Bonus Epilogue #2
Chloe came up beside the sofa I was sitting on and whispered in my ear to come with her. I had no idea where she was leading me, but with a squeeze of Knox’s leg, I followed her.
She wound her arm through mine and led me away from the masses and up the stairs to the second floor, where Juniper and Sutton were sleeping in separate rooms. At first I thought she wanted to peek in on the kids, but she led me to the bathroom, tugged me inside, and closed the door.
“What…?” I asked.
She took something out of her pocket and handed it to me.
As soon as I saw what it was, I shook my head. “I’m not taking a pregnancy test, Chloe. I had a period almost two weeks ago.”
About to say something, she stopped and frowned. “You did?”
“I did.”
“But you threw up a few mornings ago when I dropped Sutton off.”
I took care of her daughter and Bronte alongside Juniper on weekdays. Soon we’d be adding little Beckham to the mix. I loved it even more than nannying, because these little ones were family.
“Pretty sure it was the sausage I had for breakfast,” I told Chloe.
“You’re so tired you drifted off during Sierra’s show.”
I cringed. “Only for a few seconds,” I said. I’d hoped no one noticed. The show had been interesting, but I was so worn out and… “That’s from overeating. Post-meal coma.”
Chloe tilted her head and stared at me as if puzzling something out. “Was your period normal?”
With a little laugh, I said, “I don’t have normal periods, but it was enough for me to know it was there. That a baby was not there.”
Her brows went up. “So, like, a short one?”
“Like a day. Chloe…I love you, but I’m not pregnant.”
“Sometimes there’s bleeding when a fertilized egg implants.”
“And sometimes there’s just no pregnancy and a girl gets her period.”
“A very light period. With multiple other signs of pregnancy. Quincy, I don’t want to get your hopes up falsely, but I’ve been watching you for the past two weeks. You’ve been more tired than usual.”
“I have a two-year-old.”
With a half laugh, she said, “Amen to that. Will you do the test just to shut me up? Please? Then I swear I’ll butt out.”
I studied her, not wanting to pee on a stick for anything. I’d peed on so many sticks, had so many hopes dashed in the past year plus. It was getting too hard on my heart.
“Why are you pushing this?” I asked.
She pressed her lips together. “I just…really want you to be pregnant, Quincy.”
With a laugh I didn’t feel, I said, “I want to be pregnant too— Oh, my God. You’re knocked up again, aren’t you?
” It hit me like a wrecking ball to the head.
“You didn’t have wine. You’ve been peeing all afternoon.
Chloe!” In spite of myself, I was excited for her. I’d wrestle with my jealousy later.
“Don’t tell anyone yet, but yes. But dammit, I didn’t bring you up here to tell you that. The last thing I want to do is upset you.”
“You being pregnant doesn’t upset me. Well, mostly not. Taking another test will upset me.”
“Unless there’s a reason you threw up and you’re exhausted and your boobs look bigger.”
“You’ve been looking at my boobs?” My boobs weren’t bigger that I knew of.
“Forgive me,” she said. “They’re very nice boobs.” She held out the test again. “Humor me, please? Then I promise I’ll never bring it up again.”
I closed my eyes and bit my lip, wondering if I could hide my feelings for the rest of the day when the test came back negative.
“What if I’m right, Quincy?”
And there was that microscopic kernel of hope I’d tried to get better at crushing.
Dammit.
“Fine.” I took the test. “Are you going to watch me pee?”
She shook her head. “I’ll be right outside the door, waiting to hug you either way.” She pressed a kiss to my forehead. “For luck.”
I attempted a smile because she was being sweet, then closed the door once she was out of the room.
There were no instructions with the test as she’d plucked a single out of a multi-pack. I knew this because I’d become an expert on the product. I was familiar with this brand. Knew it required two minutes for results. Knew a double line signified a yes.
Squeezing my eyes shut as I sat on the toilet and tried to force Chloe’s secret news out of my mind, I followed the steps. Peed on the stick. Finished up and washed my hands. Gulped in a shaky breath to brace myself.
