’t seen her in six years. She took off within months of Billie being born. She was bad news then and she looked like bad news now.

Worse.

She looked strung out, too thin, her clothing matched the skank level of my Mom and aunt’s and it was clear she didn’t pay much mind to her toilette except to cake on more makeup than even Mom and Aunt Lulamae wore. I didn’t even think this was possible but there it was in the lit breezeway. Proof.

Bill.

Bill had activated Mom and Aunt Lulamae to find her and bring her here to f**k with me.

And f**king with me meant f**king with Mitch, Billy and Billie.

Oh God.

I felt Billy’s body start shaking against me. Not little shakes, quakes. It rocked his frame and shook me out of my terrified surprise.

He knew Jez, of course, it had been a long time ago but he remembered her. Even though he was very young, he avoided her even then with instincts honed from living in that world. And considering he was nine going on ninety, he knew why she was there now.

And also, he’d never, not once, laid eyes on Melbamae and Lulamae Hanover. But he knew who they were and he knew why they were there now.

I shuffled Billy and I closer to Mitch and whispered urgently, “That’s Jez. Billie’s birth mother. Not Bud’s, Billie’s.”

“Right,” Mitch clipped, his tone even angrier, his mood rolling dangerously through the breezeway, his body still rock-solid.

“Late night for two little kids,” Mom called, still smirking and Mitch moved.

Not to my door. Not to his door.

To Derek and LaTanya’s door.

I was surprised by this but I followed, pulling a still shaking Billy with me and keeping my eyes on the Trailer Trash Trio.

Mitch spoke not a word but lifted a fist and pounded on the door. I didn’t know what he was doing and I didn’t ask. He was clearly going to lead and I was definitely going to follow.

Aunt Lulamae made a move to us, arms coming uncrossed, torso bent slightly, eyes on Billy. When she did, I shifted closer to Mitch, my arm tightening around Billy, I positioned so I was between her and my cousin, Billy between Mitch and me.

“Hello, Billy, I’m your grand-momma,” she cooed and Billy shoved his body closer to me in a way it seemed he wanted me to absorb it.

I held him tighter.

“Far’s I can see, she grew up kinda pretty,” I heard Jez mutter and my gaze cut to her to see her eyes on Billie, mild curiosity in them and not much else.