I dropped my head and worked real fucking hard on not being a weeping pussy. I took a deep breath and swallowed back the tightness from my throat. “I . . .” I gritted my teeth and tried again. “I j-just wanted t-t-to f-f-fuckin’ t-talk.”

  Mae sighed and shook her head. “It matters not, baby. As long as you are there and we walk away married and forever joined, that is all I could ever dream.”

  My shoulders sagged, and when I saw the truth in her eyes, a huge weight lifted from my shoulders. “Y-you don’t c-care?”

  Mae shook her head and pressed her forehead against mine. “Not at all.” She moved back, kissed my mouth, and whispered, “You talk with both your hands and your mouth. I know that and accept that, and so do your brothers. It is only you that wants this so badly.”

  I nodded and sat up straight, putting my hand on the back of Mae’s head. “Fuckin’ love you,” I said, and fuck me, but I said it without a stutter.

  Mae wiped a tear from her face. “I love you too.”

  I kissed her. I fucking took her mouth and made her mine again. When we pulled back, Mae handed me the Fender. “Play for me,” she said and moved to sit on the bench beside me. I held the guitar and Mae laid her head on my shoulder and her hand on her stomach.

  My lips twitched, and I played the song she kept singing around the house. A perfect fucking song for my wolf-eyed bitch: Johnny Cash’s “First Time Ever I saw Your Face.”

  My fingers strummed the strings and the words poured from my mouth. Mae’s free hand touched my thigh as I sang the whole fucking thing. As the final lyrics left my mouth and the silence became thick, Mae fucking blew my world apart. “We are having a boy.”

  My hands froze on the neck of my Fender, stilled on the strings, and I snapped my head to Mae. My heart was a fucking cannon in my chest as Mae lifted her head and, with tears running down her pale cheeks, smiled and fucking laughed with happiness. “I had a sonogram today. I wanted it to be a surprise.”

  “A-A . . .” I closed my eyes and fucking pulled my shit together. “A b-boy?”

  “Yes.”

  The minute she said the word, I put my guitar down and pulled her into my arms. Her hands gripped my neck, and I pressed my hands on her stomach. “A f-f-fuckin’ boy,” I breathed and couldn’t stop the fucking smile that pulled on my lips.

  “A son,” Mae whispered, and she put her hands over mine on her stomach. “We are having a baby boy, River.” I looked up, not knowing what the hell to do next, and she said, “A boy just like his father.” Her fingers brushed past my eyes. “Just like you. My River, my Styx.”

  “Fuck,” I whispered and Mae laughed out loud.

  “He will be strong like you and brave and kind.”

  “Ch-Charon,” I said and watched Mae’s eyes cloud in confusion. “The n-name. Charon. Th-the b-boatman of the R-r-river Styx.”

  “Charon,” Mae said and nodded. “It is perfect. Just like his daddy. Like this club. His heritage . . . his home.”

  So kissed her again, my kid—my fucking son—in her stomach between us. And as she settled back into my arms, both of us staring at the mural, I prayed to Hades that my boy wouldn’t have this fucking speech shit to deal with.

  Mae wanted him to be just like me. But I wanted him to be like her. Strong. Perfect. My whole fucking world.

  Styx, Mae, and Charon.

  The python left me momentarily, my fucking throat felt free, and I didn’t stutter to Mae that night.

  Not fucking once.

Chapter Six

  Mae

  The wedding day . . .

  “There.” Beauty moved back to inspect her work. “Well, shit, darlin’. I never thought you could be more beautiful than you already were. But I was wrong.”

  I took a deep breath when all my sisters gathered around me. They all looked stunning. Beauty had done their hair and makeup too. They wore their hair down, and their makeup was soft and delicate, just like my own. “You all look so beautiful,” I whispered, working hard on not allowing any tears to fall from my eyes.

  Bella bent down and kissed my head. “It is almost time.”

  I inhaled deeply then nodded. I rose to my feet, and Beauty came around me with the veil. She stood on tiptoes and pushed it into my hair. Bella, Maddie, and Lilah fanned it around my dress, and they all moved back. A large mirror stood before me, and I stared at the woman looking back at me.

  I could not believe this day was finally here.

  Beauty laid her hands on my shoulders and smiled. “I’ll go and take my seat now, Mae.”

  Sudden nerves accosted me when I realized that the ceremony was just around the corner. Beauty left the room, but I still could not tear my attention away from my reflection. We were in one of the rooms in the clubhouse—Ky’s. The ceremony was happening in the yard. We had spent the past few days decorating the area with whites and blues. Pastor Ellis from Lilah’s church was conducting the ceremony. I adored her. Delayed the wedding a month just so I could have her conduct this day.

  “You ready, Mae?” Lilah came to stand beside me. I looked at my friend and nodded my head.

  “It feels strange,” I whispered and shook my head. “Like I have waited my entire life for this moment. Like everything I went through, all of it, the trials and tribulations, the joy and the pain, was all worth it because it brought me here to this exact moment.” I laughed. “To marry the boy I met behind the fence all those years ago. On the worst day of my life, he appeared like a dark angel. My dark angel.”

  Lilah smiled, and I knew it was because she felt the same way about Ky.

  Maddie handed me my bouquet of flowers. They were white to match my dress. Blue flowers were sporadically placed amongst the white to complement the bridesmaids’ dresses and, of course, my eyes.

  “He will not be able to believe his eyes when he sees you,” Maddie said. Bella stood beside Maddie. My two blood sisters, one green-eyed, one with ice-blue eyes like mine. I stared at Bella for a moment. She was my miracle. Risen from the dead and here to witness this day.