Epilogue
Angie
One Year Later
The love of a family is life’s greatest blessing.
~ Eva Burrows
“I want to pour the popcorn, Daddy!” Levi reaches for the bucket EJ is about to pour into the kettle corn machine.
“I want to too!” Jack says.
Daddy. I don’t know if I’ll ever fully get over the way the boys spontaneously started calling EJ Daddy a few months before the wedding.
“It’s really hot,” EJ says.
“I can be so careful,” Levi promises.
“I can be carefuller,” Jack says.
Neither EJ nor I correct Jack’s grammar. Not today. It’s Bordeaux Days and we’re working this booth as a family. EJ got another firefighter to take his place helping with the Corncob Drop so we could volunteer together. After our shift here, we’re meeting up with Mom to take the boys on rides.
This day feels almost magical with the banners snapping in the breeze, grills heating, and the smell of kettle corn filling the air. Kids run between booths and music filters from the overhead speakers. The town is alive with one of our favorite annual celebrations.
I hand Jed White his change and he thanks me and turns to leave.
“Bye Mister White!” Levi says. Jack echoes him.
They’ve been having the best time wearing matching corn-themed T-shirts, handing out bags of popped corn and helping in ways I never could have let them in the past years. They were too young and I was single-handedly managing them.
Memaw approaches the booth with Esther and Mabel.
“Well, now.” She smiles warmly. “If it isn’t my favorite new family in Bordeaux.”
“I thought Lexi and Trevor were your favorites,” Esther says.
“I thought it was Aiden and Em and their kids,” Mabel says.
“Oh hush, you two,” Memaw chides with her signature smile. “I can have more than one favorite.”
“That’s not what a favorite is,” Mabel says. “It means you like something better than something else—better than everything else, to be exact.”
“Well, I do. I like them better than any other family I’m talking to right now.”
The three of them face one another. I know them. They’re just warming up.
“What can we do for you ladies?” EJ says, cutting through their never-ending banter.
“I would get a bag of your popcorn but those little kernel skins get stuck in my teeth,” Esther says. “I had one in there for nearly a week once.”
“You need a water pick,” Mabel says. “That thing would spray that skin right out of your teeth. Good as new.”
“It might spray my skin right off my gums too,” Esther says, shaking her head.
“We just want to say hi,” Memaw says. “And I’m getting two bags. One for Trevor and his family and one for Aiden, Em and the kids. Oh! Make it three. I’d better get one for Karina while I’m at it.”
“Still spoiling the grandkids after all these years,” Mabel says.
“What good is it to have a grandmother if she’s not spoiling you?” Memaw asks.
“That’s a fact,” Esther says.
“I love my grandma,” Jack tells the three seniors across the table from him.
“Me too!” Levi adds.
“She’s a keeper,” Mabel agrees with a smile.
EJ grabs three bags of the fresh kettle corn and hands it over to Memaw. She puts it in a reusable grocery bag that she pulls out of her purse just like she’s Mary Poppins. Then she hands EJ her money and smiles at me.
“Looks like you might have a secret,” she smiles softly, her words coming out nearly under her breath and directed to me alone.
I just smile and whisper back, “Don’t we all have a few secrets?”
Esther says, “What was that? She might have a sneaker?” Then she glances down at my shoes. “Looks like she’s got two to be exact.”
Memaw laughs softly. “Esther, I’ve told you not to leave the house without your hearing aids.”
“I don’t like how they look on me.”
“Suit yourself,” Memaw says.
“Shoot myself?” Esther’s brow draws in and she scowls. “Isn’t that a bit extreme?”
Memaw shakes her head, holds up the bag full of popcorn bags and says, “Thank you all.”
The twins shout, “You’re welcome!”
Jack adds, “Don’t shoot yourself, Miss Esther.”
“She won’t,” EJ assures him. “They were just joking around.”
Levi makes pew pew pew noises and holds his fingers up at Jack. Jack lifts his hands, ready to shoot back.
“No shootouts in the booth,” EJ says to the boys.
They pocket their finger guns and listen to him.
That’s another thing I’m barely getting used to. I’ve been the one to correct, guide and discipline for years. Mom pitched in, but it all fell to me. EJ eased right into his role as a stepparent to the boys. They take him very seriously—at least, for now they do.
He told me he wanted to take the weight off my shoulders, and he has—in more ways than I anticipated.
