Epilogue
Three Years Later
“I’m so proud of you.” Julien kisses my forehead.
Nerves are dancing a conga line around my ribs, and I need a distraction before I do something embarrassing. Like vomit into the potted plant in the corner.
Lifting my hands, I adjust Julien’s glasses on the bridge of his nose even though they’d been sitting perfectly fine before.
After he’d discovered how sexy I found him in eyewear, he’d taken to wearing his glasses almost daily.
It’s a battle against my self-restraint not to throw myself at him whenever he walks into a room, cutting a fine figure in his suits and winking at me knowingly behind his frames.
A battle we are both all too happy I concede to every time.
After all, being married the last two years means there aren’t any more lines between us we won’t cross for the other.
“It’s almost time to start. Are you ready?” Evangeline has her almost-two-year-old daughter, Alice, perched on her hip. She’s wearing a blue-and-white gingham sundress with lemons on it, but what really draws the eye is the sleeve of My Little Pony temporary tattoos all over her arm.
Alice holds her arm out proudly. “Lookie. I peepee and poopoo on potty. I big girl now.”
“She wants art on her like Daddy, so the tattoos are potty-training incentives,” Evangeline explains.
“Looks like it’s working.”
Evangeline hoists her daughter higher on her hip. “It is. Except now she’s also asking for a Power Wheels car so she can drive around like Daddy too.”
Julien runs a hand up and down my spine. “I’m surprised Tai hasn’t bought her one already.”
Evangeline mouths birthday present, then rolls her eyes.
It’s kind of a running joke how much Tai spoils his daughter.
He loves to dress her up in a tiny leather jacket and cart her around town on his shoulders.
Evangeline complains how unfair it is that she was the one who had to endure morning sickness and swollen ankles and being kicked for nine months only for their child to come out the spitting image of Tai.
But the way he dotes on her is adorable.
He loves nothing more than to fold himself into one of her tiny chairs at her craft desk and doodle with her or take her to the park and push her on the swing for hours.
He’s stepped into fatherhood like he was born for the role.
Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s trying to talk Evangeline into baby number two.
“There you guys are.” Hayley walks over to us. “It’s time to start.”
I take a deep cleansing breath in, then let it out slowly.
I don’t know why I’m so nervous. This isn’t the first launch party thrown to celebrate one of my book releases.
It’s surreal every time, though. Maybe one day I’ll get over the imposter syndrome I wear like a second skin.
Maybe if one of my titles hits a bestseller list?
Or if I sell enough copies to more than just barely earn out my advance?
Maybe then I’ll feel like a real author.
I’m not complaining. I’m settled right in the middle of the ninety percent of writers who haven’t broken through.
I’m just saying the doubts are still there.
Even after signing a five-book contract.
Even after holding my books in my hand and putting them on the library shelves for kids to check out.
Even though I’m about to go into the community room where a huge banner with illustrated Layla and Max characters on it is set up beside a chair where I’m going to sit and read an excerpt from my new release. I still don’t feel like a real author.
I make my way to the front of the room and turn to smile at those who’ve come to celebrate with me.
All my kids from my Budding Authors group sit in the front row.
They smile and wave and hold up the advance reader copies of the book I gifted them a month ago.
Ryan is also here from the main library branch, and he gives me two thumbs-up from the back of the room.
Dalton Matthews, Sheriff Jacobs, Stacey from Cotton-Eyed Cup of Joe, Mom and Dad, Mr. and Mrs. King—they’ve all come to show their support.
“Thank you all for coming,” I say, truly meaning it.
It’s a good thing I’ve written out my small speech, otherwise I’m not sure I’d be able to put together a coherent thought.
After sharing my prepared words, I open my copy of Max and Layla and the Curse of the Jade Stone and read the first chapter out loud.
Here the nerves dissipate. This is almost like any other story time.
I give the characters voices and modulate my tone to the emotion of the passage.
I don’t have preschool participants helping with each turn of the page or a correlating craft afterward, but reading aloud is one of my favorite activities as a children’s librarian so even though I’m reading my own words now, I can let the Miss Martha side of me take over.
Hayley had a cake made with the book cover on it, so when the chapter is finished, I dismiss the crowd to enjoy the provided refreshments.
Some people come up to congratulate me and make small talk, but most scurry off in the direction of baked treats.
They’ll be able to see me tomorrow during normal library hours if they want to talk to me, after all.
Levi, Hayley’s mammoth of a husband, approaches me, a book in hand. “Are you doing autographs?”
“I didn’t realize you enjoyed books about siblings who find themselves in time-travel trouble.” I blink up at him.
He grunts. “It’s for Anna Leigh.”
I grin. I knew that, but it’s always fun to poke the bear every once in a while. Levi isn’t nearly as taciturn as he was before he met Hayley, but he’s still a man of few words. I take the book from him and grab a pen from a nearby table. “Anything you want me to say in the inscription?”
