Epilogue – Nathan
NATHAN
Eleven Years Later
“I cannot believe Rhett and Ryder have graduated,” Haven said as we walked up to Uncle Brock and Aunt Lincoln’s house, our ten-year-old daughter, Emma, and six-year-old son, Walker, walking between us.
“Is it true that Uncle Blayze and Aunt Georgiana mixed them up after they were born?” Emma asked.
I laughed. “I think they have been mixing them up since their birth.”
“How do we know Rhett is Rhett and Ryder is Ryder, then?” Walker asked.
Haven took that question. “One of them has a birthmark, and that is how they can tell. But Rhett and Ryder like to play tricks on their mom and dad and pretend to be the other one.”
“I wish I had a twin,” Emma said. “Then we could trick you and Daddy!”
“I don’t want a twin,” Walker interjected. “I do wish we had a goat, though.”
Haven and I stopped walking and looked at our son.
“A goat?” we both asked at the same time.
Walker nodded. “Like Aunt Lily has. She has goats.”
Haven looked at me, confused. “She does?”
I shrugged. “If she does, I didn’t know about it.”
“Bear would chase the goats, Walker,” Emma said, her little hands on her hips. She reminded me of her mother so much thatit was unreal.
“He’s too old to chase anything,” I replied to Emma.
Haven took Walker’s hand once again and started up the steps. “He still has spunk left.”
“Daddy?” Emma asked, pulling me to a stop.
Dropping down to look my daughter in her eyes, I asked, “Yes, darling?”
“Are you and Mommy going to have more babies?”
Walker cried out, “I hope not!”
I peeked up to see Haven smiling down at us. I winked and focused on my daughter. “As a matter of fact, we are going to have one more baby.”
Her eyes lit up. “You are? When?”
Haven and I hadn’t talked about when we were going to tell the kids about our happy little accident, but she was out of the first trimester now, and we would be telling our family sooner rather than later.
“Well, can you keep a secret?”
She nodded as Walker said, “I can! I can keep a secret, Daddy!”
I ruffled his hair. “I’m glad to hear that. Since you’re both the best secret keepers ever, we can tell you that Mommy has a baby growing in her tummy now.”
Walker’s mouth dropped open as Emma jumped for joy.
“Shhh,” I said as I put my finger to my lips. “It’s a secret!”
“Does this mean I won’t be the baby anymore?” Walker asked, tears filling his eyes.
Dropping down, Haven pulled him against her. “You’ll always be my baby, and so will Emma. We’ll just have a younger baby now.”
“Do I still get to do Sunday snuggle day?” Walker asked.
Haven smiled at him, and he smiled back. Walker had inherited his dimples from Haven. “Of course we will. Nothing will ever stop Sunday snuggle day.”
Walker looked relieved. “Oh, good. Then I’m glad about the baby. I think Bear will be too.”
Haven stood along with me. “I think he will be as well.”
“Are we ready to go in? We’re probably the last ones to arrive,” I said as I rang the doorbell.
Two seconds later, the door opened, and Grams stood there with a broad smile. “The last of my great grandkids has finally arrived.” She held her arms open as Emma and Walker ran to her and hugged her.
“Easy, Emma and Walker,” I said, motioning for Haven to walk in first.
“Oh, hush. I’m not that old, Nathan Shaw.”
“You’re not young either, Grams,” Walker stated with a solemn expression on his face.
Grams laughed. “Out of the mouth of babes.”
“Come on, Walker,” Emma said, grabbing her brother’s hand. “We need to tell everyone that Mommy is growing a baby!”
My mouth fell open as Haven started to laugh, and Grams let out a little yelp of excitement.
“You’re pregnant?” Grams asked as she took Haven’s hand.
“I am.”
“It was a bit of a surprisesince, you know, I’m not supposed to be able to shoot bullets anymore.”
Grams laughed. “Well, sometimes the snip-snip doesn’t work.”
“Sometimes,” I said with a roll of my eyes before smiling at Haven.
We had barely walked into the family room before people started coming up and congratulating us.
“Well, so much for counting on the kids to keep any secrets,” Haven said as she hugged my mother.
“Another grandbaby!” Mom said as she went from Haven to me. “How did this happen?”
“Your son never went back in to see if he was shooting blanks,” my father replied as he shook my hand, then pulled me to him for a hug and a slap on the back. “You and Lily will be having one together.”
“What?” Haven asked. “Lily is pregnant?”
Dad leaned in closer. “Don’t say anything, it’s a secret.”
Haven turned to me. “Must be the Shaw blood.”
“Must be,” I said, kissing her on the cheek.
