Love Heals All

by Addie McKenna

  Ella and Cameron are now a couple! Cameron asked her out when they went on a romantic date to the beach, and Ella said, and I quote, “He asked me in the sweetest way possible, and it was right when the sun was setting!” She was really excited. Cameron decided to move down here since Ella’s now my legal guardian, and she didn’t want me to have to be separated from Hayes.

  Bart and Aly found out they were brother and sister when Bart’s mom visited us when we were in Virginia. She started crying when she saw Aly, and told the two of them everything! It was really sweet, and now Aly’s back with her real family. We’re all happy for her.

  My relationship with Hayes is still going strong. We’re starting school in a couple of days, and I’m excited but nervous! Excited because I now cheer at White Lightning Athletics in Davidson. It’s near our school, it’s really fun, and I’ve met lots of new friends. I also do hip-hop at Motion Dance Studio in Cornelius, and it’s not that far away.

  I get to see Hayes every day. After his football practice and my dance or cheer practice, we always go to his house or somewhere around town. I’ve met all of his close football friends and their girlfriends. They’re all really nice.

  I was watching Hayes’s practice with Lana, Hayes’s best friend and Tyler’s girlfriend. She’s on my cheerleading and hip-hop teams, and we get along really well, but she’s nothing like the other girls I spent the summer with. She’s pretty close, though.

  “Do you wanna spend the night at my house tonight?” Lana asked, pulling me away from my thoughts.

  “I wish, but I’m babysitting Skylynn tonight with Hayes. Apparently, she didn’t want to be alone with him.” I giggled.

  She laughed. “Aww, darn! Maybe tomorrow?”

  “For sure.” I smiled. We started talking and somehow we got on the topic of cheerleading.

  “Did you see Haley’s tuck? It got way better,” Lana said, talking about yesterday’s practice. We have practice every other day. And on the days we don’t, we have dance workouts, but dance got canceled today.

  “Yeah! It was awesome. I can’t believe she learned it in only a couple of weeks.”

  Lana and I don’t gossip about the team. We keep to ourselves and don’t listen. We want to have a good team with members who all think of one another as family. Everyone agrees except for Madeline and Meredith, or, as we call them, the double M’s. They’re rude and only on the team for popularity. They hate to cheer, so I don’t get how they got on a level-five team.

  When practice was over, Tyler and Hayes came up to us and gave us huge hugs. We pushed them back and looked at each other, disgusted.

  “Y’all stink!” Lana and I said at the same time.

  “Well, thank you.” Hayes rolled his eyes. I laughed and gave him a quick peck.

  “I have a surprise for you at the house,” he whispered in my ear as we walked.

  Lana, Tyler, Hayes, and I walked to Elizabeth’s car. We all were headed to Hayes’s house to watch movies and stuff until he and I had to start babysitting. We hopped into the car and said hi to Elizabeth.

  I was sitting shotgun while Lana complained about how bad the boys smelled. I laughed and told her to suck it up, the house was only five minutes away.

  Once we got there, Lana jumped out immediately and lay on the ground, gasping in the fresh, non-boy-scented air. I laughed and pulled her up.

  “Were they really that bad?”

  “Yes!” she said.

  I laughed at her as she ran into the house, probably straight toward the kitchen.

  I went inside and ran upstairs to Skylynn’s room, only to see Will playing with her.

  “Will!” I ran and crushed him with a big hug.

  “Hey, kiddo. What’s up?” he laughed, hugging me back.

  “I thought you were in Florida until next week?” I said excitedly.

  “They let me come home a week earlier so I can spend time with family before fall training begins,” he said.

  “Well, I’m happy you’re back.” I hugged him tighter.

  “Ahem.” Hayes coughed, walking in.

  “Was this the surprise?” I asked him.

  He smirked and nodded. I ran over to him and hugged him, wrapping my legs around his waist. He hugged back, and I kissed his cheek. “It was a great surprise.” I looked into his eyes, smiling.

  “I’m happy you liked it.” He gave me a kiss until Sky ruined it.

