The kids came bounding through the door early, or maybe it just felt early because my night had been all kinds of messed up. They had no idea Jase was there, nor in my bed, much less that my face was scraped up and black and blue. All of it scared them to tears. Only Derrick came hopping in and flopped on Jase, begging for his attention and hugs.
With a bed full of babies and the man who didn't know I loved him, this was perfect-even with the cuts and bruises. While I'd rather not be waking up in The Village, I could wake up next to Jase every day and never regret a moment of anything I'd had to live through to reach him. He'd formed a bond with each of the kids, but he and Derrick were especially tight. I loved seeing them all pal around together. The boys needed a strong man in their l
