Epilogue.
Nick
One year later…
I sit on the couch at my parents’ house, watching Tucker and Izzy tear into gift after gift. Wrapping paper flying left and right. Natalie gave up trying to catch it all after the third present.
My stunning wife is curled up beside me in her pajamas, my arm around her with her back pressed to my chest. Her hair is down and she put on a light layer of makeup first thing this morning—not that she needed it in my eyes.
She’s glowing.
I tighten my hold on her. The nervous excitement is starting to get to me as the presents dwindle one by one. We’ve only been married for two weeks now, Joy was adamant about having the wedding in December, as close to Christmas as I would agree to without it being on Christmas Day itself.
“Woah! A transformer,” Tucker beams, turning to Joy and me. “Thank you, Uncle Nick.”
“And Auntie Joy,” Natalie says, smiling as Martina hurries to help him open the box before he breaks the toy in his haste.
“Look who finally made it,” my father announces, standing with ease. After finishing his treatments early this year, with astounding success, he was eligible for surgery. And I am proud to say, that my father is cancer free.
There is so much to be grateful for this year.
I stand as my cousin Eric walks in with his wife, April, and son, Michael. It’s been a few months since we saw each other last, but we talk almost every day. “Hey, man, Merry Christmas,” I say, patting his back in a quick hug.
“Merry Christmas.” He nods with a signature Davis grin.
When the investigators helped us track him down—the real Eric (Davis) Mitchell—a year ago, it was a night and day difference from when Billy had shown up. My father hugged his nephew and cried. He looks so much like my Uncle Steve it’s jarring. Mom says it was the family drive Dad needed from missing his brother to push harder with treatment.
I think he was just happy to gain a piece of his brother back. Why my uncle chose to never tell anyone of his son before his passing, we’ll never know .
I stay standing as my cousin and his family join us, making their way into the grand living room. I take a moment to gaze around the room.
Rich sits holding his daughter with Leah on the floor between his legs. Natalie and Martina sit beside the Christmas tree, watching Tucker and Izzy play with empty boxes. Aunt Sara brings a pitcher of mimosas in from the kitchen. Uncle Allen dozes on the couch. My mother ushers Eric’s son toward the tree, pointing out which presents are his. Joy’s father helps fetch them from deep under the tree.
It’s not everyone we wished to be here today, but it’s more than enough.
“Ready, honey?” my beautiful wife whispers, sliding her hand in mine. I grin down at her as she bounces from foot to foot. My stunning, amazing, perfect—
“If I run to pee one more time, your mom is going to figure out the big surprise before we have a chance to tell her.”
I chuckle. “Do you know how much I love you?” I ask, kissing her softly as my hand covers her stomach. Eleven weeks, four days .
She smiles, placing her hand over mine. “Too much, I hope.”
“There’s no such thing when it comes to you, angel,” I murmur, squeezing her hand. “Come on. Let’s go give my mother the arrival date of the third grandchild she’s been begging for.”
The End .
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xo,
A. Boss