Year One… After a six-month search, Lila and I found a home in Carmel—land of the roundabouts—and had settled in to suburban living. With the lives we’d led, it was quite an adjustment. Being neighborly was a foreign concept for Lila, leaving some of our neighbors a little put off.She wasn’t the stereotypical suburban housewife like many of the nearby residents.There was a good chance we would never fit in well, but it didn’t bother me. She was all I needed.We had a beautiful lot overlooking a small lake. It made for wonderful nights sitting on the deck, watching the sun set.I stared at her, my eyes wide in surprise at her sudden burst of anger. My wife was livid—pissed beyond belief at me—and I had no idea why. Her face resembled the same shade of red as the Twizzler dangling out of my mouth. I held up my hands in surrender, never having seen the she-devil before me, and I had no idea how to handle her.“Why?” Her hands were balled into fists at her sides, sh

 Year 4… “Lila, have you seen my other shoe?” I asked, holding up my one running shoe.She bounced Jackson in her arms, rubbing his back to get him to burp. “No.”There was a little giggle coming from under the bed, and we both looked in the direction of the sound.I smiled and gestured with my head to the bed. “Oh, I wonder where it could be. Maybe it’s in the closet.”Another giggle.“In the bathroom?” Lila suggested with a wide smile and a shake of her head as she tried not to laugh at our toddler.A loud laugh—my daughter thought she was so sneaky.“Maybe…” I laid down on the floor and reached. “It’s under the bed!” Screeches of laughter as I grabbed hold of a toddler leg. “Gotcha!”She wasn’t very far under, and I was able to pull her out. I tickled her sides, making her squeal before reaching back under for my shoe.Anna smiled wide, little giggles coming from her. “Again!”I stood and pulled Jackson from Lila’s arms so she could finish getting dressed.

 Year 7… The house was an odd and eerie quiet. So much that I could actually hear the ticking of the clock above the mantle.Lila was out with Anna and Jackson in an effort to wear them down some for my parents and nephew. They were going to babysit for the night while we went out to celebrate our anniversary.Seven years.Seven years ago, I pledged my love and life to my Lila.Laying on the couch, my leg ached, stiff from being stuck in the same position for so long. I stretched it while trying not to disturb the bundle on my chest. My little Kayla was curled on me, her soft, sweet breath blowing across my skin. I leaned down and kissed the soft spot on her head and marveled at the miracle that she was. Only three months old, and she already had us all wrapped around her tiny fingers.My eyes flickered around the room, and I took stock of how much my life had changed over the prior nine years. In that period of time, I had moved from a large, quite literally empty

 K.I. Lynn is the USA Today Bestselling Author from The Bend Anthology and the Amazon Bestsellers, Breach and Becoming Mrs Lockwood. She spent her life in the arts, everything from music to painting and ceramics, then to writing. Characters have always run around in her head, acting out their stories, but it wasn’t until later in life she would put them to pen. It would turn out to be the one thing she was really passionate about. Since she began posting stories online, she’s garnered acclaim for her diverse stories and hard hitting writing style. Two stories and characters are never the same, her brain moving through different ideas faster than she can write them down as it also plots its quest for world domination…or cheese. Whichever is easier to obtain… Usually it’s cheese. WebsiteFacebookTwitterInstagramGet my Newsletter