Epilogue
Beau
Two Years Later
Delilah’s laughing before she even gets her boots off.
She kicks them toward the door, drops her bag with a thud, and heads straight for the fridge like she’s been chasing trauma calls and bad coffee all day.
Knowing her, she has. The second she finished her medic training, she was out in the field, desperate for action, ready to show our little girl what a strong, capable woman looks like.
I still do a few hours here and there on dispatch, but I’ve been on dad duty for the last couple of years, and I have to say, I’m loving every second of this second chance I got at life.
Our two-year-old Quinn sits in my lap, her chubby fingers wrapped around a half-eaten banana and her curls sticking up like she’s been electrocuted.
She squeals when she sees Delilah, banana flying.
“Mommy!”
Delilah catches the banana mid-air like a damn ninja, kisses Quinn’s forehead, and grabs a juice box from the fridge in one fluid motion. “You will not believe the call I had today.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Was it the vegetable caller?”
She grins. “Yes! Cucumber assault that left some bruising. Elderly couple. He needed to defend his compost pile with the biggest one he could find. She called 911 because she thought he was going rogue with the salad tongs. ”
I blink. “That’s a sentence I can honestly say I’ve never heard before.”
Delilah plops into the chair across from me, stealing a bite of Quinn’s banana like its payment. “I think I might be ready to write that book about vegetable trauma now. It’s a real thing people should be aware of.”
I chuckle, watching her talk with fire in her eyes. She’s different now. Stronger, steadier, rooted in a way she wasn’t when I met her.
I brush a crumb off Quinn’s cheek and set her down next to the fairy princess castle she dragged in from the other room.
It’s been a year since the adoption was official, but I’ve felt it in my heart since day one.
Dave gave up his parental rights without a fight, and we never see him around town.
Not sure where he went, though I’d like to shake his hand.
His fuck-up gave me everything I ever wanted.
There’s something about watching a tiny little version of the woman you love that makes me want to give them both the world, keep them safe, and protect them at all costs.
I stand from the table and reach for my wife, setting her up onto the countertop before leaning in for a kiss. “I gotta say, I’m proud of you and all, but I miss seeing you around dispatch. That ass made going to work worth it.”
She grins wide. “Well, I could always do a drive by tomorrow. You have a morning shift right? We could play medic in the back of the ambulance. I look even better with the uniform off.”
I groan low under my breath and rub my hand between her thighs. “Yeah, I could manage a midmorning break, if you promise to use those trauma shears again. That was sexy as fuck.”
She laughs, soft and breathy, the sound vibrating against my chest. Her fingers curl into my shirt, tugging me closer with that familiar mix of mischief and affection that I love so much.
“Just don’t forget,” she murmurs, lips brushing my jaw, “I’m technically on call. So if someone chokes on a carrot, you might have to wait.”
I groan again, dramatic this time. “Vegetables are ruining my life.”
She grins, eyes sparkling. “But I’m not.”
I look at her closely. Hair messy from the day, cheeks flushed, belly just starting to round again, and I swear, I’ve never seen anything more beautiful.
“No,” I say, brushing a kiss to her temple, “you’re the best damn thing that ever happened to me.” I wrap my arms around her, pulling her close. “I love you.”
She rests her head on my chest, and for a moment, everything’s quiet. Her heartbeat against mine, the soft hum of Quinn’s chaos in the background, and the steady rhythm of a life I never thought I’d have.
A quiet wedding by the river’s edge, a little girl with another on the way, and a woman to love. Not just any woman. A woman who showed me what real strength looks like. A woman who made me want to be a better man. A woman who’s found her worth and lets it shine every day.
I don’t know what I did to deserve her, but I’m damn happy she’s here.
THANK YOU FOR READING.