Epilogue
ONE YEAR LATER
QUINN, SAWYER, JOSIE, Jordyn, and little Jaxon enter the hospital room. Sawyer’s holding his “mini me.” Jaxon is the image of Sawyer. He’ll be a looker one day. A Valentine birthday boy who breaks hearts instead of capturing them.
Josie and Jordyn look huge to me now that I’m holding my very own newborn baby in my eager arms.
Ren’s sitting next to me. If he doesn’t stop puffing out his chest with pride, I’m going to poke him with a needle and deflate him.
Not really. But I’ve given him sufficient warning. He says there’s not a haystack in sight for me to find a needle, so he’s safe. For now.
I reminded him we’re in a hospital. This is where needles live.
He mock yelled, “Help! I need an adult!”
I love our banter. He’s my comeback king.
No, he’s my everything.
“Oh Bree, she’s so beautiful and perfect.” Quinn scoots the blanket away from her face so she can get an unobstructed view. “She’s angelic.”
She is. She’s the most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen. I mean, I’m her mom. Of course I think she’s perfect.
“What’s her name?” Quinn asks.
“Is she Beezy? Just like her mommy?” Josie asks.
I will always be Beezy to Josie and Jordyn. That’s okay by me. I don’t ever want to be Breezy again.
“Her name is Annaliese Emily Chambers. Annaliese is Ren’s paternal grandmother’s name. And…”
“And it’s part of your name too, Breanna.” Quinn smiles as she wipes away a tear. My sweet friend knows how much it means to me to have a baby of my own.
“Yes, we’ll call her Anna. It’s a name that means something to me and something to Ren. She’s a combination of us both.” She has Ren’s dark hair and my vivid blue eyes. She’s my stunning little miracle.
“Hi, Anna,” Jordyn says, waving as though Anna will wave back, making us all laugh.
“She’s so little and cute.” Josie moves in for a closer look. “She looks like a baby doll.”
Jordyn looks up at Quinn. “Was I ever that small?”
“Yes, you were. You were so tiny, your clothes looked like doll clothes.”
Josie and Jordyn giggle at the thought.
Jaxon rests his head on Sawyer’s shoulder, bored with the entire affair. Sawyer nods at me. “Congrats, Bree. I’m happy for you.” He grants me a huge smile.
Coming from Sawyer, that was effusive.
I’ve seen Quinn and Sawyer twice since the day I ran in front of the car to save Jordyn. Once at our wedding, and once at my baby shower.
I’ve spoken on the phone with Quinn a few times as well. We’re friends, but we’re not best friends anymore. I’m just happy to count her as a friend. I know I’m lucky she’s willing to be my friend at all. I’m thrilled to have them visit me today.
Josie holds up a gift bag. “For Beezy’s Anna.” Then she proceeds to pull the gift out of the bag for me, even though Quinn protests.
It’s the fuzziest little yellow sleeper with a white Peter Pan collar. Neutral, because Ren and I decided to find out our baby’s gender the natural way. But it’s also the same type and color of sleeper I bought for Quinn when she had Josie and Jordyn, giving it special meaning.
A little yellow sleeper is our bond. It says so much in a quiet, unassuming way.
Quinn holds her hands up. “I know, it’s practical. But even with a closet full of the cutest little girl clothes in the world…”
“…there’s nothing that beats the sleeper for comfort and practicality,” I finish for her. I remember her telling me that a thousand times over.
“And there’s three more!” Jordyn pulls out three adorable sleepers that are all girl. Pink hearts, flowers, and polka dots. Jordyn lays them out on the bed for all to see. Anna will look beautiful in them.
“You’ll use them the most of anything, I promise,” Quinn says with a laugh at her daughter’s antics.
I know, I think to myself. I remember. Oh, how I remember.
My days of yearning are over. I have everything I’ve always wanted.
“Thank you. I can’t wait to dress Anna in her beautiful sleepers.
” Especially the little yellow sleeper. I’ll take a picture and put it next to the picture of Josie and Jordyn in their little yellow sleepers.
I’ll frame them and hang them on the wall right next to each other.
My beautiful girls. Except I don’t have to say goodbye to Anna.
Quinn touches my arm. “You did it, Bree. You did it. I’m so happy for you.” Her voice cracks as she wipes away a few more tears.
“It was so unexpected. I assumed it would never happen for me, a baby of my own.” Quinn wipes away a tear on my face.
Such a sweet gesture. “To be safe, they decided to do a C-section. It avoids complications for women with endometriosis. Once they got in there, it was an emergency hysterectomy for me. The endo was so much worse than they expected.”
Ren chimes in. “This little gal is quite the miracle baby.”
I smile, then wince with pain. Ren holds my hand, offering support.
Quinn noticed my wince. “We’ll let you rest now. We just wanted to stop in, see the little princess, and say congratulations. We’re so happy for you.”
“Stopping in” to Portland to see me and my baby is a long trip for them. My Melanie is the sweetest.
As for me, I’m no longer a Scarlett. I’m far from perfect, but there’s hope for me yet.
After teary goodbyes, the golden Denali family files out of my room.
“Is it time for Tylenol or Motrin? I’ll go get the nurse.” Ren heads for the door.
“I don’t remember. The nurse will know.”
I watch my handsome man leave the room to get my pain meds, and I reflect on the past year.
We married around three months after Ren proposed. It was a beautiful ceremony on his property in Canby on a gorgeous summer day. We honeymooned in the Bahamas and conceived our little peanut. Our little honeymoon baby. Our Anna.
My sweet Anna starts to wiggle in my arms. I don’t wait for her to work up a cry. It’s feeding time. I proudly nurse my baby girl, feeling so thankful that I’ve been given the opportunity to be a mother.
Ren walks in with my pain meds. He hands them to me, along with a glass of water.
“Thank you, best husband ever.” He is. I’m so in love with him, my chest aches.
“You’re welcome, best wife ever.”
A surge of happiness overwhelms me. I never thought I would be the “best” anything, except Best Villain.
Turns out, I’m actually the Best Wife.
And now I’m going to be the Best Mother.
JACK, SUSAN, ETHAN, and Kate are our next visitors.
“I have a sister,” Kate squeals. “I can’t wait to play with her.”
“Yay,” Ethan says, dripping with sarcasm. “But she is super cute. I guess I might like being the older brother who protects his younger sisters. That’s cool.”
“She’s a beauty. You two made a gorgeous baby together.” Susan hugs Ren tightly.
“She’s got your blue eyes, Bree. Look out world.” Jack laughs aloud. “She’s going to be a pretty little gal.”
Then my adorable little Anna releases her first tiny baby sneeze.
And everyone, to include me, whispers, “Shut up!”
Welcome to the family, Anna.