As I dried my hands, my gaze shot to the test on the counter. Two minutes hadn’t passed yet, not even one, so it wasn’t face-the-facts time yet. Nevertheless, when I laid eyes on the little plastic stick, I couldn’t help it. I broke down and started weeping.
Knox
Quincy and Chloe had been upstairs for more than ten minutes. My curiosity was morphing into concern, and then Chloe came back by herself.
I waited to see if she’d explain where my wife was, but she didn’t meet my gaze as she went straight to Holden’s side, kissed his cheek, and acted like nothing was amiss as she settled in to watch the football game we’d switched to after Sierra and Hayden’s show.
Before I could ask, Sierra perched next to her and started in on the topic of breastfeeding.
I decided to find out for myself what was keeping Quincy. My guess was that Juniper had woken up early.
I took the stairs two at a time, paused at the top, and strained to hear any sound that wasn’t from the main floor. The adults were loud, and the door where Juniper slept was closed tight, but I noticed the bathroom door was open a crack, and light poured out. I headed that way.
When I was about to knock, I froze, listening. Quincy was…crying?
“Quince?” I pushed the door open a few inches at first to poke my head in. When I saw her sitting on the closed toilet, head in her hands, shoulders shaking, I burst the rest of the way in and bent down by her side. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
When she didn’t immediately answer but threw her arms around me and pressed her face into my shoulder, I was afraid I knew. The baby parade had finally gotten to her.
“I’m so sorry, Quincy,” I said, holding on to her awkwardly.
She shook her head but kept her face buried.
I stood and pulled her up with me so I could hold her better, closer. When she looked up at me, anguish wasn’t what I read on her face. Her eyes were…filled with joy? Red-rimmed for sure, but there was an undeniable spark.
“What’s going on?” I asked, thoroughly confused. “Are you upset?”
Her shoulders still vibrated with sobs, but she shook her head.
“Talk to me, Quince,” I said.
She used my shirt to wipe her eyes, but as she peered up at me, they refilled instantly.
“We’re…we’re gonna have a baby, Knox,” she said in a high-pitched, incredulous voice.
I stared down at her, stunned stupid. “We’re… What did you say?”
“Pregnant.” She laughed as she bounced up and down, then threw her arms around my neck.
Her words wound their way to my brain at the speed of molasses, but after a few seconds, I got it. I didn’t understand why she was sobbing alone in the bathroom but…
The white stick on the countertop caught my eye. I could see the double line from here, and we’d been through this enough times to know we wanted a double line.
The truth finally sank all the way in.
After all this time, all these months of trying, Quincy was pregnant.
I squeezed her to me, lifting her off the floor as I howled loudly with joy.
Quincy laughed. “Can you believe it?”
“Wooo-hoo-hoo-hoo.” I spun her around the roomy bathroom, lifting my head to the heavens in gratitude.
“What the hell’s going on?” Holden said in the doorway, looking concerned. “You’re gonna wake up the kids.”
Most days I’d do anything in my power to keep the kids sleeping, but today my sheer, utter happiness overruled practicality. Throwing my head back again, I yelled, “We’re gonna have a baby!”
“Holy shit. For real?” Holden asked.
“What’s going on up there?” Cash called up from the main floor.
Holden let out a whoop, then hollered, “Quincy’s Knoxed up!”
I laughed at the idiotic pun. Actually it might’ve been the best pun ever.
“What?” Faye’s voice came from the bottom of the stairs, and then I heard Chloe confirming the news to everyone down in the living room.
“Oh, my God. Finally!” Hayden came tearing up the stairs and burst right into the bathroom. She threw her arms around Quincy and me, then Ava joined, then Everly and Lexie.
Gabe and Seth loomed in the doorway. I spotted Cash behind them, and Sierra and Cole, holding a sleepy Oakley. Before I knew it, the bathroom was full of our family, hugging us, shouting congrats, high-fiving.
Everyone knew we’d been trying for more than a year. Everyone knew how heartbroken we’d been each month that passed with no pregnancy.
