40. Epilogue
Epilogue
Annabelle sat at her escritoire, writing a letter to Caroline, while reaching her free hand to rock the pram holding a napping Rose, her and Sterling’s one-year-old.
She set down her quill and rubbed her growing belly. Their next bundle of joy, due to arrive in another six months was making him or herself known with lots of flutters and gurgles today.
She grinned down at herself. She hoped for a boy. One that looked like Sterling, though he kept saying he’d take a hundred little girls that looked exactly like her.
The door to their antechamber burst open, and Sterling swept inside. He still wore his great coat. His cheeks were flushed, his hair mussed, and his dark eyes shone with excitement.
“Where’s your cloak?” he demanded.
“Why?”
“I’ve got something to show the two of you.” He bent to pluck Rose from the pram, then swaddled her in a blanket til only her face showed.
As he gazed at her, his expression grew doe-eyed. Annabelle concluded their daughter had favored him with one of her twinkling grins.
He traced a finger over Rose’s cheek. “Do you have your papa wrapped around your finger, same as your mama does? You certainly do,” he said in his playful tone.
Rose cooed.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Propping her on his hip, he slid Annabelle a look that stole her breath. The love that glowed in his eyes, love that he never withheld despite his friends’ proclivity to rib him about it, left her knees weak and her body hot. Even while breeding.
“Keep looking at me like that, madam wife, and I shall have to put earmuffs on Rose and tuck her back into her cot, then make love to her mama.”
“Oh, never say so,” she said, flinging her arm back in mock dismay.
He laughed, the sound warm and robust.
“After. I have something to show you—on the roof. Hurry.”
Several minutes later, the three of them emerged from the stair tower to the rooftop.
Immediately Annabelle saw what it was he wanted to show her—and she gasped in sheer delight. The sun was setting to the west. Above, the sky glowed a dusky blue. And there, over the northern horizon, dancing misty, bands of light in shades of green and blue and white lit the sky.
“What is it? How?” Annabelle asked.
“It’s called the Aurora Borealis. My grandfather”—he ducked his head to whisper “your great grandfather" to Rose—“showed me once. I’d hoped, on this visit, maybe we’d get lucky. But I couldn’t be sure.”
He sent Annabelle his brilliant smile and held open his free arm, inviting her close.
Annabelle went to him, snuggling her head onto his solid shoulder and marveled at the lights.
His rich baritone tickled her ear as he spoke. “The Borealis is a phenomenon that’s also called the Northern Lights. Some blend of miracle and science and a disturbance in the heavens. My grandfather called it a bridge in the sky. He always said the lights heralded blessings.”
“Thank you, for showing me.”
He said nothing for a long moment, and she felt his eyes on her.
She gazed up, and found him staring, his expression as deep and mysterious as the lights themselves.
“What? What is it?”
“Just thinking how glad I am that you kissed me that first time.”
“I did no such thing,” she denied with a soft laugh, because she absolutely had and they both knew it.
“Kiss me again, my love.”
She did.
The End
I hope you enjoyed Annabelle and Sterling's love story!