This Too Shall Pass

Chapter 12

"What are you doing here?" Jess looked at her brother making coffee in her kitchen.

"I thought you might need a little help." Cody turned and looked at his sister holding both her daughters expertly. He smiled. It looked so damn natural with her hair messed up and her fuzzy slippers. Taking a step forward he relieved her of Skylar. "Hey Princess Sky." Cody snuggled his niece.

"You really are a marshmallow Cody Hawkes." Jess smiled and grabbed two bottles from the refrigerator and put them in the warmers.

"Don't tell anyone." He expertly bounced the little girl. "Are we going to talk about yesterday?"

"What's to talk about?"

"Oh, I don't know? You finally got closure with Kitrick trying to kill you all those years ago and your husband was hurt in an accident"

"I'm over both, thank you." She looked at her bother.

"You're a great liar little sister." Cody sat down. "Talk to me."

"The accident was just that Cody, an accident. Kitrick is going away for a long time and that's all that matters."

"And all is good in the land of Jess?" She handed him a bottle and sat down and started feeding Sierra.

"All is well in the kingdom. The princesses are happy and so is the Queen."

" How's the King feeling?"

"He was flying pretty high last night. Why aren't you at home taking care of your own kids?"

"They don't wake up till seven." Jess looked at the clock. It was five fifteen.

"How did you know we would be awake?"

"Even when you didn't have kids you couldn't sleep past five." He looked down at the little girl in his arms. She smiled around the nipple in her mouth. Cody smiled back at her. "What the hell were we thinking when were younger and said we'd never get married?"

"I was dating Cutler and you were dating everyone." Jess smiled. "We all were young and reckless."

"Benji is the last holdout."

"He'll find someone. She just hasn't been born yet."

"Maybe we should lock up our daughters." Cody grabbed a burp cloth from the folded pile on the table. He adjusted his niece and expertly patted her back.

"I think with all their protectors our girls are safe." Jess looked at her brother. They had come a long way since the days of careening down mountains for fun. "Thank you for being one of the best brothers a girl could ask for."

"What ever happened to the best brother?"

"You have to share that title with Matt. He's kinda stepped up the past few years and made up for the years I treated him like a leper."

"I guess if I have to share the title with anyone Matt is the one I'd want to share it with." Jess was glad her brother came to help her this morning. It had been a long time since she had been alone and she was starting to wonder why she ever liked being alone. "How's work?"

"Benji's dad is getting remarried in a few weeks."

"How's he's taking that?"

"How do you think?" Benji's mom had died ten years ago after a long battle with cancer. His dad started dating not long after, causing a rift between father and son. "Dan wants him there so bad. He's called me twice a day for the past three weeks."

"Do you want me to talk to Benji? Cody looked at his sister. She hadn't always been the go to for good advice but lately she's been pretty good at solving some life problems that her friends needed help with.

"Maybe he will listen to a woman's point of view."

"Life is too short to hold grudges. Dan was a little bit in the wrong."

"Hell, he was a lot in the wrong but who are we to judge?" The baby in his arms had finished her bottle and was close to falling back to sleep. "Do you want me to bring her upstairs?"

"No, just put her in the bassinet." Cody stood and headed into the living room that housed two perfectly carved bassinets from their father, each with the girls named carved on them. He smiled. The Hawkes grandchildren were going to be a spoiled lot no doubt. Jess followed him and set Sierra in her bed. "Thank you for coming over this morning." She put her arm around her brother and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Thank you for being here for me."

"Always."

"And thank you for only putting my husband in the hospital for one night." She smiled. He pushed her away.

"On that note I'm going home and take care of my own kids while their mother sleeps in." He kissed her forehead. "Love ya sis."

"Love you too Toad." Jess looked at the two angles sleeping in front of her and smiled. Less than a year ago she was single, wild and free. Today, on the eve of her thirty-third birthday she was married, a mom and so happy to be tied to this mountain in so many different ways, she had a husband who she loved with all her heart, two sweet little girls and family and friends that had her back no matter what. Life was good. Her life was great. She hoped it would always be as perfect as it was at this moment. Jess knew better but for now she would just enjoy what she had and not wait for that other shoe to