Epilogue
“Come on,Mommy! I want to see Riley,” Grace shouts, running back into the house for the fourth time in three minutes.
“We’re coming, sweetie. Hold on,” I laugh as she darts back out to where she’s been waiting by the car door, beyond excited to see her new cousin. Kim had Riley at least a month ago now—shortly after we got Grace back, actually—but has only just started getting back into a daily routine.
We all got to visit and see them after the birth, but she felt overwhelmed those first few weeks, so we’ve all been coming over only when she has been up for it. Now, every time Grace hears we have the opportunity to see baby Riley, she starts bouncing on the walls like the Tasmanian devil on speed.
Very quickly, my little girl has found a new best friend. So much so that I think Becca is starting to feel a little jealous. Their own relationship blossomed after that night in the hospital. Becca couldn’t go anywhere without Grace wanting to tag along, much to her delight. As much as she loves her big brother, I think she cherishes the big sister role she found herself in.
“Alright, I’m ready. Got everything?” I ask Becca and Lincoln as I walk into my kitchen. Well, not my kitchen for much longer. Lincoln and I both put our places on the market and decided to start completely fresh. A new home, but still here in Flagstaff near my family. Lincoln had no desire to stay in Phoenix, where his mom and dad are, so he applied to a few jobs down here near me. Even though I know there is no love lost between him and his parents, I still asked him if he was sure quitting was the right move. It’s a good job, one he’s worked hard at for longer than I’ve known him.
That’s when he dropped the bomb: his parents paid off Judge Whittington to rule in Talia’s favor. Just to spite me for coming back into their son”s life.
I knew there was some outside factor involved—whether it was his parents or a private investigator Talia’s lawyer hired—because how else would they have known about my relationship with Lincoln? And that we had spent several weekends with him.
To hear it was their fault I lost Grace, their fault that she spent a weekend in a veritable crack den, drove me mad. All I could think about after it was retribution. Lincoln agreed immediately.
So when he started hitting me with ideas, I was reminded how much I love this man. It boiled down to ruining the one thing they care about more than anything else.
Their appearances.
After Lincoln quit, we took our story and all the evidence we collected to a reporter friend he has at The Arizona Republic. He published our story, Lincoln’s parents’ involvement in it, and we watched the chaos unfold.
The reporter’s editor did make him anonymize the judge’s name for political reasons, but the story ran right below a big, blown up picture of Jack and Gwen Walton. The outrage that poured in from the community made it one of their most clicked stories, the reporter told us. Lincoln’s friends at his parents’ company said clients were leaving left and right, the Waltons have been disinvited from every major charity event for the rest of the year, and Gwen was asked to step down from every society board she sits on—sat on.
Jeremy even told Lincoln that the pair of them had taken several weeks off work for a ‘vacation’ and, even since they had been back, had been working from home.
It’s not as much as they deserve, but it made me happy. Made us both happy.
So it’s safe to say, no. Lincoln doesn’t miss working with his shitty-ass parents and was all too happy to apply to jobs in Flagstaff.
Three offers came through within the first two weeks of his applications being submitted, and he put his penthouse up for sale that night.
A little nervous about how she’d feel, I sat Becca down and asked her if she’d be alright moving to Flagstaff and living with me and Grace, too. All she had done was roll her eyes as if my even asking was ridiculous.
So we started looking. We have our eye on this beautiful four-bedroom ranch house that sits on a few acres just outside of the city limits. It’s got everything all of us are looking for. Becca’s got room for a small horse barn. Lincoln has an office and a huge garage that will fit both our cars and the home gym he wants to build. I’ve got a closet space coming out the wazoo and a giant jacuzzi tub in the master bath.
There is even a play set already built in the backyard for Grace.
Lincoln put in an offer yesterday with our real estate agent—well above list price—and we’re waiting to hear back.
“Ready!” Becca chirps as she spins around with her fruit pizza in hand. When she heard Kim wanted to do a cookout, she insisted on bringing a dish. Then she had eyed Lincoln with enough judgment that he felt compelled to bring one, too. So we’re showing up to this party with a huge fruit dessert and enough homemade mac n’ cheese to feed both our families twice, and I didn’t have to lift a finger. Grace even got herself ready.
I’m feeling incredibly spoiled and also a little insignificant at the same time.
“Almost ready,” Lincoln says and hands Becca the platter of mac n’ cheese to carry out to the car. She takes it without question and then hurries outside, not making eye contact with me.
Strange.
“What was that about?” I ask out loud as I watch the screen door slam shut behind her. Lincoln doesn”t answer, so I turn around to see what he’s doing. But my eyes land on the top of his head. Confused, I glance down to see him on one knee in front of me, holding the ring box he’s kept put away for the past four years.
Blood rushes from my face, and I feel a little faint all of a sudden. We haven’t talked about it. Not even mentioned it since I found the ring months ago. The rate at which my hands get clammy is astonishing, and when he grabs one in his own, I fight the urge to pull it back so he doesn’t feel the sweat on it.
“Lillian,” he grins up at me. Sexy and smug and so damn sure of himself. Of us. “I know this is going to seem sudden to some people. Most, maybe. But I’ve loved you from the moment I met you over four years ago. You coming back into my life feels like a sign. Like fate is telling us we belong together. So those people can go to hell because four years of loving you is long enough for me. Waiting has tested my patience just about as much as it can be tested. So marry me, Frasier. Let’s finally build our life together.”
Words are lost on me as I stare down at the only man I’ve ever truly loved. Who fought for me and for Grace. Who made sure she’d never have to leave my side again and is single-handedly the reason her last name is getting changed to Frasier. Or Walton now, I suppose, because…
“Yes,” I whisper. The word is small and barely audible as I try to push it past the lump in my throat.
A broad smile stretches across his face as he stands, takes the ring from the box, and slides it on my finger. Then he brushes the tears away I didn’t know were streaming down my face and kisses me. His lips crash against mine as his hands cradle each side of my face, holding onto me, cherishing me.
Cheering from the door makes me startle away from him. Lincoln and I turn to see Becca holding Grace on one hip as they both smile at the pair of us. Grace claps, and Becca wolf-whistles while we stand there basking in the moment.
“Uh oh, Gracie-Lou,” Becca stage whispers, “I think this means Linc is gonna be your dad now.” Something reaches in and squeezes my heart at her words. Not that he wasn’t already, but now we can make it official.
“Finally,” my little girl groans in exasperation and rolls her eyes. When we all laugh at her attitude, it hits me. The feeling of fullness. Everything has finally settled into place, and we get to live the rest of our lives together.
As a family.