His arms slip around my waist from behind me. “You look beautiful today. Glowing, even. Did I tell you that?”
“About a hundred times,” I say, sinking back into him. “But you can tell me a hundred and two.”
“One more left, huh?” he chuckles softly. “I’d better save that up for a special moment. Maybe after the boys are in bed.”
He places a soft kiss on my temple.
“You can tell me then, but you might get a snore as an answer,” I warn him.
“Maybe I’ll tell you while I’m rubbing your feet when we get home.”
“That’ll work,” I say through my smile.
Shannon and Laura pop in from the back of the booth.
“I finally got her away from Duke long enough to come work her shift,” Laura mock complains.
“What can I say?” Shannon says. “My fiance wants all my free moments to himself.”
“You don’t put up much of a fight,” Laura says.
“Why would I?” Shannon answers with a smile.
She’s got that rosy look of a woman in love. I know the feeling. I never thought I would, but I do.
“You are free to go,” Laura says to us. “Have a blast!”
“We’re going to pet the baby cows,” Levi tells Laura, pointing in the general direction of the petting zoo.
“And piglets!” Jack adds.
“And goats!” Levi practically shouts.
“And you can sit in a tractor and pretend to drive it,” Laura informs the boys.
They look up at EJ and ask, “Can we?” in unison.
“Of course,” EJ says. He turns to Laura and Shannon. “Everything good? Do you need anything else from us?”
“We’re good. Go have fun,” Laura says.
I grab the backpack I brought instead of a purse.
EJ and I each clasp one of our boys’ hands and lead them out the back of the booth.
Levi tugs on my hand and I run behind him. A wave of dizziness washes over me and I stop in place. EJ pauses, looking over his shoulder from his spot a yard ahead of me.
“Everything okay?” he asks.
“Yeah. Just a little lightheaded,” I say. “I probably need some water.”
“Get Mommy water!” Jack says.
“I’m okay, buddy. I’ll just sit at the picnic table for a minute. You can go with Daddy.”
“I want to stay with you,” Jack says.
“I’m really okay.”
“But I’ll wait for you,” Jack says. “Like you wait for me when I’m tired.”
I smile and look up at EJ. He nods. “Let’s get you water and then we’ll all go to see the animals together.”
I find a spot at a picnic table while Levi and EJ walk over to the food trucks and booths back near the kettle corn stand.
I probably shouldn’t have been living on kettle corn without water or protein this morning.
Jack holds my hand and rests his head on my arm.
“I really am okay,” I assure him. Then I purposely change the topic. “What animal are you going to pet first?”
“I’m going to catch a baby goat and make it hug me.”
I chuckle. “That’s a plan. Good luck catching one.”
“I’m really good at it. Can we get one?”
“A baby goat?”
“Yeah. They’re so bouncy. Like Tigger. I want one.”
“Maybe not right now.”
“But later?”
“Let’s talk about it with Dad and Levi.”
“Levi will say yes.”
“You’re right about that.” I smile.
“But Daddy might say no,” Jack says, his face turning earnest.
“He might. But it would be because he loves us and wants what’s best for us.”
“You always say that.”
“Because it’s true.”
“I know. We love ourselves. Our whole family of selves.”
My smile comes from somewhere deep inside me. “Yes, we do.”
EJ and Levi return with a cold bottle of water and a plate loaded with potato salad, a turkey leg and burger.
“What’s all this?” I ask him.
“I thought you might be hungry.”
He sets the plate in front of me. I pick some meat off the turkey and EJ and the boys make light work of the burger and potato salad.
Food helps. I feel much better after eating.
“Everyone ready?” I ask, standing, grabbing my backpack, and taking our trash to a can.
We walk toward the petting zoo and a volunteer lets the boys through the gate where all the baby animals are playing or sleeping.
“Why are babies so adorable?” EJ asks almost absentmindedly.
“Hmmm,” I put my finger to my lip and roll my eyes to the sky as if I’m pondering his question.
I couldn’t have asked for a better segue.
I reach out and grab EJ’s hand, placing it over my belly and leaving my hand over his.
His brow scrunches slightly.
“You know what I think?” I ask him.
“What?” He still looks mildly confused, but I can see the reality dawning on him like a sunrise, soft and slow and light.
“I think your baby is going to be the most adorable.”
“My … ?” EJ’s brows draw in even more and then his eyes go wide. “My baby?”
“Well ours, technically. But, yes.”
“We just got married three months ago,” he says, in awe.
