Sam Evans

Poe had been right, they had raised three healthy children, two of which are college bound new. They hadn’t ended up pregnant or in Michael’s case, getting a girl pregnant, and they were both great kids. Life was good. “Yeah, we should. I hope they stay safe while in Mexico, I still get nervous about letting them go on that trip for graduation, but a promise is a promise.” She sighed. A laugh left her lips when he talked about making a baby. “No more babies for me. This baby factory is done producing babies, thank you very much.” She snorted. “Besides, we’re not empty nesters yet, we still have our other baby, or have you completely forgotten about him too?” She jibed and took his hand, “Come on, Poe. Let’s get this over and done with. Time to move on from the party.” She laughed, and with that they headed for the kids to send them away for their trip.

“God, let’s hope that’s not the case. I don’t think I’m ready to become a mother in law and possibly a grandmother yet.” Mercedes laughed, “I have my fears about sending them out into the real world, but I know they’re ready. They’re good kids with street smarts, they will definitely be okay.” She didn’t want to be paranoid, so she decided to think about all the good things that would eventually happen for all of her kids. “Aww… Baby, you know I feel the same. You’re the light of life, Poe, and I could never imagine a life without you.” She smiled at him fondly and lowered her head to give him a sweet kiss.

Sam shook his head, "Me either, I don't want us to have to plan a wedding or get ready for a baby anytime soon." He chuckled as he squeezed her hand, "They are good kids, and they are way more responsible than I  was at that age. We did a good job making sure they always knew that even though we had money, they know that they have to work to earn what they want out of life." He was very proud of the twins, they were definitely his pride and joy. He looked at the time, and saw it was about that time where they promised the twins that the adults would leave and allow the kids to really party, "Come on baby, we need to say goodbye to the kids, and I'm going to take you to the Four Seasons tonight, so we can celebrate this beautiful night by ourselves. Maybe we will make another baby, so we won't have a empty nest anytime soon." He wiggled his eyebrow in jest.

“I’m not giving them ideas, silly, I’m just saying that it could have been worst. Although we did turn out well. We love each other, and we have grown so much over the years. I’m glad we decided to jump and get married.” Mercedes said fondly before kissing her husband. “It’s alright, I know it’s emotional for you. It’s an emotional day for me too, Poe. So, don’t think that I’m not feeling this. They are our babies. We raised them and to have to see them be grown ups, and leave the nest, it gives me anxiety.” She squeezed his hands and swallowed back the lump in her throat. “I hope you’re right, Poe. I hope they stay safe and stay grounded, but you and I did well, didn’t we? Look at everything we’ve achieved, not a lot of people could say that they’ve gone through what we have and managed to stay together to tell the story.”

"I know you're not babe, I'm just being silly, but you know if they did decide to get married, we really wouldn't be the right have a huge argument against it." Sam laughed and rubbed her shoulders, "It's very emotional, but we'll get through it. They're great kids, and watching them grow up has been an amazing journey, but seeing them in their adult lives is going to be even more amazing to watch from afar. I mean being hands on as a parent is one thing, but actually sitting back and watching them evolve is going to be a pleasure." Thinking about how far they come, made him smile, "We have come very far, and I'm so blessed to have a beautiful woman that gave me a chance all those years ago in high school, to go through it all with."

“Because that’s just how it is. You and I grew up in a blink of an eyes. You’re lucky they aren’t married at this age. Remember us?” Mercedes raised a brow as she posed the question to her husband, a smile playing on her lips. He was being such a baby about this, but it was cute to see him this way. “Babe, you’re going to make me cry if you don’t stop.” She warned him, eyes brimming with tears. She couldn’t even think about it, the idea of not seeing her babies everyday was actually killing her, but she knew that they had to grow up someday. “It will be fine, baby. I swear to you that everything will be fine. Look how we turned out, hmm?”

Everything Jazzy was saying was true, and Sam knew it, "I know you're right, and as much as I  would want them to stay babies forever, I  know that's not possible." He chuckled when she brought  up the point that they weren't married, "Oh God, don't give them any ideas, they have got to graduate  college before they get married. I want them to be better than us, although we turned out just fine." He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "I'm sorry baby, I  don't mean to make you cry, but this is a hard day for me, but I'll try to calm down." He waved at a parent of one of the twins friends, "I know they are going to be fine out there in the world, they had a great role model in their mother to know how to be well rounded adults."

The past few hours flew in a blur. Guests kept pouring in and out of their home, all of them were here to celebrate the twins graduation. She was exhausted, but happy that the party had and was still going on without any glitches. Poe’s question caught her off guard. She laughed a little and shook her head, “I haven’t been thinking about it, and neither should you. It will be alright, Poe. I wish you would stop thinking about it that way. The kids have to grow up someday.” She said to him as she gently caressed his hand.

