Epilogue
Chapter Forty-One
The following year…
I pause The Office mid-episode and glance up from my laptop as Caine walks through the living room entry.
"How'd the pool session with Liam go?" I ask.
"Kid's a natural. The next Shane Van Boening." He pauses, that familiar playful glint in his eyes. "Complete with hearing aid."
I can't help but smile back. The way Caine talks about Liam always warms my heart. When we first started this crazy journey, I never imagined he'd become such an amazing father figure.
"You're being bad," he says, eyeing my laptop screen where Jim Halpert's face is frozen mid-prank. "Not working on your essay, I see.”
Before I can protest and explain, his hands are on my waist, flipping me over on the grey velvet sectional. His palm slams my rear through my yoga pants - not too hard, just playful enough to make me squeal.
"That's for not doing your homework," he whispers against my ear, his breath sending shivers down my spine.
"I'm almost done," I laugh, squirming beneath him. "Just needed a break."
"Finish it," he murmurs, pressing a soft kiss to my neck. "I have a surprise for you when you're done."
My phone buzzes on the coffee table before I can ask what kind of surprise. Reeves’s name lights up the screen.
"Hey," I answer, still slightly breathless from Caine's playful assault.
"Just confirming I'm picking up Liam tomorrow morning for our two days. Kendra's excited to take him to that new indoor rock climbing place."
"Perfect. He'll love that."
The ease in our co-parenting still amazes me sometimes. After everything we went through, Reeves and I found our way to friendship. His new girlfriend Kendra, is a pediatric nurse - sweet, patient, and wonderful with Liam. Seeing Reeves happy and healthy makes my heart lighter.
"Sounds good. He's been talking about rock climbing all week." I settle back against the couch cushions, watching Caine disappear into the kitchen. "How are things with you?"
"Really good, actually." There's genuine contentment in Reeves’s voice - something I haven't heard in years. "Hit my one-year mark at GA last week."
"Reeves, that's amazing," I tell him, and I mean it. The road back from his gambling addiction wasn't easy, especially those first few months when pride nearly derailed everything.
"Kendra made me a cake," he chuckles. "With little poker chips made of fondant. Woman's got a twisted sense of humor."
I laugh, remembering how mortified I'd been when Caine first offered to pay off Reeves’s debts.
Sixty thousand dollars - money that would have destroyed us completely.
Reeves had raged about it for days, calling it charity, saying he'd rather file for bankruptcy than take a dime from ‘that pretentious asshole.’
But when I pointed out that bankruptcy would mean losing the hall, that Liam needed his father stable and present, something shifted. Reeves swallowed his pride and accepted Caine's help.
Reeves and Caine are certainly not friends, but they're civil now. They manage it for Liam's sake; brief nods when they pass each other during pickup exchanges.
"I should let you go," Reeves says. "Tell the kid I'll be there at nine sharp tomorrow."
"Will do. Take care, Reeves."
After I hang up, Caine emerges from the kitchen carrying two mugs of coffee, his expression curious.
"Everything okay?"
"More than okay." I accept the mug gratefully, inhaling the rich aroma. "He hit his one-year milestone."
Caine nods slowly, settling beside me on the sectional. We don't talk about the money he spent clearing Reeves’s debts - it's ancient history now. But I know it still weighs on him sometimes, the complicated web of guilt and responsibility that brought us all together.
"Good for him," Caine says simply, and means it.
I hang up and catch Caine watching me with that soft expression he gets when he's thinking about our little makeshift family.
"All good?"
"Very good." I flip my laptop back open, motivation renewed. I can’t wait to see my surprise, and the sooner I finish this essay, the quicker it will come.
I find Caine sprawled across his king-sized bed, propped against the headboard with his laptop balanced on one thigh and a stack of business papers fanned across the black comforter.
The flat screen mounted on the opposite wall shows two players circling a pool table, but his attention keeps drifting between the match and whatever financial reports he's reviewing.
"You're impossible," I laugh, climbing onto the bed beside him. "Do you ever actually relax?"
