Epilogue
Everly
“OK, I get it now,” Maddie said, watching Levi and Sherly chase the O’Malley kids through the yard.
“Get what?” I asked before blowing a raspberry on Logan’s chubby cheek. He let out a laugh that I wished someone had recorded.
“Why you might want a husband and the whole parenthood thing.”
“Really?” I said, staring at my sister.
She shrugged. “You just look so damn happy. You both do,” she added, nodding toward Levi.
Logan wiggled in my arms, demanding to be put down.
As soon as he seemed steady on his feet, I pulled my hands away but kept them right behind him in case he started to fall.
He clapped as a few of the older kids ran by, and his cousins immediately stopped in front of him and started calling his name.
“Come on, Logan,” they cheered, holding out their arms. He lifted one foot and wobbled before putting it back down.
“You can do it, buddy,” I said, crouching down behind him. He looked over his shoulder and smiled before turning back to his cousins, a stubborn set to his jaw.
“Is someone recording?” I asked.
“Yep,” Levi said, standing just to the side of the kids with his phone pointed at Logan.
Sherly had plopped onto her rump, which she always did near Logan and the littlest O’Malleys.
I’m not sure if Levi trained her to do it or if she just decided she wanted to seem less big and scary to the toddlers.
“And remember,” Maddie said, pointing at all the kids. “If he walks, we didn’t see it.”
They all nodded and giggled. Fat chance someone wasn’t blabbing if Logan took his first steps while his parents were out grabbing s’mores supplies.
“Come on, Logan,” a chorus of kids chanted.
He lifted his leg and put it down a little further. Then he did it again. He stretched his arms toward the group and took his first unsteady steps to them. They surrounded him and cheered, raining kisses all over his face that made him giggle.
“Crap, my ovaries,” Maddie huffed.
“Please tell me someone got that on video,” Lauren yelled, running toward her son.
“Got it,” Levi said.
“Did you see?” I asked. “Did Aiden?”
“We did,” Aiden answered, walking toward the group with a bag of groceries. “From across the yard, but we saw.” He set the bag down and tossed Logan in the air, both of them with huge smiles on their faces.
“I love Sunday Funday,” Levi said, wrapping his arm around my waist. “I can’t imagine a better childhood for our kids.”
“Shh,” I said, smacking his chest.
He winked at me. “Had to start sooner than later with the number of kids you want.”
“Everyone is going to kill us when they find out,” I said, worrying my bottom lip.
“Find out what?” Maddie asked. “That he knocked you up? Or that it happened after you got married and didn’t tell anyone?”
“Will you keep your voice down,” I said, glaring at her. “I never should have told you.”
“Like I hadn’t already figured it out. Your boobs went up a full cup size, and I held your hair twice while you puked before you finally admitted it.”
“I meant the married part.” It still felt surreal. I should have known after the intensity of our first date that our first vacation together was bound to be life changing.
“Yeah,” Maddie said and laughed. “I’d never have guessed that planners like the two of you would do something so romantic as elope and then let nature take its course.”
“We did not let nature take its course. I forgot a couple pills one week when work got hectic.” I’d been shocked when I learned just how important those two doses were. Any apprehension I had melted with the joy on my husband's face when I told him the news.
“Hope the university’s plan covers pregnancy,” Maddie said to Levi.
“It does,” Levi said. “I checked before I suggested she switch to it. Figured we’d need it eventually. Just maybe not so soon.”
Levi and I had both made huge changes in our careers.
He’d joined the faculty at the Criminal Justice Department at the beginning of the Fall semester, after his investigation and testimony put Bishop and Bryant away for a very long time.
It hadn’t helped them that Preston dropped the case when we both left the firm to establish our own.
Taylor and George had made it easy by only offering us the smallest equity share in theirs.
Plus, neither Preston nor I wanted to work with them for the next twenty years.
Starting a firm from the ground up was exciting and terrifying, but little by little, we were doing it.
I still found the time to work on Theo’s case, and with Preston and Professor Exton’s help, I was excited for the next steps.
We also had plans to steal Hattie once we could afford to pay her what she’s worth.
After our impromptu trip to the justice of the peace, Levi and I kept our elopement between us and focused on our careers. We planned to celebrate with a big family wedding when the time was right, but life had other plans.
“Mom is going to be so upset,” I said. “I crushed her big wedding dreams.”
Maddie shook her head. “Maybe if you weren’t making her a grandma. She’ll be too excited about that to be angry.”
“I'm still in favor of a redo,” Levi said.
“Better hurry up and propose, big guy,” Maddie said, grinning. “She’s bound to start showing soon.”
“I should, shouldn’t I?” he said, smiling at me before he dropped to one knee.
All the voices in the yard hushed, and I looked up from Levi to see everyone watching, including Levi’s dad, who joined us at least once a month.
“Everly Stafford,” Levi said, taking my hand.
A few people giggled, no doubt thinking he’d misspoken. My new driver’s license said otherwise.
“From the moment we met, I knew you were extraordinary,” he said.
“But I had no idea how much you would change my life, change me, for the better. You’ve taught me to see the best in people, to forgive when I can, and to believe in the power of new beginnings.
I love everything about you and the life we’re building together.
Including your big, crazy family,” he said, looking around at everyone.
After a few laughs, he brought his eyes back to me.
“And I’d love nothing more than to become an official part of it.
So, Everly, will you give me a second chance to marry you again in front of everyone? ”
My mom gasped, and Mrs. O’Malley shushed her.
“Yes,” I said, tears streaming down my face.
Levi pulled a beautiful princess-cut diamond from his pocket. “This was my mom’s,” he whispered as he slid the ring onto my finger. “I know you’ll be an amazing mother like she was.”
I yanked him to his feet and wrapped him in a hug as everyone clapped and cheered around us.
“Again?” Mom asked, rushing over and gripping my arm.
“Mom, please,” I said. “We have a good reason.”
“You’re pregnant!” Mom screeched, jumping up and down. She yanked Levi into a hug so fierce he let out a humph.
“Thank goodness you are,” Maddie said as we watched our mother dissolve into full-out sobs. “Could you imagine her disappointment if you’d told her your vacation sex was so good you both lost your minds and decided to lock it down?”
She wasn’t wrong. Not that I was going to tell my mom that.
Mom released her death grip on Levi, stood on her tiptoes, and held his face in her hands. “I know I could never replace your mom, and no one will ever replace my Logan, but I’m so happy to call you my son.”
Levi nodded, swallowing hard as his eyes misted.
“I was afraid to hug you first,” Mom said, pulling me into a gentle embrace.
“I figured,” I said, hugging her back. “And thank you. I know what you said to Levi meant the world to him.”
“Don’t get me started again,” she said, pulling away from me to yank Maddie into a hug.
“I’m not married or pregnant,” she said.
“Just let me squeeze you,” Mom said.
Maddie rolled her eyes but wrapped her arms around Mom.
Everyone was ridiculously gentle with me, but they all wanted a hug and a moment to congratulate me or ask questions. The next hour passed in a blink.
“Well, that went better than expected,” Levi said when he finally returned to my side. “But if your mom hugs me like that again, I might start bawling, and Sherly is already staring her down.”
Sherly had come to stand guard by me, her body tense, the moment Levi was pulled away. As soon as my morning sickness began, she’d become incredibly protective of me, but she’d go attack pig on anyone else who threatened her man. And right now, she had her eyes locked on my mom.
“Yeah,” I said, resting my head on Levi’s chest. “We should probably wait until next week to tell everyone we’re having twins.”