  “Ewww! Mommy, Hayes and Autumn are kissing again!” Skylynn screamed, running down the stairs.

  We laughed and I hopped off of him, pushing him out of the door. “You need to shower.” I pinched my nose.

  “I’ll be right back.” He walked down the hall to the bathroom. I could hear the shower turn on as I walked over to Hayes’s room, where Lana and Tyler were stuffing their faces with cheese puffs. I guess he already showered?

  “Hey, share, you pigs.” I pouted, sitting down beside them on the bed.

  “We aren’t pigs, we’re cows,” Tyler said sassily. Lana laughed her head off.

  “Well, then, I’ll just take these, considering y’all are vegetarians,” I said smartly, taking the bag out of his hands.

  “I’m not a cow, I’m a pig! Now, gimme those cheese puffs,” Lana said, attempting a gangster voice.

  I laughed at her failure at sounding like a gangster and gave her a handful. Meanwhile, Tyler was staring at the cheese puffs dreamily. Cheese puffs are his and Lana’s favorite.

  “Okay, fine, I give up!” he dramatically yelled, taking the cheese puffs from Lana. They started wrestling over them while I Vined it and posted it right away, of course.

  Hayes walked in, wondering what was going on. He was wearing fresh clothes and smelled heavenly. I waved him over to sit next to me and told him what was going on.

  “It’s the duel of the cheese puffs,” I told him.

  “Again? Really? I should just get my mom to stop buying them.” Tyler and Lana stopped when they heard that.

  “Mrs. Elizabeth will never ever stop buying cheese puffs. That would be child abuse,” Lana seethed.

  “I’m sorry! Why don’t you just go downstairs and get the other bag?” Hayes put his hands up in surrender.

  “Wow, Hayes, you actually said something smart,” Tyler said, walking out, probably on his way to get more cheese puffs.

  “They’re so weird.” I shook my head and laid it on Hayes’s shoulder.

  “That’s just how they are.” Hayes wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer.

  “You guys are cute.” Lana smiled.

  “Thanks, but you and Tyler are cuter.” I smiled at her.

  “We’ve only been together for a month, so there’s no way we could be cuter than y’all. You’ve been together for months.” She smirked.

  “Sure.” I winked, putting my legs on her lap.

  Tyler walked in with a whole new bag of cheese puffs, and we started watching movies and playing random games.

  We all hung out together for three hours until they had to go. Hayes and I had to babysit Skylynn because Nash was in Canada with Shaelyn, Daniel, and Bailey. Lucky butt. And Will, Johnnie, and Elizabeth were going out to eat with some important people or something.

  “Be good, Sky,” Elizabeth said while they walked out.

  “Yay! We’re all alone!” Skylynn started running around the house.

  It was going to be a long night.

  These days, being here, being with people I love, and being with Hayes, are the best, and I definitely wouldn’t trade Hayes to hang out with Teo Halm . . .

  Eighteen Years Later . . .

  Autumn

  “Jake, come here,” I yelled from downstairs.

  Cooking breakfast for all five of us is crazy, especially with all of the little ones awake.

  “What, Mommy?” the seven-year-old standing
in front of me said innocently.

  His emerald green eyes peered into mine. His blond hair is platinum, much as Skylynn’s was at his age. I don’t know where he gets it from, but he’s our special one.

  “Do you want to help me cook or go get your daddy?”

  “I’ll go get Daddy!” He smiled and ran to get his dad.

  “Momma?”

  “Yes, Laney?” I laughed when I saw the five-year-old with marker all over her face.

  “Where’s Kyle?”

  “I think he’s in his room playing a video game. Why?” I now had Laney on my hip, still mixing the pancake batter.

  “I want him to play horsies with me!”

  “Honey, you are exactly like your aunt Skylynn was when she was your age.” I laughed.

  “Aunt Skylynn’s my favorite aunt.”

  “What about Aunt Ellie?” I gave her a sideways smile.

  “Her, too,” she said with a giggle.

  “Go play horsies. Breakfast is almost ready.” I put her down, and she ran off to the living room.