As we walked into the crowded living room, I surveyed everyone. Grams was in the thick of it all, smiling as all her grandkids and great grandkids surrounded her. There was a bit of sadness in her eyes as she looked at some of her great grandchildren. Rose and Bryson’s daughter, Milly, who was the same age as Emma. Tyson, born a month before Milly, was holding a kitten in his arms as Grams asked him what her name was. Josh and Sophia’s daughter, Katelynn, sat on the floor with another kitten in her lap and giggled every time it tried to grab and bite her hand. Grams never did get a dog of her own, saying she simply needed to focus all her time on the kids.
Katelynn, Milly, Tyson, Emma, and Walker had never had the honor of meeting my grandfather, nor would our new baby, but I knew he was looking down on everyone with a smile. He was still so missed all these years later, and there was a constant hole that never seemed to fill. No matter how many new babies were born.
“Are you okay?” Haven asked, squeezing my hand lightly.
I nodded. “Yeah, I was just wishing Granddad was here to see everyone. He would have loved all of these grandkids.”
“He would have,” Haven agreed. “But he’s looking down on all of us.”
I smiled. “You said out loud what I was thinking only moments ago.”
Exhaling, I let my eyes take in the room. We may not get together as often as we used to, and family game night had slowly dwindled to monthly, then quarterly, until it was only done on Christmas, but when we all got together, it was a wonderful reminder of the love we shared for each other. These moments were devoted to family, and only family, and were some of my most treasured memories.
Aunt Lincoln stepped into the family room and got everyone’s attention. “If everyone would like to head on out back, we’ve got Rhett and Ryder’s cake and we’re ready to cut into it! Remember, there is a book for each of them to take if you want to write in it. It can be anything, congratulations, or maybe if you’d like to share some words of advice for them both as they head off to college this fall. I know they will treasure it.”
“Where did our kids go?” Haven asked as we held back and waited for everyone to leave the room and head outside.
“I saw them walking out with Katelynn and Sophia.”
Haven turned and looked at me, her beautiful smile on full display. “Do you know, almost eleven years ago you asked me to marry you, and I told you I was pregnant with Emma?”
I nodded. “Seems like it was just yesterday.”
“It does.”
“Are you happy, Haven?”
Taking my hand in hers, she replied, “I’ve never been so happy in my entire life.”
I pulled her to me, cupped her face in my hands, and kissed her. When I drew back, I met her gaze. “I have a surprise for you.”
She laughed. “Do you now?”
With a smile of my own, I nodded. “It was going to be an anniversary present.”
“Oh!” she said with wide eyes. “Diamonds?”
“No.”
“Pearls?”
“Nope.”
“A new swing set for the kids?”
I chuckled. “Hardly. I ordered it…for lack of a better word…a couple of months ago, not knowing we’d have another baby.”
Haven’s smile slowly faded. “Oh, no.”
“Oh, yes.”
“Nate, you didn’t.”
“I did.”
She slowly shook her head. “Why?”
“Because I thought it would be nicefor the entire family.”
Haven dropped onto the sofa. “I was a lot younger then and could handle it.”
“Please, you’re only thirty-four.”
She sighed. “And always tired. It’s one thing chasing around a baby, but a baby and a lab puppy.”
I rubbed at the back of my neck. “Yeah…about that. It’s not a lab.”
Haven slowly lifted her head and narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean, it’s not a lab? What kind of dog is it?”
Clearing my throat, I mumbled the answer.
She leaned forward. “I’m sorry, what was that?”
“Does it really matter what kind of puppy it is? Just think how happy the kids will be. And remember how wonderful it was having Bear grow up with Emma. They love each other so much.”
“He loves Walker just as much.”
“True, but it seems like a full circle moment.”
Haven stood. “Nathan Shaw, what kind of puppy is it?”
“Have I told you how beautiful you look today? Pregnancy looks good on you, princess.”
“Nate.”
“It’s a Dalmatian.”
Haven’s eyes went wide as saucers. “I’m sorry. Did you say you bought a Dalmatian puppy?”
“Yes.”
A small scream startled us both. We turned to see Emma standing there. “You got a puppy? We’re going to have a puppy and a baby? I have to go tell everyone!”
Laughing, I said, “Looks like there are no returns now.”
Haven turned, folded her arms over her chest, and glared at me.
“Would you prefer diamonds or pearls?”
“I think a babymoon trip.”
“You’ve got it. Anywhere you want.”
Her brows lifted. “Anywhere?”
Taking her hand and kissing it, I whispered, “Anywhere.”
When her dimples came out, I knew all was forgiven.
THE END