Bonus Epilogue #2
Andie wasn’t so sure, the thought of being second-in-charge of a large, popular public attraction suddenly settling in on her and freaking her the hell out. She was comfortable behind the bar, but running a museum-quality aquarium? While facing some pretty big life changes?
Before she could say anything else to Daniela, a wave of dizziness swept over Andie. She grasped the closest table and closed her eyes. “Whoa.”
Clay noticed right away and grabbed her arm. “You okay?”
“Mmm,” she said even though she wasn’t sure. He directed her to a stool and helped her up onto it.
She sat there with her eyes closed, Clay casually blocking her from everyone else. The wave of dizziness had morphed into nausea, and a sense of panic rushed over her. She held on to her husband, unaware of their surroundings, uncaring, just wanting this feeling to pass.
“What can I do, Andie? What’s going on?”
She shook her head, unable to get her thoughts into words as they spun out of control.
“Do I need to get Rafe over here? Or Rachel?”
The EMT and the emergency medicine doctor.
“No,” Andie managed. “Just need air.”
“Take a drink.” He held her soft drink up to her, but she shook her head, thinking the overly sweetness sounded awful. “Got any water?”
“Could you get her some?” he said, she assumed to Daniela, but she didn’t open her eyes to see, afraid it would start another wave of dizziness.
Andie was semi-aware of her heroic husband turning people away, telling them she needed a moment in such a laid-back way that they were apparently unalarmed by the situation. She didn’t want anyone making a fuss over her. She just wanted to feel better.
“Here you go,” Daniela said. “Need anything else?”
“Just some space. I’m going to see if I can get her down on the beach in the breeze and out of the crowd.”
Andie braced her head on both hands, supported by her elbows, the nausea lessening but giving way to shakiness. She could handle shakiness better than nausea.
“Can you walk?” Clay asked her. “Just to the edge of the patio and down the stairs to the sand?”
She gripped his arm as she breathed in slowly, deeply, opening her eyes to test whether her head swam with the action. The world didn’t swoop in her vision, so she cautiously gave a single nod. “Think so.”
He led her away, outside of the railings around the patio, down to the beach.
“Can we sit?” she asked.
“Let’s go over here against the wall.”
She made an affirmative sound and walked beside him, his arm around her. They lowered to the sand and leaned against the seawall.
“Feeling any better?” he asked.
She breathed in yet another deep gulp of sea air and nodded. “A little. Thanks.”
“Any idea what happened?”
She swallowed, her thoughts slowing down enough to grab on to them. She knew all too well. “I…freaked out.”
“What? Why? These are all people you know and love.”
She nodded. That much was true, but this had nothing to do with the wonderful friends and family who’d shown up.
“Clay?”
“Yeah?”
“I was going to tell you later tonight.”
“Tell me what?”
She gave him her full focus, relieved the nausea had subsided, then glanced around to ensure no one else could hear her.
Craning her neck, she looked up at the seawall.
People were right above them, but they were far enough away, and it was loud enough up there that they wouldn’t hear anything she said.
She looked her husband in the eye. “I’m pregnant.”
His eyes went big as he studied her, as if waiting for a punch line.
That was fair, as they’d been careless with birth control for the past two and a half years, agreeing that they were ready for a baby if and when one came along, but to no avail.
Though they’d never thought it would take so long, they’d also decided they’d wait till after Andie’s graduation to really get serious about baby making.
“Andie?” he said, watching her closely. “Are you serious?” he said on a joyful laugh, as if he knew she would never joke about this.
Andie nodded, taking in the happiness on his face before her vision blurred and tears overflowed from her eyes.
“Baby, that’s the best fucking news ever,” he said. “Why are you crying?”
That drew out sobs as her emotions escaped her in an ugly mess. “I’m terrified, Clay. I mean, right now? I start my job on Monday. How am I— How can I—”
Sobs racked her, and Clay pulled her onto his lap and into his chest, his arms tight around her.
“Oh, my incredible wife, it’s okay to be scared.” He let out an awkward laugh. “I’ll probably be scared when it sinks in, but you know what? We got this. You and me. And Payton too.”
“But my job…”
“You’ll get maternity leave. Or you can quit when the baby comes. Whatever you want, Andie. We’ll figure it out.”
