Epilogue
Delaney
Three Weeks Later . . .
"Do you really think he'll be excited?" I ask, nervously, fidgeting my fingers together.
"I know he will be," Tyler says softly. "The doctor confirmed for us again that everything is going well. It's time."
I swallow and nod. "Okay."
"Trust me, sweetheart, he's going to be thrilled to find out he's going to be a big brother." Taking my hand in his, Tyler brings it up to his lips and kisses my knuckles. "Now, let’s get inside and tell him."
Again, I nod. I know I told him weeks ago we should tell Dash, and at the time he'd been against it. I understood at the time, and now that it's happening, I'm scared that Dash will hate the idea of adding to his little world.
We've been able to overcome the Megan ordeal after it happened.
The whole thing had confused Dash at first. The first few days, he clung to Tyler and me, not wanting to be away from either of us.
Mostly he clung to his dad more. This I understood completely.
I kind of did the same thing. We both went with him to the barn.
But where I'd go about helping with little things, Tyler took Dash out with him on Onyx.
I could tell it worried Tyler, but I didn't know how to help.
However, with each day that passed by, Dash slipped back to being his usual self.
He went from being quiet about all that he witnessed and went through to opening up about being scared that day.
Tyler and he had a long talk about it, with him explaining more about Megan.
Dash, even at six years old, refused to acknowledge her as his mom.
Through all of this, Lexy was around as much as she could be.
It couldn't have been easy for her. Not when she'd been at her brother's back from day one.
There's simply been a lot of changes for them.
I don't want her to think she's being cast out either.
I like Lexy. She's become a great friend.
I've talked to her about all that happened when it became too hard for me.
Talking to her eased the anxiety of not being able to talk to Tyler about it.
Lexy talked me into telling him, no matter how upset he might get, and he definitely got pissed, but not at me. Just the situation as a whole. It scared him, what happened, and I don't blame him.
"Come on, sweetheart, let's get inside. I've got a surprise waiting for the both of you," Tyler says, turning the truck off in front of the house.
"You do?" I blink, surprised by this news. "What kind of surprise?"
"One that'll make tonight extra special for everyone." Tyler grins, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
Tyler gets out and rounds the front of the truck as I push my door open.
"You know you can tell me what the surprise is," I tell him, curious as to what he got, but before either of us can say more, the front door flies open.
"Daddy! Laney!" Dash shouts, running out down the steps and gravel, kicking up tiny rocks as he races toward us.
Tyler laughs as Dash launches himself at him. He catches him with such ease, swinging the little boy up into his arms.
"Hey, kiddo! Missed us?" Tyler asks, kissing Dash's cheek.
"Yes! Lexy and I made a sciewence project." He bobs his head in excitement. "It's about how the lung work."
"That's pretty awesome," I tell him.
"You have to sees it." Dash wiggles to get down.
The instant Tyler sets him on his feet, he takes both our hands and guides us up the porch and inside, straight to the dining table.
"Sees," he says, letting us both go to rejoin Lexy, who hands him what used to be a two-liter soda bottle.
"We took clay and wrapped it around the straw to keep it in place.
There's a bawoon inside that's supposed to be the lung, and we cut another bawoon to put at the bottom of the bottle.
Lexy did all the cutting cause she had to cut the bottom off the bottle too. But watch this."
Dash's expression becomes one of sheer joy and focus as he gently pulls at the bottom balloon and the one inside inflates.
"That's awesome, kiddo," Tyler remarks, moving to his side and kneeling next to him. "You did a great job with your project here."
"It was Lexy's idea ‘cause we saw a commercial abouts lung something and I asked her about it."
I grin at Lexy as she shrugs.
"It was a commercial about lung cancer, and he asked what was so important about lungs. So I was showing him that we need our lungs working to breathe."
"Well, it's a brilliant way to show him," I tell her, taking a seat across from her at the table.
"So, kiddo, Laney and I have something to tell you. Can you sit down for me?" Tyler asks, pulling a chair out for him.
"Now?" I stare up at him with wide eyes.
"What better time?" He grins at me.
"What is it, Daddy?" Dash asks, jumping around in his seat.
"Hold on just a sec." I follow Tyler's movements as he goes to the hall closet and pulls out a medium-sized box.
"So, technically it's kind of for everyone in the room, and Lexy's going to think it’s cheesy, but oh well," Tyler sets the box down on the table and opens it.
"Close your eyes, all of you," he orders.
Giving him an inquisitive look, I do as he says. A moment passes of hearing shuffling before he tells us all to open our eyes again.
The instant I open my eyes, I see the box gone and three items are now set in front of each of us, including the seat next to me where Tyler is now parked.
"Take a look, kiddo," Tyler says, urging Dash.
Dash lifts the first item, a blue T-shirt and opens it up to read it. "Bestest Big Brother," he says, turning it around and looking at his dad. "What's that mean?"
"Just what it says," Tyler answers, one arm stretched out behind the back of my chair. "You're gonna be a big brother to two babies."
"I am?" he breathes, eyes wide, looking between the two of us.
"Is that okay with you?" I ask him.
"I always wanted to be a big brother," he whispers, his eyes locking on me. "Does this mean you and Daddy are going to get married and you'll be my mommy?"
I suck in a breath and look to Tyler to answer. I didn't know how to answer it myself. We hadn't discussed marriage. I knew how he felt about me. He made it known the day Megan tried to hurt me and take Dash.
"Is that something you'd be okay with?" Tyler asks him.
"Yes." He nods. "I really want a mommy."
"Well, then Laney, look at the little box in front of you and open it," Tyler says, motioning to the small brown box.
My heart flutters in my chest as I look at it, then at him. With shaky hands, I lift it and open the lid. Inside there's another box, one that I know without opening it what's inside. Still, I open it, my breath catching as I take in the ring. It's beautiful, simple, yet gorgeous.
"What do you say, sweetheart? Marry me? Be Dash's mom?" Tyler asks.
"Yes," I whisper, nodding, tears streaming down my cheeks.
Tyler leans in, takes the box from me, slips the ring out, and slides it on my finger. Once it's in place, he looks me in the eyes and presses a kiss to the back of my hand and murmurs, "Good."
I smile at him as Dash squeals. Both of us turn back to him as he shouts, "I'm going to be the bestest big brother."
"And I'm supposedly the World's Greatest Auntie." Lexy snorts, shaking her head, turning her shirt around to show me. "You're right, Tyler, it's cheesy, but awesome all the same."
I take in my own shirt to see that he'd gotten me one that said 'Mom of three’ behind the words were three horses. Tyler lifts his to show me his, 'Saddled up with three kiddos'.
I laugh and look at the other things that he's given each of us. My third thing was a cup with three sets of boots on it. Lexy got a charm to add to her bracelet and an 'Auntie' cup. Dash's other two things are a cup that matches his shirt and a book that talks about being a big brother.
Turning to Tyler, I can't help the smile that seems to come so naturally to me now. So much has changed in the past couple of months. I know it seems fast with him asking me to marry him, but the love I feel for him, I'd have married him yesterday. He's the most amazing man I've ever met.
Because of him, I'm not just seeing the shine through the dark clouds in my life. I'm seeing it for what it is, and it’s pure beauty to me. A part of me wants to believe that I had some help in bringing him into my life. Maybe Davis and my dad had a hand in pushing us together in some way.
Closing my eyes, I send a silent prayer to them or whoever brought this man and his son into my life. From now on, I won't live in dread of what's to come. It might scare me at times, but I know with Tyler at my side and the rest of this family, I have nothing more to fear.
Not even the rain clouds that shield out the sun’s shining light.
The End.