Extended Epilogue
Rayne
Istill forget sometimes that this is my life now.
The long mahogany table gleams under warm lighting, polished to a mirror shine but scattered with the beautiful chaos of family dinner.
Ryan’s homework peeks out from beneath his placemat.
Ronan’s phone sits face-down beside his water glass—a rule he never broke before me.
My ring catches the light when I reach for my wine glass, then hesitate, settling for water instead.
Three place settings where once there had been only two. Sometimes I look around and wonder if I’ve wandered into someone else’s dream.
“Pass the potatoes, please,” Ryan says, already eyeing his second helping. His dark hair falls across his forehead in a way that mirrors his father’s, though Ronan would never allow his own to be so unruly.
I slide the ceramic dish toward him. “Easy on the sour cream, buddy. You already had plenty.”
“Dad lets me have as much as I want,” he protests, blue eyes wide with practiced innocence.
Ronan looks up from carving the roast chicken, one eyebrow arched. “Don’t drag me into this. Rayne’s right.”
Ryan sighs dramatically but compromises with just one more dollop of sour cream. I hide my smile behind my napkin. A year of being married, of living here full-time, and already we’ve developed these rhythms. These unspoken understandings that weave us together.
“We had show-and-tell today,” Ryan says, mouth half-full. “I brought in the fossil you got me, Dad. The trilobite one.”
“Swallow first, then talk,” Ronan reminds him, his tone gentle despite the correction.
Ryan gulps exaggeratedly. “Sorry. Anyway, Ms. Peterson said it was the coolest thing anyone brought. Even cooler than Jake’s tarantula.”
“A high honor indeed,” I say, reaching over to brush crumbs from his chin. The gesture comes naturally now, though the first time I did it, I froze afterward, worried I’d overstepped. But Ryan had just smiled, and Ronan’s eyes had softened in that way that still makes my heart flip.
“I told everyone my new mom knows everything about dinosaurs and planets and stuff,”Ryan continues, beaming at me.
New mom. The words still knock the air from my lungs every time he says them.
“I wouldn’t say everything,” I laugh, hoping they don’t notice the catch in my voice. “But I’m glad I could help with your project.”
Ronan sets down the carving knife and passes me a plate with a perfect portion of chicken, roasted vegetables, and herbed rice. He knows exactly how I like it—a little of everything, nothing touching. When did he learn that? I can’t remember telling him.
The domestic rhythm of it all—the clink of silverware, the smell of herbs and garlic wafting through the air, Ryan sneaking a third roll when he thinks we’re not looking—it's almost too perfect.
Too normal. For a girl who once sold a weekend of her company to pay off loan sharks, this kind of happiness feels stolen.
And now I’m about to change everything again.
My fork hovers over my plate, appetite vanishing beneath a swell of nerves. I’ve been feeling a little off for two weeks now—queasy in the mornings, suddenly unable to tolerate the smell of coffee, exhausted by mid-afternoon. The test I took this morning only confirmed what my body already knew.
“You’ve hardly touched your food,” Ronan says, his voice dropping to that low register that means he’s concerned. Nothing escapes him.
Ever.
“Just thinking,” I say, forcing a bite of chicken. It tastes like sawdust in my mouth.
“About what?” Ryan asks, mouth thankfully empty this time.
“About how lucky I am,” I say honestly. Because I am, regardless of what happens next. Regardless of how Ronan reacts to my news.
Ronan’s eyes narrow slightly. He sets down his fork and knife, giving me his full attention—that laser focus that once intimidated me but now feels like safety. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
“Nothing’s wrong.”
“Rayne.” Just my name, but loaded with everything—concern, love, a demand for honesty.
My hands shake slightly as I set down my own silverware. I planned to wait until after dinner, maybe until Ryan was in bed, but Ronan won’t let this go now. He never does when he senses something’s not right, especially with me.
“I—” What if it's too soon? What if he thinks we're moving too fast? What if—
“Mom?” Ryan’s voice joins his father’s concern. “Are you sick?”
"No, buddy, I’m not sick.” I take a deep breath, looking between their matching worried expressions. “I’m pregnant.”
The words hang in the air, and I find myself unable to breathe.
Ronan goes completely still. Not the controlled stillness I’ve seen in him before, but something else entirely—as if time itself has stopped for him. His fork clatters to his plate, the only sound in the sudden silence.
Something passes his features, and he moves. He pushes back his chair with enough force that it nearly topples, strides to my side, and pulls my chair out. Before I can process what’s happening, he’s on his knees beside me, both hands reaching for my still-flat stomach.
“Say it again.” His voice is rough and unsteady in a way I’ve never heard before.
“I’m pregnant,” I repeat, softer this time. “I found out this morning.”
Something breaks open in his expression—pure, unfiltered joy. His eyes shine with unshed tears.
“A baby?” he whispers, fingers splaying protectively across my abdomen. “Our baby?”
I nod, my own vision blurring. “Our baby.”
He presses his forehead against my stomach, shoulders shaking once, twice. When he looks up, there’s wetness on his lashes. “Thank you,” he says, the words carrying the weight of everything unsaid between us—how far we’ve come, how impossible this all once seemed.
“I’m gonna be a big brother?” Ryan’s voice breaks the spell, high with excitement. “Really? Like, for real, for real?”
I laugh through my own tears. “Really.”
Ryan launches himself out of his chair and around the table, practically vibrating with energy. “Is it a boy or a girl? Can I help pick the name? Where will the baby sleep? Can I teach them about dinosaurs? Babies like dinosaurs, right?”
“Whoa, slow down.” Ronan chuckles, one arm still around my waist, the other reaching for his son. “We don’t know if it’s a boy or girl yet. And yes, you can help with the name.”
“And you’ll be the best big brother,” I add, watching Ryan’s face light up like it’s Christmas morning.
“I’ll share all my toys, even the special ones.”
“That’s very generous,” Ronan says, pulling Ryan into our huddle.
“The baby will be so lucky to have you,” I tell him, running a hand through his soft hair.
Ryan beams, then his expression turns serious. “Will you still have time for me? When the baby comes?”
My heart constricts. “Always. Always and forever.”
“You’re our son,” Ronan adds. “Nothing will ever change that.”
Ryan seems satisfied with this answer, nestling closer into our awkward, wonderful embrace beside my chair. Dinner sits forgotten on the table, cooling in the wake of news far more important than food.
“I love you,” Ronan whispers against my ear, too low for Ryan to hear. “All three of you.” His hand tightens protectively over my stomach.
My mind flashes back to what feels like a lifetime ago: drowning in debt, terrified of losing my mother, walking into an auction with nothing but desperation and pride. How could I have known that night would lead here? To this table, this family, this future growing inside me?
Ronan kisses me softly, then presses his lips to Ryan’s forehead, his strong hands holding us both.
Once, forever sounded impossible. But now, forever sits at this table with me—Ronan’s hand in mine, Ryan’s laughter filling the air, and a new life already beating inside me. Not perfect, not without challenges ahead, but real and solid and mine.
Ours.
The End.