The tears were streaming now, and she was crying too hard to speak, so she burrowed her head back into his chest and let it all out as quietly as she could.
When she settled down and only hiccupped every couple of minutes, he kissed the top of her head, caressing her back in a soothing motion.
“Hey,” he said eventually. “Look at me, beautiful.”
Andie swallowed and straightened enough to meet his gaze.
“Do you want to work at this aquarium job?”
She nodded without hesitation.
“Then we’ll figure it out. Whatever it takes. If I need to work fewer shifts, we can do that. If we need to hire a nanny, we’ll find a way.”
“What if I can’t handle both a baby and this job, Clay?”
“Have you been going to school full-time for the past four years?”
She nodded.
“Have you been mom to Payton?”
Again, she nodded. Payton’s biological mother had disappeared shortly after Clay was awarded full-time custody five years ago, so there wasn’t any question. Andie loved Payton with her whole heart and would move mountains for her.
“And have you been working thirty hours a week at the bar while going to school and being Payton’s mom?”
“Yes,” Andie said on an unconvinced exhale.
“You’ve been rocking it all, and you’ll to continue to rock it as long as that’s what you want to do.”
“What if they’re pissed about maternity leave just a few months after I start?”
Clay shrugged. “They can be pissed as long as they honor your maternity leave. I’ll have time off from the station when the baby’s born. Payton’s at an age where she’ll think helping care for a sibling is the coolest thing ever.”
She sniffled, swiped at her eyes, and nodded. “I’m sorry. I was kind of holding it together until Daniela started talking about my new job. Then it just hit all at once and…”
“It’s okay,” he said in a soothing voice.
“It’s a lot of change at the same time, but I have every bit of faith you’re going to handle whatever you need to handle on any given day.
You’re going to be great at your job. You’re already a wonderful mother, and you’re going to make one sexy pregnant woman. ”
She made an ungraceful sputtering noise at that, but she couldn’t help grinning. How he could look at her right now, with her blubbering her heart out, tears streaming down her face, probably making her stupid makeup run, and say she’d be sexy… Only Clay. And she loved him so much for that.
“I just took a test this morning,” she said, feeling marginally calmer. “I’d planned to tell you during a romantic, private moment later tonight, when we were done with the day, but then I lost it and ruined it.” She laughed at herself. “Sorry.”
He pulled her into a tight hug again. “You didn’t ruin anything. I can’t wait to have a baby with you, Andie Marlow. We’ve got this. You and me. Well, you have to do the baby brewing and the nursing if you choose to, but everything else…” He waved a hand as if to say, I’m here for it.
“Don’t forget the birthing part. After hearing Macey’s stories, I’m terrified of that too.”
“We’ve got time to worry about that later, right?”
She hesitated, thinking she could probably worry about it nonstop for the next however many months, but finally she nodded.
“Tonight we’re celebrating,” Clay said, running a gentle finger along her jawline. “First, we celebrate your accomplishments and your new job with our friends. Later we’ll celebrate us and you and our family in private.”
After a big, cleansing inhalation, Andie nodded, feeling relief after letting some of her fears out. “Yeah. We should get back, huh?”
She climbed off his lap and stood, holding her hand out to him. Once Clay was upright, he pulled her back into his arms. “I love you, Andie.”
“Love you, Clay.”
They kissed in the shadow of the seawall. When someone from the patio above them yelled out, “Anyone seen the guest of honor?”, Clay and Andie ended the kiss in a laugh.
“Is my makeup running down my face?” Andie asked him.
He peered at her in the moonlight and shook his head. “You look beautiful.”
She laughed, knowing she looked a mess regardless. “You’re biased.”
“Yes, I am, and I always will be. Are you feeling better?”
“Yeah. Let’s go do this so we can get home, and I can do you.”
Clay laughed as he put his arm around her, and they headed back toward the stairs. “I’m setting a timer for thirty minutes, then we’re leaving so you can do exactly that.”
When they reached the top of the stairs and the edge of the party, where nearly all their friends and family celebrated, Andie couldn’t help thinking, as she took in the sight, that while she might’ve drifted to San Amaro Island in the first place, she’d found precisely where she belonged.