Epilogue #3
I sit for part of the reception too. When the ache in my legs begins to sharpen, I use the cane to return to the chair beside Luca’s table. Grayson notices from across the room, brings me water and a plate, and kisses my hair before returning to the children.
Luca turns his face toward me when I settle beside him. I kiss the corner of his mouth, then his cheek, and finally the warm skin beneath his ear.
“How are you feeling?” I ask, keeping my hand over his where it rests on his stomach.
“Heavy,” he admits. “My back hurts, and your son has been pushing against the same rib for an hour.”
“Any contractions?”
“None.” Luca turns my hand and presses my palm more firmly against the side of his stomach. “He’s moving, though.”
The baby rolls beneath my hand hard enough to shift the fabric of Luca’s shirt. My breath catches as Luca covers my hand with his and a firm heel presses against my palm before sliding away.
“There’s Elio,” Luca whispers, covering my hand more firmly with his.
Hearing our son’s name while he moves beneath my palm tightens my throat. I bend to kiss Luca’s temple, keeping my hand over the place where Elio pressed against me.
Maceo notices from the other side of the table and comes closer, slowly placing his palm beside mine. The baby moves again beneath both our hands.
Maceo’s eyes shine as he bends to kiss Luca’s temple, keeping his palm beside mine over the place where our son moved.
Maceo keeps his forehead against Luca’s temple. “Our son.”
Luca turns his face toward him, their cheeks brushing. “I told you.”
Maceo kisses him again, slower this time, while I keep my hand where the baby moved. Grayson joins us from behind my chair and wraps one arm around my shoulders before resting his other hand over Luca’s wrist.
Luther brings Rosalie with him when she notices everyone gathering. She reaches one hand toward Luca’s stomach, and he guides her palm to the place where the baby last shifted.
“He moved,” Luca tells her.
Rosalie waits with complete concentration. When the baby presses against her hand, her mouth opens and her crown slips slightly to one side.
“He knows it’s the wedding.”
Luca smiles and kisses her fingers. “I think he does.”
Samuel and James arrive before the moment passes. Samuel places his hand carefully beside Rosalie’s, while James asks whether the baby can hear the music.
“He probably hears some of it,” Maceo explains, crouching so James can see his face. “It sounds different from inside, but he knows there’s noise around him.”
James considers that before placing his hand against Luca’s stomach too.
The slow song begins while the children are still gathered around him.
Luca looks toward the dance floor, then reaches for my hand. Maceo rises with him, supporting his elbow until he is steady.
“One dance,” Luca says. “Then I’ll sit again.”
Maceo studies his face before accepting the promise. He kisses Luca’s forehead and steps aside, remaining close enough to help if Luca asks.
I rise with my cane and meet Luca at the edge of the floor. We move more slowly than the music requires, my steps shortened to match his. One hand stays on the cane while the other rests at the small of his back.
Luca leans into me and presses his mouth to my cheek. “You forgot your vows.”
“I remembered the important part.”
His hand slides around my neck as he kisses me again, soft and unhurried. I guide my palm forward over his stomach when the baby shifts between us.
Maceo joins us after Luca reaches for him. His hand settles beside mine, and the three of us remain close through the end of the song while Grayson and Luther bring the children onto the floor around us.
The dance becomes less organized as Rosalie reaches for Luther, Samuel tries to copy Grayson’s steps, and James returns to Maceo’s shoes. Luca laughs against my shoulder while I kiss his temple.
By the time the reception begins to empty, Luca is resting with both feet raised and his jacket folded beside him. Before we leave, Luca confirms that no contractions have started and lets Maceo help him into his shoes long enough to reach the car.
The children fall asleep before we leave the parking lot.
Samuel’s head rests against James’s shoulder, while James keeps one hand curled near the cushion he refused to leave behind. Rosalie sleeps across Luther’s lap with her crown held against her chest. Grayson sits beside them, one hand resting over Samuel’s knee whenever the car turns.
Luca reclines between Maceo and me in the back row. His shoes remain in a bag near his feet, and his head rests against my shoulder while Maceo supports the weight of one swollen ankle across his thigh.
Luther reaches back from the front seat and rests his hand over Luca’s for a moment. Luca turns his palm beneath Luther’s and links their fingers before closing his eyes again.
Outside the windows, the city passes in soft pools of light while Luca sleeps against my shoulder and the children breathe quietly behind us.
Five adults, three sleeping children, and one baby waiting to arrive fill the car. My new band clicks softly against my original wedding ring when I turn Luca’s hand beneath mine.
The silence isn’t secrecy. It’s peace.