“Why don’t we all go downstairs and celebrate instead of cramming into the spare bathroom?” Faye said from the doorway in her no-nonsense voice.
“Grand idea,” Holden said. “Can’t have a party in the john.”
Laughing and joking, everyone filed back out and headed down the stairs.
Quincy and I stayed and held on to each other, my chin resting on top of her head, until we were alone.
I pulled back enough to look her in the eyes, her swollen, pink, never more beautiful eyes.
“It’s really early to tell people, isn’t it?” she asked, not looking remorseful at all.
I exhaled heavily at that truth. “These people are our support, whatever happens. I choose to believe we’ll have a healthy baby in nine months.”
“Me too.” Her broad smile told me she wasn’t upset. “You’re happy.”
“I’m so fucking happy, Quince.”
“Me too. Stunned and happy. I was so scared there was something wrong with me.”
“You’re perfect,” I told her.
She laughed. “So far from perfect.”
“You’re perfect for me.”
“I love you.”
“Love you more.”
Running her hands up my chest, she said, “Prove it.”
With a growl, I pressed her against the wall with my body. I kissed her, infusing all of my love into it.
Before I could get too serious, there was a knock on the doorframe a foot away from us, startling us both.
“I got voted to be the spokesperson,” Drake said.
“Your dad said to tell you to get your rears downstairs so we can drink a toast. My wife said, and I quote, ‘I’m not going up that flight of stairs for anything, and I need to squeeze Quincy and squeal with her, so tell them to get their butts down here.’ Little tip for you,” he said directly to me, “when a woman is six months pregnant with twins, you do whatever she says.”
“Amen,” Quincy said, laughing.
I stepped back, and she took my hand. We followed Drake out of the bathroom, toward the stairs, as I tried to adjust my pants enough to walk normal. My wife could still turn me on in half a heartbeat.
Downstairs, Faye was making the rounds with champagne and sparkling apple juice. I picked up two flutes while Quincy went over to Mackenzie for the squeezing, squealing thing.
When she came back to me and snuggled into my side, taking the juice flute from me, she looked up into my eyes. There was so much love radiating at me it nearly brought me to my knees.
“Okay,” Faye said. “Everyone have a glass?” She handed off the bottles to my dad, who set them aside then put his arm around her.
“I’m so, so overjoyed for you, Quincy and Knox.
I know it’s been a bumpy road, and that makes today all the sweeter.
” Murmurs of agreement sounded around the room.
Faye lifted her glass. “Congratulations, and here’s to one more grandbaby! ”
There were clinks and hear hears from all corners. I took a swallow, then pulled Quincy even closer, soaking in this moment.
“Uh,” Holden said above the din. He glanced at Chloe, sitting next to him. Her grin widened and she gave a barely discernible nod. “Make that two. Two more grandbabies. We’re due in July.”
Faye gasped with happiness, my dad, grinning widely, held on to her, and everyone else cheered, congratulated, laughed, and drank another sip.
The commotion started to die down when Hayden stepped forward. “I’ve been competing with my older brother my entire life, and this time, Holden, I win again. Zane and I are having a baby in June!”
The uproar was even louder. Glasses were set aside in favor of hugs and congratulations and, yes, squeals. The house hadn’t been quiet for a second all day, but now it was at its loudest, its happiest.
“Sierra, when are you going back to work?” my dad asked. She was still on maternity leave from her remodeling company. “We might need to add on to this place sooner than we ever planned.”
With a laugh, Sierra said, “Call me anytime. At this rate we’ll need a multi-phase ten-year plan.”
The ruckus woke up the kids who’d still been napping, and soon all thirty of us were crowded into the great room. Thirty that would be thirty-five by this time next year. And one of those extras would be mine and Quincy’s.
With Juniper in one arm, her head resting against mine, and Quincy standing in front of me, comparing early pregnancy symptoms with Hayden and Chloe, I pulled my wife against me against me and our daughter, content. Thankful.
This—the huge, noisy, chaotic extended family and these two girls who were the most precious beings in the world—was what life was meant to be.