His lip curls up under his thick beard. “Put ‘Don’t go looking for time portals. You’ll only find more trouble.’”
I laugh, knowing he’s referencing how Hayley had once stumbled upon the little girl in the mountains truffle hunting with her pet pigs, Fancy and Jolene. I write out the inscription, sign my name, and hand the book back. “Your sister still doing well out at the Andersons’?”
“She loves it there.” He tucks the book under his arm and nods. “Thanks for setting her up.”
It’s been kind of interesting how the three librarians of Little Creek have shuffled around.
When Hayley married Levi, she moved in with him at his house in Turkey Grove.
Julien immediately purchased her small cottage at the edge of town.
He claimed he didn’t mind the commute into the office and that living in a small town helped him slow down and relax more.
Of course, he didn’t hear any complaints from me.
It only made sense that when we married, I moved in there with him, which meant the Andersons were in need of a new caretaker for their horses.
Levi’s sister jumped at the chance. It’s beautiful how everything turned out.
Hayley steps up beside her husband and wraps her arms around his waist. “Ryan said he’d stay behind with Faye and Holden and lock up so we can get out of here.”
Julien and King Publishing have made sizable donations to the library the last few years.
Faye and Holden are just some of the results of that money.
Evangeline was able to convince the board of trustees that we needed more staff, especially since Hayley spends so much of her time running the bookmobile, so they hired two more library assistants.
“Gazebo?” Hayley asks. “I have some news I want to share.”
I nod, then turn to find Julien. We have a bit of news of our own.
He’s in a corner, talking to Tai. Their heads are together and their backs turned as if they don’t want anyone to hear their conversation.
This isn’t the first time I’ve come across them like this, and it’s super suspicious.
I try to sneak up on them to eavesdrop, but Julien has a sixth sense when it comes to my whereabouts and spots me when I’m still outside hearing range.
He straightens and gives me one of his boardroom smiles that he knows drive me crazy.
“What are you two plotting?” I ask, hugging him close and nuzzling into his chest.
“Why do you think we’re plotting anything?” he asks innocently.
I give Tai a narrow look. He coughs and averts his gaze. Mine lowers to the sketchbook he has in his hands. He realizes the direction of my gaze and slams the book shut. But not before I get a peek. Hmm . . . looks like my husband might be sporting a tattoo sometime soon.
“We’re heading to the gazebo. Hayley wants to tell us something.”
Julien’s eyes meet mine, a question in them. I give him a tiny nod, biting back my smile.
Tai manages to wrangle Evangeline and Alice away from the line for cake after absconding with two enormous slices.
The seven of us walk to the gazebo that’s in the middle of the park beside the library.
Evangeline sets Alice down so the little girl can toddle after a butterfly that’s flittering in front of us like it’s leading the way.
The insect eventually flies off, and Alice scrunches up her face into a grumpy look.
Tai laughs and scoops her up, tossing her into the air until she’s giggling again.
When we reach the gazebo, each couple sits at one of the benches along the perimeter.
“So, we have some news,” Hayley says, her hand on Levi’s knee.
Evangeline and Tai give each other a look. “So do we.”
Julien laughs beside me. “Us as well,” I say.
“On the count of three?” Tai suggests.
We all look at each other and shrug.
Tai counts while Levi puts his hands up to cover his ears, knowing there’s going to be shouting in exactly three seconds. “One, two, three.”
“We’re pregnant!”
“We’re adopting!”
“We have a viable embryo!”
We all stare at each other, eyes wide and mouths agape. As one, we wives shoot up from our seats, laughing, crying, and hugging each other.
“You’re pregnant?” Hayley asks Evangeline.
She nods. “And you guys are adopting?”
“A little girl from China.”
Evangeline gasps. “Just like Tai’s mom.” Tears are streaming down her face.
Both Evangeline and Hayley turn to me at the same time. “It’s viable this time?” I can see the hope for me on their faces.
I nod. “They’re going to transfer the embryo to my uterus on Thursday.
We should know nine to fourteen days after that whether I’m pregnant or not.
” IVF has been a long and emotional process for both Julien and me.
Neither one of us is getting any younger, and we’re feeling the pressure of the sands of time running out.
We’ve been praying that God sees fit to bless us with a baby.
The men apparently have been doing their own sort of celebrating in their own huddle. They join us now, husbands hugging their wives, chests to backs. Alice threads her way through legs and ends up in the center of the group.
“Uppy,” she demands.
Evangeline bends down and hoists her up. “To the next chapter of our lives. May it be filled with even more love and happiness than the ones before it.”
I tilt my head up only to find Julien already staring down at me. Our eyes meet. In his, I can see he’s thinking the same thing I am. Happily-ever-after isn’t the destination. It’s the journey. And we plan to enjoy every single chapter of our story for the rest of our lives.