Epilogue
Six years later, December 23 rd
Mia
“Dr. D’Angelo?”
I looked up from my final chart of the day to see a bright-eyed teenage girl leaning into my doorway, peeking into my office. She casually flipped her long dark hair over her shoulder as she waved a piece of paper excitedly in the air.
“Rylee!” I exclaimed from my desk chair. Clearly, she had news. And I could tell that it must be really, really good. I squeezed the underside of my center desk drawer, trying to act cool.
“I’m so glad you’re still here!” she said, a little breathless. “My mom said you’d probably be gone already for the holiday, but I had to take the chance.”
“Is your mom here too?” I didn’t see anyone standing behind her in the hall.
“I drove here myself.” She was grinning from ear to ear. “Mom said I could. And Reagan’s at art class. But I kind of wanted to come on my own.”
My heart sped up a little as I stood, turned the corner of my desk, and met her in the middle of my office.
I knew why she was here. Part of me still couldn’t believe she was nearly eighteen, bright, beautiful, and most of all, healthy. Life was so…wild.
And at the moment, she was also very, very happy. “I got in!” she said, shoving the paper in front of me.
Congratulations, I read. It is with great pleasure that the faculty, staff, students, and alumni of the University of Wisconsin-Madison welcome you!
Oh, my heart. I jumped and squealed and hugged Rylee, both of us making quite a commotion. Good thing I was the last one in the office, or someone just might’ve called a code.
“You did it,” I said, wiping my eyes. “I’m so proud of you!” And so, so grateful she was here to experience this moment, this life, and the sparkling future ahead of her.
I calmed down enough to keep reading. “Admitted into the College of Letters and Science, Department of Biology.” I looked up to see her beaming. “You always loved science.” She’d even placed second in the state science fair last year.
“Yeah, well, Reagan’s the artist.” Actually, Reagan learned last month that she’d be studying at the Art Institute of Chicago. “I do better with cold, hard facts.” She gazed up at me, suddenly quiet. “Dr. D’Angelo, I want to be a doctor.”
And I thought I’d lost it before. That was nothing compared to this. I felt so proud, so overwhelmed, so…so damn lucky I was here, experiencing this moment that at times I’d feared might never come. After my torrent of tears subsided, I placed my hand on her slight, young shoulder. “You’re going to make a terrific physician, Rylee. I-I’m just…speechless. In the best way.”
“I want to do what you do,” she continued, far more calmly than I. “I want to help kids like you do. I want to work with families and make them feel better, because I understand what it’s like, you know?”
I was so choked up, I could barely speak. “I’m so honored to have a part in your decision. Everything you’ve been through will be a blessing, because you can use your experiences to help others.”
And all those years ago, I thought, hadn’t that been what Brax had known all along about me?
“That’s the plan.” She glanced at her phone. “I gotta go. Mom said I could pick Reagan up after class. We’re going Christmas shopping.”
“Merry Christmas, honey.” I gave her a final squeeze. “You made my day—actually, you made my whole holiday. Give my love to your family.”
“I sure will. Merry Christmas, Dr. D!”
It was nearly five o’clock when I walked onto the adolescent ward, rushing a little because I was late. But the sight in the middle of the hall made me slow my pace.
My handsome husband was standing in the middle of a group of ward-weary residents, some in scrubs, all with stethoscopes around their neck, all paying rapt attention as he talked animatedly, using his hands. Then they all laughed.
It was evident from the way the residents reacted that they liked and respected Brax. Just as he’d been one of our chief residents six years ago, he continued to love teaching and had gotten the Golden Apple Award the past three years in a row, the award that goes to the best teacher for residents.
Also, he was now the head of BCP. Except now it was called Pediatrics of Milwaukee. Even before Dr. Brunner retired, all of us residents made quite a commotion about the practice, and they’d changed their ways. Brax had become an agent for that change, and the group now consisted of three female and three male partners, one of whom was Brax.
As so often happened, he glanced up without warning and saw me. His face broke into a giant smile just as mine did every time I saw him. He shrugged, as if to say Oops, sorry, I got caught up in this . I shrugged back. Except I was wondering, what on earth had he done with our three-year-old?
“She’s got her daddy’s eyes, but who’d she get the curly brown hair from? And the desire to draw all the time?”