“Mm hmm,” I say smiling.
We want more children. At least one more. So we just left the possibility open.
“We’re having a baby,” he says in a nearly reverent tone. His eyes moisten with tears and he glances down where his hand is resting under mine.
“How far are you?” he asks.
“Five weeks.”
“Five weeks,” he echoes. Then he leans in and kisses my cheek. “Do you need anything? Is that why you were dizzy? Should you be sitting down?”
I laugh softly. “I’m fine. Healthy. And no, I don’t need anything. I’m just a little more tired at night.”
“Do you want me to take over bedtime with the boys without you?”
“Not on your life,” I tell him. “I love that time of day most.”
He pulls me into a hug. “Me too. It’s my favorite. This baby’s going to come out singing Itsy Bitsy Spider.”
“The boys are going to be so excited,” I say.
“They are. When do you want to tell them?” EJ asks.
“Whenever you’re ready. I just wanted you to be the first to know.”
“Let’s tell them tonight.”
“At bedtime?” I ask.
“Maybe at dinner. That way we don’t get them too excited before bed.”
“Maybe we should tell them even sooner so the excitement has a little time to wear off,” I suggest.
“Like … now?” EJ asks.
I glance into the petting zoo. Levi’s sitting on the ground while a baby pig walks back and forth across his lap. He’s giggling and waving.
“Look, Mommy! He likes me.”
I smile back at him. Then my eyes dart around, following Jack, who is chasing down a baby goat. The goat’s far more nimble and way faster than Jack.
“I’m gonna get you!” Jack says, laughing when the goat leaps out of the way once again.
“Now’s good,” I tell EJ.
He asks the volunteer to open the gate to the pen.
We walk over to where Levi’s on the ground with the piglet.
“I want to name him Macaroni,” Levi announces. “And he can come home with us. I promise I’ll take good care of him.”
“Piglets need their mommies,” EJ says. “But maybe we can go out to the Whites’ farm and visit him again sometimes.”
“He really really’s gonna miss me,” Levi says.
“I can see that,” EJ says. Then he looks over toward Jack and calls his name. “Jack! Come over here for a minute.”
“Okay!” Jack says, abandoning the baby goat chase to come near.
Jack plops down in the hay next to us.
EJ says, “Your mom has something important to tell you boys. It’s really exciting news.”
“What?” they say at the same time.
“Well,” I say. “You know how much you love baby pigs and baby goats?”
“And baby cows!” Jack says, enthusiastically.
“Yes. And baby cows.” I smile at both my sons. “Well, Mommy is having a baby.”
“A baby goat?” Jack asks, his face scrunched so hard I almost laugh.
“No, a baby. Like you boys were babies.”
“Like a brother?” Levi asks.
“Like a brother or a sister,” I say. “We don’t know yet.”
“Well then I want the sister,” Jack says.
“Me too,” Levi says.
“We don’t get to put in an order,” I explain. “We get to find out in a while.”
“Is it your baby?” Jack asks EJ.
EJ looks at me, and I try to come up with an answer, but then EJ says, “It’s our baby.” He points around at the whole family. “All of ours. Another person in our family.”
“So we can love them?” Jack asks.
“Yes,” EJ says, looking over at me. “So we can love them.”
EJ reaches over to me, grasping my hand and giving it a squeeze. I settle into his gaze, just like I’ve settled into everything else about him over the past year. He won my heart through his patience and gentle persistence. And he hasn’t stopped showing up for me ever since.
Jack jumps up and says, “I’m going to catch a goat for my new baby brother.”
“I’ll help you!” Levi exclaims, chasing after him.
“We’re about to be outnumbered,” EJ says, scooting closer to me in the hay and giving the baby piglet a scratch behind the ears.
“Welcome to my world,” I tell him.
“Our world,” EJ says softly, and he places a hand on my belly when he leans in to kiss me.
Our boys yell after the goat. Animals bleat. The muffled noises of the festival surround us.
“I love you,” he says, pulling back and smiling at me.
“I love us,” I tell him.
“Yeah, me too.” He gently pats my belly, resting his hand directly over our baby. “All of us.”
You discovered the quaint and quirky town of Bordeaux.
Good news—you don’t have to leave. You can keep coming back in the Getting Shipped stories.
Start at the beginning in Friendshipped.
Trevor and Lexi are in love.
Only they don’t know it yet.
You’ll laugh your way through their story.