Epilogue
Nina
Austin’s Aunt Roni’s house was bustling with activity when he, Nana Sue, and I arrived for Thanksgiving dinner.
Everyone was there except Bryce, who had to work, but he’d promised to come over when his shift ended.
“Welcome, welcome, don’t be shy,” Roni greeted us with hugs after wiping her hands on her apron. “Here, let me,” she said, taking the casserole dish from my hands.
“Do you need help bringing anything else in?” Dalton asked after hugging my grandmother, who ate up the attention like a starving puppy.
“Such cute dimples,” Nana Sue said when he smiled.
Austin rolled his eyes while I blushed. To think, just a few months ago I’d thought his dimples were cute.
“No, the rest is in my backpack,” Austin said. He slung the large bag off his shoulders and handed it to Dalton. “Thanks.”
“I see he still insists on being helpful.”
“Always,” I’d told him he didn’t need to carry in a bag, that I could make more than one trip, or ask one of his siblings to help, but he wouldn’t hear it. Austin didn’t like feeling useless.
“I’m right here. And just because I have a fake leg doesn’t mean I’m incapable of carrying a bag.”
He’d had his new, permanent, state-of-the-art leg for two weeks, but still relied on his cane while he adjusted to it.
“Maybe you could use that fake leg to walk in here and say hi to the rest of us.” I assumed that was Cassie, whose voice was lower than Eva’s singsong voice.
Dalton shouldered Austin’s backpack as Ethan hugged me and relieved me of my bags.
“Thanks, Ethan.” I’d used their names often while trying to remember who was who and hadn’t broken the habit yet.
In the kitchen, we greeted everyone with the now normal hugs. It’d taken me a while to adjust to Austin’s family, but I’d grown to love them.
Roni put me to work as soon as I asked, “Can I help?” So was Austin.
Once the table was set, we sat and waited for Roni to say grace.
Dinner was a loud, chaotic, wonderful meal filled with love and laughter.
When my joy overflowed and threatened to spill out of my eyes, Austin put his hand on my thigh. “Do you need a break?”
“I’m good.”
I was enjoying the big family atmosphere—something I’d never had—and feeling grateful that all the craziness in my life had brought me here.
“Thank you for sharing your family with me.” I meant to whisper it, but the crowd chose that moment to quiet down, and everyone heard.
“No, Nina, thank you for bringing our Austin home to us. I’ve never seen him smile so much,” Roni said.
“Yeah, it’s a little weird,” Cassie said. “Technically, he’s more robotic than before, and yet he’s acting more human.”
“Cassie!” Roni scolded her without conviction.
“What, Bryce is the only one who can give Austin shit?”
“It’s fine, Roni. Cassie’s not wrong.” Austin wadded up his napkin and threw it at his sister.
After dinner, I offered to help clean, but was sent to relax in the living room.
Shockingly, they allowed Austin to help.
While he was in the kitchen helping, Nana Sue and I talked.
“Your parents always wanted to give you a family like this.”
“I know.” Sadly, my mom was infertile, and they couldn’t afford to adopt more children.
The doorbell rang.
“Nina, be a dear and answer the door,” Roni called out.
I peeked through the curtain and saw John and Mary. Behind them, Bryce, still in uniform, and his girlfriend Alexis, walked up the steps.
Opening the door, I invited them in and greeted them with hugs.
“I didn’t know you were coming.”
“It’s been a while since we’ve seen our nieces and nephews,” Mary said.
Bryce greeted his aunt and uncle, introduced them to Alexis, then pulled me into a big hug. “Is there any food left?” he asked. “I’m starving.”
Before I could answer, Austin’s voice carried across the room. “Nina.”
When I turned, he was sitting on the arm of the couch. A nervous smile twitched on his lips.
I closed the distance between us. “Is everything okay?”
He grabbed my hands and pulled me closer. “Better than okay.”
When he grinned, I realized the entire house had gone horror movie quiet.
“What’s going on?” When I tried to look around, he captured my chin and held me so I faced him.
“I love you, Nina. You’ve reminded me what it’s like to feel. You’ve given me back my family. A family I’d like to share with you, if you’ll let me.”
What’s going on? Was he proposing? It sounded like the beginning of a proposal speech, but Austin didn’t do things without talking them through and forming a game plan.
“You make me a better man, and if you let me, I’ll love you, provide for you, and protect you for the rest of your life.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a box.
“I’d get down on one knee, but…” he shrugged with a grin. “Nina Maria Novak, will you marry me?”
Austin wanted me to marry him. I mean, we’d been sort of living together since he left the hospital, and we loved each other, but I hadn’t expected this.
“Cherry, baby, you’re killing me here. I’m gonna need an answer.”
Apparently, the happy tears flowing down my face weren’t enough.
“Yes.” I wrapped my arms around his neck, knocking us both off balance.
The room erupted in applause and cheers.
“I’ll break out the champagne,” Roni said.
After receiving everyone’s congratulations and toasting with the best champagne I’d ever tasted, Austin and I had a minute alone to talk.
“You planned all this,” I said. “Including John and Mary?”
He smiled, "I wanted them here when I proposed.”
Austin brushed my hair off my face. His fingers played with the gray streak I’d decided not to dye. If Austin was okay with his extra gray, then I was okay with my streak.
People thought it was an intentional choice, and I didn’t bother correcting them. No one needed to know about the events that caused a patch of my hair to lose color overnight.
I looked down at the large round diamond on my left ring finger.
“I can’t wait to make you a Winchester.” He lifted my left hand and kissed it. “And start our own family.”
“I want a big one,” I admitted.
He laughed. “Bigger than this clan?”
“Not quite that big. Maybe three or four.”
Time stood still as we kissed long and deep.
After we ended the kiss, Austin said, “That’s doable. I should warn you, though, twins run in the family.”
“I’d be okay with twins.” I’d gotten lots of practice babysitting Richard and Rose. I didn’t need the money anymore, but I loved my time with them. “Are they always boy/girl twins?”
“No, my dad’s brothers were identical boys.” He closed his eyes and hummed. “I don’t think we’ve ever had two girl twins. We could ask Mary; she might know.”
“I’ll be related to Mary.” I couldn’t help the smile that formed, knowing the woman who’d stepped up to be the mom I needed after my ordeal would officially be my aunt.
“You will, though she already considers you family, so nothing will change.” His smile was just for me. “Except for your last name.”
“I think I want your last name to be the last one I ever have.”
He laughed and kissed my temple before saying, “Me too.”
“Nina Winchester,” I said, trying it out. “I like how it sounds.”
“So do I.”
My life had started out as a tragedy. Then it turned into an action movie.
Now it’s a romance novel.
As if proving my point, Austin kissed me senseless while his big, loud, lovable family provided the background noise to our happily ever after.