Epilogue
Connor
Two years later
In the back of my mind, one way or another, I have to admit that I always knew that I'd marry Maddie.
If I was going to get married, it was going to be her.
What I didn't expect was how amazing married life with her truly is.
Coming home to her every day and then falling asleep with her in my arms every night, there is no feeling in the world that can match it.
I swear our wedding day was the greatest day of my life.
But the second greatest day of my life, was the day we stood in court, and she officially adopted Faith.
Seeing the love she has for our daughter and what a great mother she is makes me love her a little more every day, and I didn't even think that was possible.
When she came to me six months ago and told me she was pregnant and we were going to have another little bundle of joy, I was thrilled. The only difference is I'm completely out of my element because I wasn't there while Faith was growing in her mother’s womb, nor when she was born.
This is an all new experience for me, and I've said many times that I am beyond grateful that I get to experience this with Maddie.
That we get to experience this together.
We recently found out that we are having another girl, and I couldn't be happier.
My checkbook is extra happy because we already have all the girl things that we could possibly need, with the exception of a few more clothes.
Right now, we are in our backyard with a few friends who have kids about Faith's age, and the kids are all running around and playing.
Maddie has been talking to one of the wives, and I've just been watching the whole thing.
But now Maddie comes up to me, wrapping her arms around my waist, and I rest my hand on her belly soaking in how beautiful she is carrying our child.
Once again, Maddie is able to get inside my head; how I will never know.
"Just think, Faith will never know that you were not there when she was born or for those first few weeks of her life because you are all she will ever know."
“I know that. Even if sometimes I wish I had been. But then I realize that I get to go through this for the first time with you, and that means more to me than anything else in the world." I lean down and give her a quick kiss before she goes back to hang out with the other mothers.
The moment she sits down, Faith goes running over to her and holds her arms up for Maddie to pick her up.
Maddie does, settling her on her lap, and Faith leans down and kisses her belly.
I have no doubt that Maddie is going to be an amazing mother.
She's been spending every night prepping Faith for her little sister by using a baby doll to show her how to hold the baby and how to be gentle with a newborn.
I don't know how much Faith actually comprehends, but I know she understands some of it when I see moments like this.
A few months after Maddie agreed to marry me, we took a trip down to Florida so that she could be there for the birth of her friend, Summer's child.
Her husband Nick and I got along great, and they've already planned once-a-year trips to get together, and I find myself looking forward to this year's trip with Nick.
For some of our vacations, we've just been meeting them in Florida since they live down in Jacksonville.
But this year we decided to ditch the beach and go to the mountains in Gatlinburg.
We're going to take the kids to Dollywood, but the trip is mostly for the girls.
I feel bad that Maddie won't get to ride any of the rides since she will be seven months pregnant.
But she's been talking about the food nonstop, so I know there's no way she'll let me postpone the trip.
We haven't heard a peep from Faith's biological mother. Megan informed me she completed the court-ordered evaluation and was found not to have postpartum depression. In fact, she was diagnosed with some sort of personality disorder and was forced into a therapy program.
I kept waiting for a knock on the door with her wanting another chance even after Maddie adopted her. I kept hoping that maybe as her biological mother, she would want at least updates on her daughter.
What I didn't know is that Megan had been keeping an eye on her. Rather, she had a private investigator keeping an eye on her, and last month she told me that she had been picked up for prostitution and drugs and would be serving a few years in jail.
Any hope I had of her paying any kind of attention to Faith went down the drain. I can't say I was too sad, but I know in my heart it's better this way. Faith has more love in her life than she'll ever know what to do with, and she will never miss that connection or feel like something is missing.
My parents spoil her every chance they get, and so does Megan.
Yes, our Megan has been secretly seeing someone and won't tell any of us any of the details. That’s okay, because she seems happier and that's all I want for my sister. My heart’s desire for her is to know the kind of happiness that Maddie gives me.
She'll tell me more when she's ready, but until then, she spoils the hell out of Faith.
I couldn't have imagined a better outcome for my daughter and for me, and someday I'll tell Faith this story of how she brought me Maddie, and I will thank her for that truly amazing gift.
Someday, probably over shots on her twenty-first birthday.