Epilogue
JASON
The Next Year
“You want one of those, love?” I ask Eileen as she holds Caroline, one of Jack’s twin daughters.
They are only a few hours old but already loved by all their uncles. Mom and Dad are over the moon. Emmeline is feeding Marianne. Mom would be holding her hostage if that wasn’t the case.
“Not yet,” Eileen answers kissing Caroline’s forehead. “We have a lot on our plates, don’t you think?”
I smile and nod.
Last September, we opened a therapeutic practice that combines everything she’s always dreamt of—helping children and adults with special needs who only have to pay according to their income.
The clinic keeps me busy, and helping others is a great change of pace from what I used to do before.
“I love their names,” Eileen says when Jack takes his sweet little girl from her. “But how did you guys come up with them.”
Jack glances at Em who smiles at him. They don’t answer, but I’m sure there’s a story behind them.
I get it. There are stories worth telling and others worth living. Eileen and I share some of the pictures we take during our trips but keep the stories behind them to ourselves.
We lived them for us.
Life isn’t exactly what I dreamt when I became an adult. It’s actually better. Unconventional at times, but perfect for us.
Eileen and I are made for each other. We have our disagreements—who doesn’t? But after hours of arguing, she wins and I get to have fantastic sex, so in retrospect, I win.
I win because I spend my days with the love of my life. A woman who is not only wonderful but loves me the way I am.
My parents keep asking me when we will get married. I don’t have an answer for them. We exchanged our vows a year ago—at Charlie’s wedding unbeknownst to our families.
The paper doesn’t matter.
I am already spending my life with my best friend and my forever love.