Epilogue
CHARLIE
Stopping in the living room, my eyes widen at the amount of presents scattered over every inch of the carpet.
Hefting my own haul, I carefully make my way into the room, stepping into tiny little pockets of space between presents until I find enough room to place our contribution among the masses.
“Oh wow,” Bonnie breathes, and I turn on the spot smiling as she takes in the chaos, holding the last of the presents in her hand.
“Here.” I reach out, slowly making my way back towards her until I’m within reaching distance for her to pass the bag filled with smaller sized gifts inside to me.
When I get back to the spot I claimed a few seconds ago, I realise these won’t fit and I just stand there, turning in circles trying to find a spot until Jace joins Bonnie’s side and helpfully points out a spot in the back.
Thanking him, I do my best to make it across, but I only get about two thirds of the way before I realise I’m really not going to get any further. “Hey, Bee…Is there anything breakable in here?”
“Um…No, it’s baby clothes and toys mostly.”
“Okay, good,” I answer, swinging the bag gently back and forth before letting go, holding my breath as it flies through the air and gently lands exactly where I intended.
Next, I place the last couple in my hand in a few scattered empty places or on top of other presents that look like boxes and will hold something on top of them.
Honestly, it doesn’t matter much where they go. We’re going to be carrying them all outside later anyways. Christmas gatherings have grown exponentially over the years, and we can’t all fit inside my parents’ house anymore.
Once we’ve got all the presents ‘under the tree’ we head out the back to join everyone. Spotting Mum in the kitchen, I give Bonnie a quick kiss before detouring.
I stop in the doorway, watching as her and one of my dads dance to the music playing, not realising they’re not alone.
I don’t interrupt them, just watching the happiness that’s radiating from both of them.
At the way they look at each other, still completely in love as though no time has passed, rather than the thirty-five years they’ve been together. Longer still for her and Declan.
That’ll be us one day.
“Charlie!” Mum exclaims, a hand to her chest when she finally spots me. “You scared the shit out of me,” she laughs, whipping a tea towel in my direction.
“Hey Mum, merry Christmas.” I chuckle, giving her a hug as Dad checks the stove for her. Once he’s satisfied nothing is burning, he wipes his hands on his pants and pulls me into a hug, rocking us from side to side.
When he steps back, I quickly reach out and grab his arm, raising an eyebrow. “What?” he asks, giving me an innocent look that I don’t believe for a second.
“Whatever you just took, give it back,” I say, holding out my free hand, palm up. Mum snickers, opening the oven to pull out the dinner rolls. “Or, I could just help Mum dish out lunch and maybe a laxative or two ends up sprinkled on your plate,” I tease.
“You don’t have any laxatives on you, nice try.” He rolls his eyes, but they narrow slightly in suspicion.
“You think I’d keep them in my pocket with your sticky fingers around?” His eyes widen and I know I’ve got him. He quickly fishes in his pockets pulling out the photo I keep on my keyring of Bonnie and Jace and hands it over.
“Really?”
“Alright, alright,” Mum interrupts, “your father will be back soon with the twins, go help your dad out the back with the barbeque.”
Effectively shooed out of the kitchen, I make my way outside and I take in the half dozen tables scattered around the yard filled with people.
My brother spots me first and makes his way over with my baby nephew in his arms. “Hey man.”
“Hi Jack,” I coo, completely ignoring my brother as I take my nephew from his arms and bounce him around whilst making silly faces.
He lets out soft little giggles, his tiny hands reaching out and gripping onto my cheek with all his little might. “Look how big you’ve gotten!” I widen my eyes, opening my mouth wide in emphasis, and the little guy squeals in delight making me laugh.
I still can’t believe my baby brother has a family of his own now.
Without making it overly obvious, my eyes search out Bonnie, finding hers already locked on the baby in my arms with a look of longing on her face before she blinks and smiles, rejoining the conversation she’s having with Ariana next to her.
It’s been a long six years filled with so much good but seeing that look of longing on her face no matter how brief sends a small pang through my chest.
The doctors told her that despite the significant scarring on her reproductive system, they believed she could still be able to fall pregnant again, though it may be difficult. But once she does, there’s no reason to believe she can’t carry to full term.
Difficult is an understatement.
Watching her eyes fill with tears with every negative test result breaks my heart a little more each time and I hate that with every time she seems to lose hope more and more. We were scheduled to try IVF again in a few months, but three weeks ago I overheard her cancel the initial appointment.
I hate what that means for her. I just…I don’t know what to do to help. I see how much she wants this, but there’s nothing I can do to help and that kills me.
Handing Jack back to his father, I make my way to Bonnie and wrap my arms around her from behind, pressing a kiss to her temple.
She tilts her head asking for a kiss without words and I happily oblige.
When we pull apart it’s to my sisters arrival, having been picked up by Ryan from the airport. The two of them have been travelling the world for a few years now, showing no sign of wanting to settle down anytime soon.
Seeing them reminds me of Mum’s instructions and I curse under my breath, telling Bonnie I’ll be back before racing over to the barbeque mere seconds before Mum and Caleb come through the backdoor.
“Hey Dad,” I say, trying to make it seem as though I’ve been here the entire time, but the knowing look he gives me with his mismatched eyes tells me he sees right through my bullshit.
I shrug my shoulders sheepishly before picking up a set of tongues and helping him turn the sausages over.
“Alright!” Mum calls out over the loud ruckus, and everyone instantly quiets down.
“It’s time for presents. You know the drill, all hands on deck.
One by one, everyone goes in and grabs a couple of presents and put them over on the concrete.
” She points over to where she wants them before clapping her hands.
Everyone immediately moves to help. I grab one of the trash bags, shaking it out and making my way around the table to toss any rubbish inside and get it out of the way, while I wait for my turn.
Once all of the presents are outside, Mum and my dads gather around, picking them up and calling out their recipients one at a time.
Jace has his head on my shoulder, with an arm around my back. Bonnie’s hand is in mine and Mitchell stands behind her, his head resting on top of hers with her in his arms around her.
“This one is from Ariana and it goes to…Eric,” Mum calls out and Eric jumps to his feet, excitedly taking the present from Mum and ripping it open.
He freezes, his eyes widening before he bolts to Ariana who’s standing beside us. She laughs as he picks her up, spinning her around and crushing his lips to hers before showing off the contents of his present.
“Do you have any idea how hard it was keeping that a secret from him,” Ari whispers and we laugh. That is until she hears Eric’s plan to hang her present up in the lounge room.
“No, no, no. You are not putting my IUD up on display. Give it back.”
He pulls it in close, tucking the little box into his chest and pouts. “No way. It’s mine now. No take-backsies.”
“Last one everyone!” Mum announces, lifting the giftbag Bonnie handed me earlier. “This one is from Bonnie and it’s-” her head tilts as she reads the name tag. “-for Charlie, Jace and Mitchell to be opened together.”
We make our way to the front, each of us accepting the small rectangular box Mum pulls from the bag and I look over to Bonnie in question.
Sharing a confused look, the three of us shrug and indulge everyone chanting for us to open it. We go to open them but Mum yells out for us to wait.
Her and my dads quickly race around, joining the gathering crowd with their phones pointed toward us. Then everyone starts counting down as though they’re all in on it, all planned this.
Shaking my head, I pull the lid off the box when they get to one and freeze.
My eyes immediately snap up to Bonnie who gives me a wide smile and nods.
Looking down, I slowly reach into the little gift box and pull the item inside out, my smile matching Bonnie’s as the box falls to the ground and I stare at the two little pink lines in my hand.