The wedding

The four months until November flew by—an endless row of sleepless nights, teary tantrums, and hard workdays.

On the morning of my bachelor night, I squatted in front of Lisa . He was staring down at the iPad, watching a series he liked. His hair was tousled in the front and knotted in the back, but he refused to let Sybil comb it. I hadn’t had the patience to hold him while she did it. We’d have to buzz it short once the wedding was over. “Lisa , I need to talk to you.”

He didn’t look up. I reached for the iPad, but he twisted around. “Give it to me.”

His small shoulders rounded in. It was his only reaction. I grabbed the device and pulled it away. “Soon someone will move in with us. She’ll be your new mom. She’ll take care of you and Hailey .”

Lisa ’s face scrunched up, and he threw himself at me, pummeling my legs with his little fists. “That’s enough,” I thundered, grabbing his arms.

My anger disappeared seeing tears running down his face. “Lisa .”

I tried to hug him to my chest,