  “Hello, beautiful.” Arms wrapped around my waist, and a scruffy chin tucked against my shoulder.

  “Hayes! You really need to shave.” I playfully pushed his chin off my shoulder.

  Yes, we are still as playful as we were eighteen years ago. Time really doesn’t change things as much as you would think.

  “Nah, you loooove it.”

  “Okay, whatever.” I rolled my eyes. “Bailey and Nash are coming over later today,” I said.

  “Okay, sounds good. I just talked to Tyler, he and Lana should be here soon.” My eyes went wide.

  “Benjamin Hayes Grier. You couldn’t have warned me that Lana was back from London?” I turned toward my husband.

  “I’m sorry! Ty said she got back last night!”

  “Then why are they hanging out with us? They need alone time.” By then, the pancakes were finished.

  “You know how both of them are. They always wanna be over here. We’re the fun ones.” He smirked.

  “Okay. Sure.” I rolled my eyes, smiling this time.

  “Kids, breakfast is ready!” Hayes called, running around the house. He was still as childish as ever.

  “Kyle, get downstairs.” I’ll tell ya . . . thirteen-year-old boys these days? Their lives revolve around video games.

  “Okay, Mom,” he huffed.

  “Oh, and Kelsey is coming over today.” I smiled cheekily.

  “What? Really?”

  I nodded.

  “Is Brantley going to be here, too?”

  “Yes, he is. You won’t be alone, buddy.” I wrapped my arm around my son’s shoulders as we walked down the stairs.

  “Mom?”

  “Hmm?”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you, too, Ky.” I kissed the top of his head.

  My thirteen-year-old son was an exact replica of me. He has light brown hair, slicked back, and green eyes with yellow specks. He was not too short but not too tall, and he has a great sense of style, if I do say so myself. Yet he was so much like Hayes, skinny but with some muscle, always had his shirt off. He’s just like Hayes was at his age. Actually, Hayes is still the same as he was at thirteen, just a bit taller and more muscular.

  “Go get some breakfast, babe.” He walked off, and I went over toward Hayes and wrapped my arms around his waist.

  I’m still a little stick with long hair, just a bit taller than I used to be, but not much. Although, I can say that I actually brush my hair now. Not much, but way more than I used to.

  “I still can’t believe we have kids, and that it’s been thirteen years since the first.” I smiled, admiring all three kids at the table.

  “We’ve come very far, sweetheart.” Hayes kissed my temple.

  We finished breakfast and went out to swim, waiting for Lana, Tyler, and their daughter, Kelsey, plus Bailey, Nash, and their two kids, Aleah and Brantley.

  “Kyle, don’t let your little sister get hurt,” I warned Kyle, who was swimming with Laney in the deep end.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  About twenty minutes later, Nash, Bailey, Aleah, and Brantley arrived.

  “Brantley!” Kyle jumped out of the swimming pool and ran up to his best friend.

  “Laney!” You could hear Aleah’s little voice from the back porch.

  Aleah and Laney are the same age, and Brantley and Kyle are the same age. Little Jake was that awkward middle child.

  “C’mere, Jakey, Mommy will play with you.” Jake and I were throwing the football while Hayes and Nash were talking. I didn’t know where Bailey was, though.

  “Nash, where’s Bra—” I started, then got trampled by my best friend.

  “Never mind,” I breathed. All the kids were laughing with their dads while I was getting crushed by the thirty-four-year-old woman on top of me.

  “You can get off now, you fat lard.” We both stood up, and I hugged her.

  “How was Cali, missy?” I asked as we walked up the porch, Jake trailing behind us, his hand in mine. Yes, he’s a huge momma’s boy, though he plays just as much sports as his dad used to.

  “It was beautiful. Even though I was up there for studies, I still had some fun.”

  “You know, we could’ve watched the kids for you so that you and Nash could’ve had the week off.” I smiled.

  “No, no, no! You have three kids—you can’t take two more of my rowdy ones.”

  “Not three kids anymore,” I said, lowering my voice.

  “You’re pr—” I quickly clamped my hand over her mouth.

