Epilogue
Wilder
" W elcome to the world, sweet babies." I stare at my son and daughter in awe as Delilah holds them against her bare chest.
I've never seen someone have so much strength and power while being in the most pain of their life, but if there's one thing about my wife, she's fearless and determined. When her water broke three weeks before their due date, I was scared shitless, but she stayed calm and reassured me it was normal for twins to come early.
Finley Beau and Luna Grace were born healthy and with a solid set of lungs.
And they look just like their mother.
"Can you believe we have two babies?" she whispers, gazing at them.
"No..." I chuckle softly. "And they're just gonna let us take them home?"
"I know! Without a manual or instruction pamphlet."
Scratching my cheek, I seriously wonder how we're going to juggle parenthood. I'm confident we'll figure it out, but I still haven't mastered how to change a diaper even after practicing on one of Willow's dolls.
"It's a good thing we have a big village of helpers."
Between Mattie and Harlow, I know we'll have a couple extra set of hands, but we'll also need to figure it out ourselves and not depend on them.
"I didn't think I could love them anymore than I already did, and then they were born, and now my heart is burstin' with how much I love them."
I smile at Delilah's words because she took them right out of my mouth.
"It's amazin', isn't it? Until you experience this kind of unconditional love, it's indescribable. But now I can't imagine life without it."
She looks up at me with tears in her eyes. "Thank you."
"For what? You're the one who carried them and gave birth. I just donated my DNA."
"Don't make me laugh..." She tries holding it in, then winces. "God, no one talks about how much it burns down there after childbirth."
I squeeze my legs just thinking about it.
"Anyway..." She licks her lips, then looks up at me again. "Thank you for helpin' me find my spark again. After my dad died, I wasn't sure I'd ever get it back. Then you entered my life in a way I never anticipated and now you've given me a family."
I tilt her chin and brush my lips against hers. "I think you're forgettin' you gave me a family, too. Something I didn't expect for another two decades."
She smirks, scrunching her nose. "And yet, we didn't even wait a year."
"When you know, there's no reason to wait. Especially when it's the love of your life. I'd let you go nine years ago, and I wasn't about to let you go again once you gave me the greenlight."
What we have is special, and I'll never deny that. A connection filled with respect, love, and loyalty.
"The timin' might not have felt right at the moment, but it's what we needed to realize we can't always control how the universe works," she says. "So deep in grief, I never imagined I'd be here less than a year later."
I brush my lips against hers once more. "Your dad would be so proud of how far you've come. And I just know he's beamin' with pride at his new grandkids."
"I wish he would've been able to meet them, but you're right. I like thinkin' that maybe he met them before we got to have them."
"That's a comfortin' thought, " I tell her.
My therapist often talks about finding peace in your pain and figuring out coping mechanisms that can help pull you out of the darkness. I've had a couple episodes this past year, though I'm not sure where they came from, but they crept in out of nowhere. I felt down even when I had no reason to be.
But then I remembered what I'd learned in therapy and leaned on Delilah the way she told me to. She didn't tell me things would be okay or to stay strong because it'd eventually pass. She didn't force me to talk it out when I told her I didn't want to. Instead, she laid in bed with me and shared random stories. She kept my mind busy and comforted me without even realizing it.
It was an eye-opening experience because it reminded me of when we'd talk over the phone. She never pushed me to talk, just offered her company, and made me feel normal for having very human emotions.
Thinking about how Wesley dealt with similar feelings as Delilah, it's a shame he let his grief takeover his life instead of getting help, because now he's missing out on his daughter's life.
He got his day in court, and although his defense leaned on his mental health for why he did what he did, the jury found him guilty on all counts. However, the judge gave him leniency for being a former police officer and his PTSD, so he sent him to a mental health clinic. Then once he completes their program, he'll finish out the rest of his ten-year sentence in prison.
"I love you." I trace a finger along her jawline. "So much."
Her brows pinch together. "I love you, too."
I smile at her confusion. "Just don't want you to forget."
"Never." She leans into my palm.
"How do you think Hank's gonna take havin' two cryin' infants in his house?"
"Probably wish he had a different family." She chuckles.
Delilah surprised me with a Great Dane puppy four months ago, and truthfully, it's been a wild fucking ride. Waylon got jealous, so we agreed to do joint custody.
Whenever he's at their place, we hear Harlow shouting at him for chewing up something of hers.
And then we laugh because he's at least not chewing something of ours.
"Well...our lives will be nothin' if not chaotic."
"That's for sure."
"Can we come in?" I hear my mom's soft voice with a soft knock on the door.
"Just go in! I wanna see my great-grandbabies." Gramma Grace barges in with my parents behind.
"She's doin' skin to skin," I explain.
"Nothin' I haven't seen before. Boobs are boobs." She goes to the sink and washes her hands. "Now which one can I hold?"
"Which one do you want?"
"The one that doesn't need a diaper change."
I chuckle, carefully picking up Luna and holding her against my chest before bringing her over to Gramma Grace on the couch.
"They're so tiny," Mom whispers.
"Trust me, they're not," Delilah argues. "Nearly ripped me in half."
My dad walks over and tenderly kisses her on the head. "Congrats. I heard you were a rockstar."
"Someone had to be since your son wouldn't do it for me."
Dad smirks.
"Can I hold the other one?" Mom asks eagerly.
I pick up Finley next and bring him over where she sits next to Gramma Grace.
"He looks just like you did," Mom gushes. "Cutest button nose."
"Think so? Luna looks like Delilah, don't ya think?"
"No, she definitely has my features," Gramma Grace declares.
"Ma..." My mom nudges her softly.
"What?"
Delilah laughs. "It's okay. I think she looks like you, too."
"She'll probably be feisty like you, too," I say.
"Like who?" Gramma Grace raises a brow.
My parents spend the next hour hogging the babies but when they start to fuss, I kick everyone out so Delilah can breastfeed.
Later, Mrs. Fanning and Harlow come and then my siblings show up.
By the time everyone leaves, we're exhausted. After Delilah breastfeeds again, the nurse comes and takes the babies to the nursery for the night so Delilah can get some sleep.
"Can I tell you a secret?" I say, sitting in a chair next to her bed, rubbing my hand over hers.
"You're keepin' secrets from me?" she teases.
I smirk. "I'm glad you forgot to renew your birth control."
She glances at me with a suspicious grin. "Can I tell you a secret?"
Arching a brow, I scratch along my facial hair that I haven't shaved in five days. "What?"
The corner of her lips reaches her eyes. "I'm glad we got drunk in Vegas."