50. Chapter 50
Epilogue Two
“Ahh,” I yell. The glass of juice I just poured goes flying out of my hand, half of it landing on my shirt.
Laughter and giggles fade as the two kids keep running past the kitchen island. Seb is steps behind them, stopping to peck my cheek. E hands me a towel and mops up the counter. “Those two are trouble together,” he smiles.
The two in question are Charlotte, Neve’s daughter, and Lucas, an orphan who is temporarily with us. We are babysitting Charlotte while Neve and her men are out west visiting family for the weekend. Neve and I have grown close over the years, and Charlotte is as comfortable here as she is at home.
Lucas isn’t the first child Seb has brought into our home for a brief stay.
This 9 year old lost his mom to drugs 2 months ago.
He has an uncle in the UK who is working through the legal process to adopt him.
Seb didn’t want him to be dropped in a random home after such a big trauma, so he’ll be with us for another two weeks until his uncle can fly here to get him.
We don’t have kids of our own. We haven’t been careful, but it hasn’t happened.
Chances are it’s me with 6 guys in the mix.
We’ve talked extensively about kids and decided if it happens, it happens.
If it doesn’t, we are okay as we are. Will that change in the future?
Maybe, maybe not. We’re still young. I don’t want to inject myself with hormones and drugs to have a baby, and the guys respect that.
Alex brings me a clean shirt with a smile. “I heard the ruckus.”
“Thank you.” I hear the kids downstairs, so I whip off my wet shirt and switch it for the clean one. “I swear they watch from the shadows and wait until I have a drink in my hand before barreling through here.”
Alex and E laugh as Bay and Jake enter the kitchen.
“Lunch,” E calls through the intercom. Yes, we have an intercom.
With three floors, our dream home is enormous.
Eight bedrooms on the top floor. A kitchen, dining room, living room, movie room, offices, and security room on the main level.
The basement has a rec room, a huge gym, a sauna, storage, and a guest apartment.
There’s two garages to the side of the house, enough for all our vehicles plus tinkering and toys.
The backyard has an in ground heated pool with a diving board and my baby, a greenhouse with a lab.
Seb and Lucas enter the dining room first, with Nick following, carrying Charlotte on his shoulders.
We enjoy a wonderful lunch from E’s restaurant together.
He opened his first two years ago. It’s a small place with a seasonal menu.
There are already talks of expanding or opening a second location because he’s booked 6 months out.
It’s Bay’s birthday today, so the family is coming over for a pool party this afternoon.
The kids help me, Seb, and Nick blow up balloons and set up chairs and tables outside.
Alex is consulting on a case via video conference while E is making nibbles.
Jake is working on a design for a new structure in Mt. Pleasant, and Bay is helping him.
When everything is set, I excuse myself to call Sue.
Her Alzheimer’s has progressed a bit, but not as much as I would've expected. She’s doing well, but hesitates to recognize people she doesn’t see often.
Mal visits her several times per week to keep an eye on her.
Sue had a living will created after her diagnosis, and will have a live-in nurse when needed.
Mal and I will make sure that person is the best there is, and I’ll take care of any expenses beyond what she planned for.
Hearing the doorbell, I let her go. Dad, Sarah, Troy, Troy’s date Ruby, Ray, his girlfriend Emily, and Steven arrive within minutes of each other. David, Olivia, and Ellie show up shortly after that.
Taking a seat on Bay’s lap, I hand him a slice of fresh bread smothered in the strawberry jam I make him and his family every year, as we watch our family laugh and play in the pool. “We have a pretty incredible life, Bay.”
“We do, gorgeous,” he smiles up at me with a squeeze to my waist.
THE END