Chapter 281
Epilogue.
Three years later.
“Mommy!”
A tiny blur of curls and chaos comes barreling down the hallway. I barely have enough time to brace myself before she crashes into my legs.
“Oof.”
Tiny hands immediately wrap around me and I smile.
“There you are.”
My daughter grins up at me. The exact same mischievous grin her father wears whenever he’s about to become a problem.
Which is often, far too often.
“Look!”
She proudly holds up a drawing or at least I think it’s a drawing. It looks more like an attack against paper but she’s proud of it, so naturally it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
“Oh my goodness.”
I kneel as carefully as my six-month-pregnant body allows. Which isn’t very gracefully, not even a little.
“Did you make this for me?”
She nods enthusiastically.
“Happy Mother’s Day!”
My heart immediately melts completely.
I pull her into a hug.
“Thank you, my pretty baby.”
She giggles. Then immediately runs off again, because apparently sitting still is illegal.
I watch her disappear around the corner.
Then slowly push myself back upright or atleast I attempt to.
“Need help?”
A familiar voice sounds behind me, I look over my shoulder.
Zane.
Of course. The man appears every single time I struggle to stand up or sit nowadays.
It’s honestly becoming annoying.
A little sweet but mostly annoying.
“I’m fine.”
“You’ve been saying that for six months.”
“And I’ve been right for six months.”
He raises an eyebrow, I raise one right back, neither of us moves but my back starts hurting and I sigh.
“Fine.”
His smug expression appears instantly, I hate it, I really do. He helps me stand anyway.
One hand settling gently against my lower back.
Protective, always so protective.
His eyes briefly drift to my stomach, a smile immediately follows and just like that, I can’t even pretend to be annoyed anymore.
Because honestly? I love this man.
A lot.
Maybe more than is reasonable.
“Stop smiling.”
“I’m not smiling.”
“You’re smiling.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Liar.
Before I can argue further, voices start flooding through the house, lots of voices, fat too many voices.
Which means only one thing. Everyone is here.
God help me.
The front door opens, then chaos enters.
Immediately.
Noah, Caleb, Lucas, Aria, Ivy, Tessa, June, Lila and even grandpa.
All at once.
Exactly the way they’ve always done everything.
Loudly.
“THERE’S THE MOTHER!”
Ivy practically screams it and the entire room erupts into laughter.
I immediately groan.
“Please don’t start.”
“No.”
Ivy points dramatically.
“We celebrate mothers today.”
I narrow my eyes.
“There are other mothers in the world.”
“Not ones we know.”
“That is statistically impossible.”
She ignores me, naturally.
Then her gaze drops to my stomach and her eyes widen dramatically.
Again.
“I still can’t believe you’re pregnant again.”
The room bursts out laughing, including me.
Mostly because she says it like she’s personally offended.
“What did you think was going to happen?”
“I don’t know.”
She gestures wildly.
“You already gave us one.”
I laugh so hard I nearly snort. Zane looks entirely too pleased with himself.
The menace.
“Apparently she wasn’t enough.”
“She absolutely is enough.”
Zane immediately says.
Then pauses and at my stomach.
Then smiles.
“But another one is nice too.”
I smack his arm while edveryone laughs.
Across the room, our daughter is currently attempting to climb Noah. For reasons known only to herself.
Noah pretends to be annoyed but he’s carrying her, which means he’s already lost.
“Get down.”
“No uncle Noah.”
“You’re impossible.”
She giggles.
Caleb immediately takes a picture.
“Blackmail material.”
Noah flips him off.
Aria laughs so hard and what Ivy is telling her she nearly spills her drink but Lucas catches it before it falls.
The movement is so automatic and natural, that it makes me smile.
Three years ago they were grieving, now they’re happy, really happy.
The sight never gets old.
I catch Aria leaning against Lucas’s shoulder.
Lucas pressing a kiss into her hair.
Simple…..Like they’ve finally found their way back to each other. Exactly where they belong.
Grandpa sits nearby watching all of us, a small smile of content on his face.
For a moment my chest aches, because Margaret should be here. She should be seeing this, she should be laughing and cooking too much food. She would have spoiled our daughter lily rotten.
The ache never fully disappears, i don’t think it ever will. But somehow…It hurts less now.
The afternoon passes in laughter, stories, food and Arguments.
More food and somehow even more arguments.
At one point I attempt to go upstairs I need to drop a few things up, a mistak, a terrible mistake. Because apparently being six months pregnant means stairs have become my mortal enemy.
Halfway up I stop, breathing heavily and questioning every life decision I’ve ever made.
A second later three different voices sound.
“Careful.”
“Do you need help?”
“Why are you carrying things?”
I slowly turn around.
Noah.
Caleb.
And Zane.
All staring at me. All concerned, all annoying.
I sigh.
“Please leave me alone.”
“No.”
Three voices at once and the entire house laughs.
Including me. Because honestly? Some things never change and maybe that’s okay.
Later that evening the sun begins to set, the house grows quieter, people spread out and I find myself sitting outside on the patio.
Watching my daughter run around the garden, watching the people I love fill every corner of this home.
Watching life continue.
Zane settles beside me with one arm wrapping around my shoulders.
The other resting over my stomach, over our baby.
” I love you darling.” I murmur to him.
He kisses the top of my head.
“I love you too my angel, I love you so much more.”
I lean into him comfortable, content and happy.
A feeling I once thought I’d never have, for years I spent my life surviving, surviving sickness and g grief.
Always waiting for the next disaster, always bracing for the next heartbreak, always wondering how much time I had left.
But sitting here now…Watching my daughter laugh, watching my family heal and the people I love find happiness.
Feeling another little life growing safely beneath my heart.
I finally understand something, I used to think surviving was enough, I was wrong.
Living was better.
And for the first time in my life, I finally had both.