Epilogue One
EVAN
* Four Years Later *
The tiny fingernails are almost too small to see, but surprisingly sharp. Pale pink fingers clench and unclench, as if testing the air.
"If you don't stop staring at her, you're going to give her a complex," Zinnia laughs from her self-styled "fortress of lounging" on the couch.
She refused to stay in bed any longer, so I carried her downstairs, along with pillows and blankets and everything she needed to be as comfortable as possible.
Over the past week, Rose and Lily have helped train me in the ways of diaper changes, baths, feeding schedules, and so much more. I've actually been watching videos and reading books for the past few months, but nothing prepares you for the real thing.
Our sweet baby girl is just as much of an angel as her mother, wrapped in a soft, pink blanket in my arms.
Jasmine. Our precious blossom.
"When's the last time you actually slept?" Zinnia asks.
"Not important." Waving my finger near Jasmine's tiny, grasping fist, my heart soars when she grabs onto it.
"I think it is," Zinnia says sternly. The tone of her voice makes my head jerk up, focusing on her eyes. "Hand her to me. I'll put on a movie, and you go to bed and sleep for a couple of hours. Scoot."
I love it when my beautiful wife is bossy. Yet how can I leave her alone for even one second after everything she's just gone through?
I warned her that my overprotectiveness would kick into high gear while she was pregnant, and she agreed to let me care for her. After seeing what she experienced in the delivery room, I feel like she shouldn't have to lift a finger for the next several weeks. If ever.
Luckily, Mom has been cooking for us, stuffing our fridge and freezer with home-cooked meals.
She's infatuated with Zinnia and Jasmine.
As is every single person who meets them.
They're both so beautiful, but put them together and it's as if a pink spotlight beams down on them to highlight their radiance.
Okay, maybe I am a bit tired.
My girl knows me so well that she can already sense my inner struggle. "Okay, you stubborn weirdo. Fine. Lie on the other end of the couch and nap."
I love how easily she compromises. Moving the coffee table out of the way, I put Jasmine in her portable bassinet on the floor in front of Zinnia, then stretch out at the opposite end of the long couch so our legs can tangle together.
I tuck a pillow under my head, staring at the miraculous sight in front of me. Zinnia turns on a romantic adventure movie then burrows into her pillows, her hand resting gently on Jasmine's stomach. Their eyes both close, mother and daughter looking like two angels carved from the purest marble.
I didn't know it was possible to love this much. Didn't realize that being surrounded by the love of my girls was the reason I was put on this earth.
I should jump up and scrub the kitchen, then take something out of the freezer for dinner. I should throw in a load of laundry.
Instead, I obey my brilliant wife, and let my eyes close for just a minute…