Epilogue
Three months later
L ily sat beside Ethan on the swing, on the front porch of the ranch house. They were building one of their own, out past the family plot on North Brand Lane, but it would be a few more months before it was ready.
The grand re-opening of Two Lilies had been a smashing success last night. Ethan had performed the first single from his new album, Down Home they Call Me Bubba. Lily thought most of the town had turned out. Dirt River had opened for him.
As for Jeremiah, he’d come in for the opening after being away on business, he said, but he still had shadows in his eyes, and a haunted look. He came and went, doing who knew what, but he’d been there for their wedding.
After the grand opening, Ethan called for an after-party at the ranch, and everyone had spent the night. Which made the timing perfect, Lily thought, for their little surprise.
The sun was about to rise.
Garrett and Chelsea came out on the front porch every morning with their first mugs of coffee to watch it come up together, and they watched it set together every night.
It was a tradition Lily intended to adopt and continue, and had, so far, every day since their small, private wedding and backyard reception.
Chelsea’s footsteps padded on the stairs. She was always the first one up. She would put the coffee on. Lily and Ethan had left the big front door open, so they would hear the others coming. Only the screen door was still closed.
A few minutes later, Garrett came down. Lily heard their morning kiss, and knew Chelsea was handing Garrett a mug and then hugging her own mug between her hands.
And then, side by side, leaning into each other, they’d mosey to the front door, and open it to come out onto the porch with their first cups of coffee to watch the sun rise together while the whole world was quiet.
The screen door creaked its old familiar whine. And then Garrett said, “What in the all-fired get-out is this?”
Lily giggled. She couldn’t help it, and Garrett looked from the little basket at the front door, to her and Ethan on the porch swing.
Chelsea knelt and pulled at the small blanket they’d tucked inside the basket. Beneath it there was a pair of booties, a rattle, and an ultrasound printout. She picked it up, rising slowly and facing Ethan and Lily. And then she grinned, and said, “Baby?”
“Mm-hm,” Lily said, nodding.
And then Chelsea was hugging her and they were both bawling, and Garrett was clasping Ethan’s hand and slamming his shoulder. “Dang, son, I was beginning to give up hope for grandkids! Congratulations!”
“Is there a due date yet?” Chelsea asked. “How are you feeling?”
More footsteps came from the stairs as Hyram descended.
Chelsea quickly put the photo back in the basket and pulled Garrett out of the way.
Hyram opened the screen door, looked down at the basket, and didn’t even need to pull the blanket aside before he was grinning and slapping his thigh and yelling “hot damn!” like a true Texan.
His shout woke the household, and soon the whole crowd was on the front porch, celebrating and high-fiving and hugging each other. Maria leaned close and whispered, “Thanks for takin’ the pressure off me, Sis.”
In the middle of all that love, Ethan kissed Lily. She laughed against his mouth to the cheers and happy tears of their huge and ever-growing family.