"I know they have to grow up Jazzy, but why so fast?" Sam knew he was whining, but he couldn't  help it, time just seemed to fly by, and now he was here throwing a graduation party for his children, "I'm just in my feelings right now babe, and as much as I am trying not to think about them leaving for college, I can't stop thinking about it. I still remember the day they were born, and now look at them," He glanced over at the twins, laughing with their friends, "They are grown..." He quickly wiped the tear from his eye.

“Aww… Baby, I love when you say that. It’s such a turn on.” Janelle teased, kissing her husband on the cheek. She really couldn’t picture a life without Ian. He was the love of her life and the thought of their first meeting made her smile. “Baby, you knew I was smitten by those sexy blue eyes the minute I saw you.” She said, rubbing his chest. “I was only playing hard to get. I mean, what straight woman wouldn’t be attracted to you? I wasn’t blind…” She giggled before finishing her glass. She saw Mercedes and Sam talking to a few guest and decide that it was time to make their presence known. “Come on, baby, I see my sister and Sam. Let’s go say this to them.” She tugged at his hand and led him along towards her sister and Sam.

“Well you know how much I love turning you on.” He smirked and ticking her sides, “If you want, I can turn you on more tonight when we get home too.” He couldn’t stop the smile from coming on his face hearing Janelle say she was attracted to him since day one, “You sure did play hard to get, but I was not going to give you the chance to blow me off, you were way too fine and I knew from that day that I was going to make you my wife, and all these years later I will still chase after you.” He smiled and stopped her from dragging him to Sam and Mercedes, he leaned in giving her a sweet kiss. “Now we can go say hi.” He smirked, and followed her over to go say hello to the hosts. It was a good night had by all.

Ian couldn’t argue with the fact that he was a pushover, he couldn’t help it when it came to his girls. “I can afford to be this way because I have such a strong wife, that teaches our girls how to be strong women, so therefore I can be a pushover.” He laughed and nodded, hearing what Janelle was saying, everything she was saying was so true, without the love and support they had for one another, they never would have made it. “That’s so true baby, I am so glad you gave me a chance those many years ago.”

“Aww… Baby, I love when you say that. It’s such a turn on.” Janelle teased, kissing her husband on the cheek. She really couldn’t picture a life without Ian. He was the love of her life and the thought of their first meeting made her smile. “Baby, you knew I was smitten by those sexy blue eyes the minute I saw you.” She said, rubbing his chest. “I was only playing hard to get. I mean, what straight woman wouldn’t be attracted to you? I wasn’t blind…” She giggled before finishing her glass. She saw Mercedes and Sam talking to a few guest and decide that it was time to make their presence known. “Come on, baby, I see my sister and Sam. Let’s go say this to them.” She tugged at his hand and led him along towards her sister and Sam.

“I don’t think you’re the mean one baby, I’m just a easy target, the girls know they can get whatever they want from me, I’m a pushover.” Ian laughed and took a sip of his drink. “That’s exactly my point, we both worked so hard so we can provide for our family, and why not reap what we sowed into our business. Just think about how we started the agency from nothing, and now look at us, agencies in New York, LA, Milan and Paris, with one opening in Thailand this year. I say we made our mark in this industry, and we did it the right way too, with all types of models. That’s something I’m really proud of.”  

“You’re a pushover that’s for sure.” Janelle reiterated, but not unkindly. She placed a kiss on his cheek and listen to him talk about their booming business. She was really proud of the empire they had made. It took a lot of hard work for them to get to this place, but they managed it. “We couldn’t have gone this far if we weren’t supportive of each other. I’m glad that we were able to work hand in hand. It goes to show how good we are together.” She smiled. “I’m so proud of us.”

“No they don’t babe!” Ian stated in his most innocent voice, “Our children love us equally.” He chuckled and grabbed two glasses of a champagne, “Here you go baby.” He handed her a flute, “I know the kids will love the big party we throw them, but that’s because they deserve it. Graduation is a big deal, and it needs to be celebrated. I mean we worked so hard for everything we got for our family, so why not splurge on them.” He shrugged his shoulders and smirked.

“I beg to differ. They love you more. If they need something, they always suck up to you, no one tries to suck up to me because I’m the mean one.” Janelle laughed, accepting the champagne from her husband. “You’re right about the party though. Our modeling agency is doing so well, we could afford to give our kids a nice graduation party.” She smiled at him and took a sip from her flute.

