Epilogue
OVERTIME
Ali’s eyes were heavy with exhaustion as she looked down at our daughter in her arms. “What do you think? What does she look like?”
“Beautiful,” I said, leaning forward to kiss Ali. “They're beautiful, you’re beautiful.”
“We can’t just name them beautiful,” she said with an amused grin.
“I could.” I nodded, looking down at the beautiful bundle in my arms.
“Oh my goodness,” Ali said with a little laugh. “Be serious, JP. We have to figure this out.” She struggled to fight off a yawn.
“Maybe you should get some sleep first. I can keep watch.” We rushed to the hospital around midnight and she didn’t deliver the babies until mid-morning. She was running on no sleep after a whole night of intense labor.
Ali squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again. “Nope. I won’t be able to fully rest until we have names. Besides, Annie and our parents are on the way.” She frowned. “We can’t just introduce them as baby one and baby two. They deserve names.”
I smirked. “Our group chat’s been exploding with name suggestions.”
Ali’s ears perked up. “Any good ones?”
I scoffed. “No. Kappy suggested Jo and Lou to pay tribute to the Joe Louis in Detroit.” I rolled my eyes.
Ali laughed. “They’re cute names, but maybe Kappy should save that idea for himself and Piper.”
“That’s what I said!” I laughed. “Piper responded with ‘over my dead body.’”
Ali laughed again before wincing. She struggled to find a good position before settling her head back against the pillows.
Sympathy bloomed in my chest. She had to be in a ton of pain. “You should really sleep while the babies are sleeping.”
“I can’t.” A distressed look crossed her face. “They need names.”
I nodded. “Okay, they do.” The sleeping baby on my shoulder weighed just over six pounds.
I was more grateful than ever for my shoulder surgery because I would’ve missed the birth had I been playing with my team.
Colt was currently on a road trip in Pittsburgh.
I made a full recovery and I’d be suiting up with my team again next week, right on time to help in the playoffs.
“I have an idea,” Ali said, biting her lip. She touched the teeny bit of fluff on baby one’s head.
“I think she looks like”—she pulled back to study the baby—“a Jamie.”
My body stilled as the baby in her lap let out a little squawk of a yawn.
Ali’s face lit up with emotions. “I think she likes it.”
“You think?” I rasped, my eyes going glassy. “Fuck,” I swore under my breath. “Sorry,” I added, because it felt wrong to curse while holding a precious little baby.
Ali gave me her little upside-down smile with tears in her own eyes. “Yes.” She looked down at the baby. “She looks like a Jamie Anastasia, named for my two favorite people in the world. What do you think?”
“I think if that’s what you like, it’s… it’s perfect,” I said, clearing my eyes.
She let out a wet laugh. “Perfect. One down, one to go. Your turn, Daddy.”
I caught my reflection in the bathroom mirror. The tattoo on my hand stood out against the baby’s smooth, delicate skin. I thought back to my dad explaining roses to Ali that very first day I brought her over to Herb’s. She’s a stubborn one. Always rises.
“Rose? Rosie?” I asked. I turned to look at Ali.
Her mouth formed an oh, then she gave me a watery smile. “That’s beautiful. Jamie and Rosie. What about the middle name?”
“Easy. Alinna,” I answered. I smoothed the baby into a different position and her delicate mouth moved. Incredible. She was incredible. “Rosie Alinna, what do you think?”
“Now I’m crying,” Ali said, her face breaking with tears.
“Aw, baby. No, don’t cry,” I said with a shaky laugh. I settled onto the bed next to her. Next to my three girls. We stared down at our tiny babies together. “You were amazing, Al. Absolutely amazing.”
She laid her head on my shoulder. Her eyes looked too heavy to keep open. “No one I would've rather been in this foxhole with,” she whispered.
“Thank you,” I said, pressing a kiss to her head. “This is more than I ever could’ve dreamed.”
“Me too,” she mused, leaning against my shoulder. A little wistful smile played on her lips. “This is magical.” She cleared a happy tear from her eye. “My life is magical.”
I kissed her again, feeling beyond grateful. I achieved every goal in my life.
And now my only goal was to help my girls accomplish all of theirs.
THE END