  “No! We’re thinking about adopting, dumb nut.” She nodded in understanding, and I took my hand away from her mouth.

  “What do the kids think about it?” She looked over at the little ones playing.

  “They love the idea, especially Kyle. Surprisingly, he wants another sibling to look after.”

  She smiled at that. “I told ya. He’s a good one. You taught him right, love.”

  “Aww, Bails! I’ve missed you.”

  “This is why we can’t move back to California. I’d go crazy without you.” She laughed.

  “I’d go crazy without you, Aunt B,” Jake said, smiling his cute little smile, his two front teeth missing.

  “I’d go crazy without you, too, Jakey.” Bailey pulled him onto her lap and held him close. They’ve had such a close bond since the day that child was born.

  “Hayes!” I yelled to my husband.

  “Hmm?” He looked toward me from the yard where he, Brantley, Kyle, and Nash were throwing the football.

  “C’mere.” He headed over while the other guys continued throwing.

  “Yeeees?” He sat down on my lap, crushing my thighs.

  “Would you be the bestest Hayesie everrrr and maybe go get my phone from inside?” I pleaded.

  “Sure, sweetheart.” He walked inside to grab my phone.

  “You’ve still got him whipped.” Nash laughed.

  “It’s a gift.” I flicked my hair to the side.

  Four Hours Later

  “Mom, we’re going to watch a movie,” Kyle said, walking up beside the couch I was sitting on.

  “Make a move, little rascal—she’s so into you,” I whispered into his ear. He blushed and nodded.

  “Okay, love you, baby boy.” I kissed his cheek and pushed him slightly toward the stairs.

  It was only Laney, Bailey, Lana, and me downstairs. Aleah had fallen asleep, and all the other kids were upstairs watching the movie.

  “Mommy.”

  “Hmm.” I looked down at the little girl on my lap.

  Her eyes were an icy blue mixed with an emerald green, and her hair was almost as dark as Hayes’s. She had a petite little body with a button nose.

  “How d
id you and Daddy meet?” she questioned.

  “Oh, honey, it was a long time ago. We were next-door neighbors. I ran into your uncle Nash on the sidewalk, and we became friends. Then, that night, Nana, Poppy, and I got invited to your grandma and granddaddy’s house for dinner.” I smiled at the thought. “I met your daddy that night, and it was love at first sight. We fell in love and started dating.”

  “How long have you and Daddy been together?” Laney yawned.

  “Eighteen, almost nineteen years, baby.”

  “That’s a loooooong time.” She closed her eyes and laid her head on my chest.

  “You ready to go to sleep, hon?”

  She nodded, not saying a word.

  “I’ll be right back.” Bailey and Lana nodded understandingly.

  I stood up, holding the small girl in my arms, and walked up the stairs into her old-time-princess-themed room. Aleah was already on her bed, so I just scooted her over and laid Laney down next to her.

  “Good night, sleep tight, and I’ll be right here every night.” I kissed her forehead and turned off the light, barely shutting the door.

  Walking over to Kyle’s bedroom, I knocked then opened the door, and found Jake on his older brother’s lap, sound asleep.

  “Do you want me to take him, Ky?”

  “No, it’s fine. I’ll go put him to bed.” Kyle stood up and took Jake down the hall to his room.

  “Y’all better be behaving, or else.” I pointed at the other two sitting in Kyle’s room.

  “Aunt Autumn, we all know you don’t mind if we get into a bit of trouble.” Brantley smirked.

  “Oh, shut up, Brantley! I won’t let anyone get into trouble, Mrs. Autumn.” Kelsey smiled.

  “Brantley, you little devil.” I glared playfully at my only, and favorite, nephew. “Thank you, Kelsey. You’ve always been a sweetheart.” I winked at her, and she giggled.

  I walked out of the room and over to Jake’s, to find Kyle lying there with his little brother in his arms.

  “I can’t sleep, Momma,” Jake whispered.

  I walked over to Jake’s bed and bent down. “Go back to your room, Ky. I’ve got him.” Kyle kissed Jake’s head and my cheek, and left the room.