"This is relaxing," he protests, not looking up from his screen. "I'm watching pool and catching up on quarterly projections. Peak efficiency."
I wave my printed essay in front of his face until he finally closes the laptop and gives me his full attention.
"Finished," I announce proudly.
His face lights up as he takes the pages from my hands, scanning the title page. "Art Therapy Interventions for Children with Communication Disorders - impressive topic choice."
"Wonder where I got the inspiration," I say playfully, thinking of Liam and how much progress he's made this year.
Caine sets the essay aside carefully, his green eyes sparkling with barely contained excitement. "Time for your surprise."
"Finally." I bounce slightly on the mattress. "What is it?"
Instead of answering, he reaches toward his nightstand, fumbling with the drawer pull. His movements are uncharacteristically clumsy, nervous energy radiating from his usually controlled demeanor.
"Caine, what—"
He pulls out a small velvet box, and my breath catches in my throat. The room goes silent except for the commentator's voice drifting from the television.
"Jenna," he whispers, sliding off the bed and dropping to one knee on the hardwood floor. His hands shake slightly as he opens the box, revealing a stunning vintage ring - a perfect round diamond set in platinum with delicate filigree details.
"Will you make me the luckiest man in the world and marry me?"
The words hang in the air between us. My heart pounds so hard I'm certain he can hear it.
"Yes," I breathe, then louder, "Yes, of course yes!"
He slips the ring onto my finger with trembling hands, then pulls me down into his arms. We're both kneeling now, laughing and crying at the same time. He kisses me softly.
"We need to tell Liam," I say against his lips.
Caine grins, that slow, devastating smile that still makes my knees weak. "I already asked him for his blessing."
"You did?"
"Last week. He said yes, but only if I promise to teach him trick shots."
I throw my arms around his neck, and when he kisses me, it tastes like forever.
Daniel’s apartment smells like garlic and rosemary as we settle around his dining table. The space is undeniably impressive - exposed brick walls, modern furniture that probably costs more than my old car, and a kitchen that looks like it belongs in a magazine.
He's outdone himself with dinner: herb-crusted salmon, roasted vegetables, and some kind of fancy quinoa salad that actually tastes good.
"This is incredible, Daniel,” I tell him, watching as he refills Liza's wine glass with practiced precision. "You should open a restaurant."
"Just a hobby," he waves off the compliment, but I catch the pleased smile. "I enjoy cooking for my girl."
Liza giggles, leaning into his side. At thirty-four, Daniel’s only eight years older than her, but something about the way he guides every conversation, orders her meals when we go out, makes the age gap feel larger.
When Daniel briefly leaves us to fetch the garlic bread he's forgotten to bring to the table, I whisper in Liza's ear. “So… how's sugar daddy been treating you?" I tease.
She playfully swats my shoulder. "Jenna!" she scoffs, but she's laughing.
Caine laughs beside me, cutting Liam's salmon into smaller pieces. My son grins up at him, a sweet "thank you" slipping from his mouth. The sight of them together still makes my heart flutter.
Later, while Daniel shows Liam his extensive vinyl collection, Caine and I step onto the balcony overlooking downtown Cumberland.
"He seems nice enough," Caine says, slipping his arms around me from behind.
"I know, but..." I lean back against his chest. "Sometimes I worry she's losing herself. She used to be so independent, so fierce."
"She still is." His voice rumbles against my ear. "Just like you, Liza's stronger than you think. She'll figure it out."
"I'm stronger because of you," I say, reaching for a warm hug. "And Liza needs a man like you - someone who builds her up."
Inside, Liza's laughter mingles with Liam's and Daniel’s deep voice, and for now, I push my worries aside. She's happy, and maybe that's enough.
Caine pulls away softly, and his hand reaches for me, cupping the small curve hidden beneath my flowing blouse. Even at almost three months, our secret feels precious, fragile.
"Six more months," he whispers, pressing a soft kiss to my neck.
The thought of our baby fills me with warmth. Liam will be such a wonderful big brother.
Our little family is growing, becoming something beautiful and whole.
The three of us are truly blessed.
Or rather… the four of us.
The End.