45. Epilogue
Dawson
One Year Later
“Finn, I have your Ash Ketchum hat!” I holler by the back door, waiting for Finn to get his trick-or-treat bag from his closet and meet Chloe and me in the car. I love our neighborhood, but there’s not as many kids compared to my sister’s neck of the woods. We’re heading to Lucy’s for dinner then going trick-or-treating with the whole Reed crew.
I get in the driver’s side of the car, tossing the hat Finn needs for his Pokémon trainer costume in the back.
Chloe comes out to the car carrying a tray. She arranged vegetables to look like a jack-o’-lantern. Every color of the rainbow is represented. She even found purple potatoes she made into baked fries and bluish-purplish cauliflower. Her healthy eating habits are an added benefit I don’t take for granted because of how fun she makes it for Finn .
She sits next to me in the car. “Where’s Finn?”
“Finding his bucket.” I reach over, sliding my hand to rest on her neck.
“Are you sweating to death in your Smokey costume?”
I tug the collar of my polyester suit, fanning my chest. “Dying. But I told you I’d let you choose my outfit tonight.”
“You look adorable.”
Yeeaaaah, I get “adorable” and my wife of two months picks a costume I really want to keep for my eyes only? Completely unfair. Next year, we’re coordinating. Maybe we’ll even have a baby by then and we can find themed outfits for four since the one thing we both wanted, other than getting married, was expanding our family.
“Have I told you how sexy you look in your spy costume?” I say.
“About ten times.”
“Hmmm. And have I also mentioned how excited I am to help you take it off tonight?”
She nods. “About ten times.”
“And what about the fact that Finn will be sleeping over at Emma’s, giving us all night and morning to ourselves?” I rub my thumb down her jawline.
She flashes me a crooked smile. “I’d say it slightly makes up for you not taking me on a honeymoon.”
“Don’t you dare throw our delayed but very much still happening honeymoon in my face. You’re the one who said we had to wait until football season was over.”
“It’s our year to get the two extra season tickets. Do you really want to pass up an opportunity like that for a vacation we can take at any point in time? ”
I honk the horn three times for Finn to get out here before we’re late. “Mmm-hmm. No, no I understand your reasoning, 007. I do. I just need you to remember a vacation without Finn means no interruptions.” Unlike the first night Chloe slept in my bed and Finn barged in at a very unfortunate moment. I swear I’d locked the door, but apparently not. There was a lot of explaining about new boundaries, birds and bees, and knocking before entering.
“Smokey,” she purrs. “I promise it’ll be worth the wait. Only a month and a half to go.”
She acts like six weeks passes as quickly as snapping my fingers. Sometimes I do feel that way when I realize how fast Finn’s growing up, but in this instance, our trip to Germany to see the Christmas markets can’t come soon enough. “Tonight can be a prologue.”
“Yeah.” She takes my hand and kisses my palm. “I’m game.”
A pleasant shiver shoots down my spine. “Think my sister would be upset if we left right after dinner?”
She smacks my chest. “We’re not missing out on going trick-or-treating with Finn. In a few years, he won’t want us around. We need to spend time with him while we can.”
I hold my hands up in defeat. “You’re absolutely right. This evening is for Finn. But tonight is for us.”
Chloe leans over, planting a kiss on my cheek. “Can’t wait.”
Neither can I.