Because of a Cowboy

Ten Years Later

The event barn was jam-packed with people who were celebrating the best day of my life along with me. I sat at the head table, which was away from everyone. I was the bride, after all. It only seems fitting that my husband and I are sitting at the head table.

I took a bite out of my plate of chicken and looked out over everyone on the dance floor. After pictures and mingling with everyone, now was literally my only chance to eat.

I'd been so nervous that I hadn't eaten since breakfast. I had the whole night to dance, but my chicken would only stay warm for so long.

In the far left corner, Grandpa Winston, at the ripe old age of ninety-five, was holding the hands of ten-year-old Tobias and trying to dance with him. Little Toby never liked his nickname, and always preferred Tobias. I think it was his father's doing, but he also said he liked Tobias better because it "sounds cooler." Typical kid.

Tobias was a typical wild child. He loved working on the ranch and taking care of the horses. He loved to act tough, but had a huge soft spot for his sister.

Grandpa Winston, while he could no longer walk, still had all his marbles and continued to work in the gift shop. "What do you want me to do? Stay at home? Shrivel up and die?" he loved to say.

Next to his wheelchair was the other set of wheels in the family: my mother. My father was tipping her back and spinning her around while she laughed. She was the best grandmother my kids could've asked for. She still loved to cook, and a whole bunch of food in our future restaurant was going to be inspired by her recipes.

My father sang along to the song as he danced with my mom. He was still helping Wesley maintain the ranch. He loved rounding up his grandkids and doing activities with them, even though it was getting harder and harder for him to move around with his knees.

He was supervising the building of a handicap-accessible, one floor house where him, my mom, and Grandpa Winston could live out the rest of their days. My twin brothers did all of the heavy lifting and actual building.

Speaking of which, there they were, over at the photo booth, still being total comics. Believe it or not, Will and Watson, fraternal twins, each got married to sisters who were fraternal twins. They met at a small twin convention in town, where they both lived so their wives could maintain their current jobs.

Will and his wife had a little boy on the way. Watson and his wife were struggling to have kids, and after seeing what went on with Winter, decided to not risk multiples with IVF and instead chose to adopt. They were flying to India next month to pick up their little girl, Ivy.

Four blonde kids suddenly ran past my table. Winter's quads turned out to be an even split of two identical girls, Lucy and Lisa, along with two identical boys, Luke and Liam.

After John's parents fell ill and passed away, Winter moved everyone back home to the ranch. I was so happy that my kids would have a great life on the ranch with all their cousins.

Winter grabbed Lucy and spun her around. After Winter moved back, she resumed her role of Event Coordinator, and was loving every minute. With the ranch expanding so much she needed an assistant, which I was promoted to.

"Hey, no running!" Wesley shouted above the noise to Lisa, Luke, and Liam.

Wesley softened up a bit, but was still kind of a grouch. He still holed himself up in the apartment above the gift shop and was the head of our ever-expanding ranch.

His main focus was that restaurant I mentioned earlier. It was going to be called the Ho-Down cafe, and be like a bar and grill. We were going to have a mechanical bull as a permanent fixture there.

I heard loud giggles and looked over to see Winnie and Wrylie, arm-in-arm, dancing in circles until Winnie tripped and landed straight on her butt.

When Tobias was three, Wrylie met Gina, her wife. I loved her. She was rough-and-tough, just like my sister. Her and Wrylie turned the pond in the woods from one tiny house into a whole community of tiny houses they built together. They rent them out as part of our "Night at the Ranch" package. They're crazy popular and bring in a ton of revenue.

Winnie was a strong, single lady who ran her life, her way. She lived in a chic apartment downtown overlooking the river and spent her days and nights doing makeup and hair not only for our weddings, but weddings and proms in town as well.

Waldo stopped his juggling routine to cackle at his fallen sister. As I predicted, he was the "fun uncle." His life was the ranch and his nieces/nephews. He was always looking to up his routines, and even did fire-juggling at our last luau event.

The bar was close behind him, where Holden clinked his glass together with his girlfriend, Sarah. He'd been seeing girls on and off, but he'd been with Sarah for almost two years. Tobias liked her because she "made the best lemonade" and let him "go to bed late."

Holden, as a typical cowboy, became a cattle rancher at the place on the other side of town. Him and I bickered a lot, but were still able to get along for Toby's sake. We went to all of his school functions and meetings together. I appreciated him being a good sport and showing up to the wedding.

"Mommy! Come dance!" said a little voice below my table.

A pair of brown fingers were on the edge. I tickled them, and she laughed. My daughter popped her head full of curly hair up over the side of the table so I could see her.

"In a minute, Carmella. Mommy is really hungry," I said.

No, I was not going to give my kids names with all the same letter. I loved Winter and her kids. I loved my parents too, but no. Carmella was named after her great-grandmother on her dad's side.

Carmella pouted her lip and gazed at me with her big, brown eyes. At only six, she was such a little trickster.

"Willabelle Marie Parks, would you finish your meal and just dance with us already?"

I looked over to see my husband sitting down. Let me tell you, Toby looked great in a tux. I gave him a quick peck on the lips. Carmella let out a big "eww!" and covered her eyes. I took the last bite of my chicken and pulled them both out to the dance floor. Tobias joined in with us.

I gazed at the faces of my two children. They both looked just like their fathers. I wanted a big family with eight kids, like I grew up with. Toby wanted three. We compromised at five.

I rubbed the lacy abdomen of my wedding dress, where a small bump was starting to grow.  Maybe number three will finally have some of my features.