All Alone

As Shane pulled into the driveway of his parents' home, a round of applause started up in the backseat.

"Such a thoughtful way to show your daddy some appreciation!"

Edward, or Ward as he is more commonly referred to within the family, let out a guffaw as if it were the funniest thing he'd ever heard. The youngster was only three years old, so it was not as if he had a great deal of experience in the matter.

Shane got out of the car and immediately started unbuckling his son from the car seat he had him in. Nevertheless, just as he had predicted would occur, his mother rushed in the front door while waving and calling out to her grandchild.

"There he is; that's Grammy's son. "Baby, I need a big hug, so please come over here and give it to me." She knelt down and extended her arms, and although Ward was being restrained by his father, he managed to break free and run into her arms for an embrace.

"I am aware that Grammy is much better than I am, but please give Poppa some sugar nonetheless." Edward Chase had made his way there, and Ward threw his arms around his grandfather's knees as soon as he saw him.

Polly remained standing while beaming at her eldest child. "Please come in. There was absolutely no need for you to bring anything over. You are aware that all of my grandchildren have more than enough here. As Polly and Ward cautiously up the large front stairs, Polly grasped Ward's hand.

This was, without a doubt, the case. His grandparents had taken advantage of their growing family by converting two of the bedrooms into sleeping quarters for their grandchildren. The couple had one child together, Tate and Matt had two children, Liv and Marc also had two children, and Kyle and Maggie were expecting their fourth child together.

It's funny to think back on how much has changed in the past roughly seven years. He'd gone from being a cynical and resentful man to becoming a husband. addressing a father. Love had altered every aspect of his entire world. Not only the love he had discovered with Cassie, but also the love that each of his brothers had discovered with the women they had married. His life was overflowing with nieces and nephews, with birthdays, and now with soccer games on the weekends for young kickers since Nicholas, Maggie and Kyle's oldest child, had started playing for the team.

It was a satisfying existence. The life that he was supposed to be leading, which he was familiar with right down to his toes. And he expressed his appreciation.

This evening, though, he and his brothers were scheduled to attend a large open-air barbecue and dancing at the Grange Hall with their wives at their sides. And eventually, his parents' home would be occupied by members of subsequent generations of the Chase family.

Sure, a date with his stunning wife, which would be followed by some raucous, blow-the-doors-off sex when they escaped early in the morning, and possibly even later in the day if he kept his good luck.

When Ward spotted his younger cousins, he nearly ran into the spacious living room that his mother had transformed into a magical place for children younger than 10 years old. Laughing to himself, Edward watched as his wife retreated, and the two of them grinned at the sound of Polly Chase saying that there would be cookies and milk served as she told them all a story.

"I'm sure it makes your mother happy to see all of her grandbabies here. Not that I'm trying to gripe about it or anything. It just so happens that I am the grandpa who has the luckiest life. That, in addition to the fact that your mother is hot when she's caring for all of those Chases.

"Are you two absolutely certain that you can take care of all of the Chase children at the same time?"

"You and your brothers are still alive, aren't you?" I asked. If I can make it through your teenage years, I can certainly make it through a night spent with a group of Chases laughing and joking while wearing their footie pyjamas. There were eight of them, along with two of us. It comes to four half pints for each person. You never know when your aunt will show there, because you know how busy your mother and she are taking care of all these little ones. Go on.” His father took the small overnight bag that belonged to Ward. "Enjoy the time you get to spend alone yourself with Cassie. When your brothers brought their infants over here, I told all of them the exact same thing. When Shane walked in, he was instantly surrounded by little hugs and there were a lot of people calling out his name. Nicholas comforted him in a solemn manner by assuring him that he was assisting Grammy with the babies and that they would be alright. In addition to that, his mother had the ability to connect with individuals of all ages and sizes.

This was his life, and by god, he was living the good life. This subsequent generation of Chases, which his brothers had produced with the women they had married, would go on to leave their impact on the globe. That was something that struck his fancy.

Cassie finished her look by tucking a dahlia into her hair and taking one final glance at the full-length mirror that was mounted on the door of the bedroom. It had been a few months since she and Shane had the opportunity to go out on a date together. Despite the fact that she cherished her role as a mother immensely, she longed for the days when she could give all of her attention to the connection she shared with Shane.

Polly Chase had insisted that she wanted all of the Chase infants delivered to her doorstep when the Grange announced that they were going to hold a BBQ and dance outside under the stars this year. She also wanted each of her sons to take their wives out for the evening.

Several of the women had to deal with awful mothers-in-law. It would appear that Cassie had had enough of dealing with awful people by the time she met her mother-in-law, who was remarkable. Loving. Supportive. She was a wonderful grandmother as well as a wonderful role model.

And she, together with her equally great husband, Edward, had brought up four of the most incredible guys that Cassie had ever had the pleasure of knowing.

Shane appeared in the doorway with a dozen red flowers in his hands, looking handsome and seductive, and acting suitably intrigued and fascinated by the effort that she had put into her appearance in terms of her hair, clothes, and cosmetics. It was as if he had heard her thoughts.

He was the only one who could make her feel as stunning as she did in the presence of him.

He displayed the roses for her. "Oh, it's nice to meet you, Mrs. Chase. You are just mouthwatering to look at this evening."

She bent down and buried her face in the flowers once she had picked them. It's not that he never did anything thoughtful for her; in fact, he did. He did. Always and exactly how the events unfolded. The breadth of what this man had brought to her life caused her to occasionally choke up, despite the fact that she knew it was for the better.

She had been terrified by her first husband for a number of years. He had assaulted her both physically and mentally, and he had transformed her into a being that she was unable to confront. Because of this, she did not respect the person she had become. She had gotten away by running long and fast, but she hadn't been in town for more than five minutes before her wild, big-haired, big-hearted mother-in-law rear-ended her vehicle. She had escaped by running long and fast. And it was in that very moment that she had found Shane, who had assisted her in becoming the woman she was intended to be.

He was a huge, demanding man who could be surly and fussy when he didn't get his way. He was big and bossy. Furthermore, kind, obedient, mindful, watchful, guarding, and wholly, completely helpful. The years had passed, and now she was a mother and a wife, and she never in a million years would have guessed how happy her life would be.

“Hey.” After noticing the expression of emotion on her face, he reached for the roses and brought her closer to him. "What's the matter?"

She shook her head and tried to stifle the emotion that had overcome her for such a significant portion of time. "That doesn't matter. It couldn't be more accurate. You are the one who makes everything okay. Each and every day"

He grumbled low in his chest, the way he did on occasion whenever he was having difficulty processing his feelings. "I love you."

She clung to him even more closely. "I adore you too."

It is possible that we may not attend the dance at all.

It made her giggle. "Do not make offers that you do not intend to honour. You'd get into it at first, but then you'd start to feel bad because other people were anticipating our arrival. It wasn't only her and Ward that he looked out for; rather, he looked out for everyone since that was what he did. And the reason for her undying affection for him.

"I believe that when it comes to sex, I can make an exception."

She cocked her head to the side in order to look upward at him. into that beautiful face of his that she had grown to adore. And yes, there will be some sexual activity, sir. You are welcome to show me the ropes first. When we get out of here earlier, we'll be able to get right to the sexy part."