Model Behavior || Janelle & Ian

“My brother in law is a lavish man, how could we even be surprised by this?” Janelle said as she took in her surroundings. “You’re going to spoil the hell out of our kids. Oh wait, you already do!” She gasped before letting out a laugh. “I’m sure they appreciate it though. They always love you more because you spoil them.”

“You are too, cheap! See, even Alfred thought so.” Lillianna bantered back with a laugh. She loved her husband, but part of being married was also being able to be yourself around your loved ones, and she had never held back, especially not after witnessing Linda’s heartbreak over Alfred’s death. She promised herself then that she would love her husband fully until the day one of them dies, which hopefully would be her first because she would be lost without him. “A toast to our grandkids and may they grow to be intelligent and productive adults.”

They toasted and after taking a drink, Maurice shook his head, “Alfred was lying. I did not do it all the time. I just asked him to pay twice.” He laughed. He definitely miss Alfred, they had become close and Maurice always came to him for advice. It was odd not to have him on this good day. “Anyway, enough teasing me. We should go find Mercedes and Sam, and the twins.”

Linda put her hand up, “Don’t you dare besmirch my husband good name Maurice Evans.” She smirked, “He was not lying about that, and you know it.” She watched how Alfred and Maurice became such close friends, and that made her happy. He was always excited about their outings, and the time they spent together, it just did her heart good seeing the smile on his face. What she wouldn’t give to hear that hearty laugh of his, and see that bright smile one last time. She finished her glass of champagne, “Yes, let’s go find our children, because if we are feeling this way about our grand babies growing up so fast, what they must be feeling.” She took Lillianna’s hand and led her towards Sam and Mercedes, “It’s time for us to be parents and comfort our babies.”

Lillianna nodded, and wiped away her own tears. “He was young at heart, and we all have been blessed to have him in our lives.” She let go of Linda, thankful that Maurice had changed the subject. “How could you even think that about our son. He’s not you, you’re cheap…” She jibed, laughing.

“Hey, I’m not cheap, woman!” Maurice retorted with a loud laugh. He was glad that his antics was able to placate Linda. He didn’t really like seeing her cry. That seemed like all that she did for the first month after Alfred’s death, and rightly so too. She had lost the love of her life. He grabbed two flutes of Champagne and handed it to the ladies, before picking up another for his. “We should toast. To the twins, and their graduation.”

Linda was glad to have such great friends around her to get her through this difficult time, she missed Alfred everyday, but it was times like this that made her really miss her. She laughed at Maurice’s antics, “You are a little cheap Maurice, and Sam is nothing like that. Alfred used to tell me how you always wanted to pawn the check off on him when you guys went to play golf and have lunch.” She laughed at the memory of Alfred laughing about their outings, and took the glass, “Yes, to our beautiful and intelligent grandchildren, may they have a great time when they go off to college, and live the lives they dreamed of.”

Lillianna’s heart went out to Linda. It had to be hard to be here on this beautiful day without Alfred. They had lost the great man way too soon, and he was missed everyday, especially on days like this one. Letting go of her husband, she went to the other woman, giving her a warm hug. “He would have been wearing that big old grin of his and be beaming at the babies. He’s here, Linda, I’m sure of it.”

“Of course you do, Linda, I can’t deny that.” Maurice felt bad for making the women emotional, so while the two were hugging it out, he kept his silence and only opened his mouth to say, “Alright, who’s ready for some Champagne. I hope Sam’s not cheap with his beverages. Today is a day of celebration.” He laughed.

Linda didn’t want to bring the mood down, this was a celebration for the twins, and she was not going to be the crybaby. “Yeah, he’s here, I feel him, and I’m sure the twins do too. He loved being around all the kids, he always said it made him feel young.” She smiled bright, and looked over at Maurice, “I would love a glass of champagne, and you know your son, there is nothing cheap about his taste.” She giggled.

Proud Grandparents || Evans & Jones Grandparents

Maurice planted a kiss on his wife’s forehead, while his arms were wrapped around her, “We’ve definitely gotten older. But don’t get me wrong, I’m still sexy as hell.” He joked laughing. Then, turning to Linda, he offered her a kind smile. “Alfred would have been proud of Michael and Marie.”

Linda stood next to Lillianna and Maurice, her heart was so heavy, and she never expected to be this emotional, “I know, our babies are going off to college, when did we get this old?” She laughed at Maurice “You do still look good Maurice, but I look better.” She laughed, and primped for them. Hearing Maurice’s comments, she smiled, “Yeah he would have been. He always talked about how proud he was of them already, but I really wish he could have been here today, but I feel his spirit.” She tried to hold back her tears.