I spun about to see Val, holding our fast-asleep three-year-old, head resting on her shoulder and still clutching a red marker in her hand. A faint marker trail cut across her cheek. Those traits she mentioned seemed very much to me to come from my sister, but I just smiled as I shifted my book bag and purse so I could take my child.
“Sorry about that,” Val said, swiping at the marker line while handing her over. “You can blame Bianca. She supplied the markers.”
“Hey, don’t blame the child life specialist,” Bianca said as she walked up, healthy and strong. “Hi, Dr. D.”
I smiled at our incredible child life specialist, who knew how to entertain this ward better than anyone, as I settled my completely passed-out daughter into my arms. “Thanks for exhausting—I mean entertaining her,” I said with a grin. “How long have you two been watching her?”
“Dr. Brax was waiting for you,” Val said, “but then Dr. March wanted him to consult on a patient.”
“We were happy to play with her,” Bianca said. “She’s adorable.”
Yes, she was. “Thanks, you two.”
“No problem.” Bianca handed me a pack of markers. “For your trip.”
“You’re the best,” I said. “These are like, her favorite things in the world.”
Bianca laughed. “We noticed.”
“Hey, Dr. D,” a male voice said. Pedro, wearing scrubs, walked up and snuck a peek at my sleeping toddler. As a physical therapy student, he’d finally found a way to put all that energy to good use. “She looks like Dr. Hughes,” he said. But the one he really had eyes for was Bianca. “You ready, B?”
“I’m done,” she said, pretend-dusting off her hands. “Time for Christmas break.”
Pedro kissed Bianca on the cheek. “Bianca’s coming home with me for Christmas.”
Awww. The would-be physical therapist and the child life specialist were still an item. Too cute.
Then my honey walked over, said hi to everyone, and kissed me hello. Just a simple, straightforward kiss, but it still made my heart race. As he pulled back and smiled, I caught the twinkle in his eye. “Sorry I’m late,” he said.
“You’re forgiven,” I said, still feeling a little weak in the knees.
“I’ll make it up to you later,” he whispered in my ear as he kissed our daughter on the head and took her from me.
Val shook her head. “You two lovebirds,” she said.
Pedro laughed. “I don’t know, but maybe there’s something in the water on this floor.”
We all laughed and wished each other happy holidays.
Romance on the adolescent unit. Guess a bunch of us fell for that.
Gracie slept the whole way to Oak Bluff.
“Still fast asleep,” I said as I turned back around from checking on her. “She’s going to be up all night.”
“That’s okay,” Brax said as we held hands on the seat between us. “I have a feeling your mom will steal her from us the moment we walk in.”
“And keep her most of the time we’re there.”
We were both tired but happy to have an entire week off. We’d spend half of it at my parents’ house and half with Jenna and Aiden and their three kids. An entire week to spend with family was a treat.
In Oak Bluff, my parents met us at the door with hugs and kisses all around.
My mom looked happy and healthy, her hair now longer, but still its natural gray color. I’d never stopped being grateful for having her. After she greeted me and fussed over Grace, she pulled me aside and handed me a little bag, which I quickly tucked into Grace’s travel bag.
“You got it,” I exclaimed. “Thank you.”
She nodded. “He did a beautiful job. Brax is going to love it.”
“Thanks, Mom. I’m so excited to be home.”
“Hi, sweetheart,” my dad said, greeting me quickly, then racing to beat my mom by stealing Gracie away first to see the big Christmas tree. Of course, my mom followed right behind.
That left Brax and me to haul our suitcases up to our room and get settled.
As soon as we got into my old room, Brax grabbed my hand, sat down on the bed, and pulled me into his lap. I noticed that the familiar tree was lit with glowing red and pink lights. Nick Jonas had left the room a while ago. After all, he was married and a parent too, so it just didn’t seem fitting anymore for me to keep hanging onto that old dream. Haha.
I caught sight of the old photo of me and Grace at our five-year-old birthday party. In my mind, I gave her a quick mental update. Your namesake is just like you . I’m living my life the way you’d want me to, trying to be bold and unafraid. Trying to be my best self. You helped me get here.
“Hi,” Brax said to me, smiling. Being the object of his smile still felt like being in the light of the sun. Warm and wonderful.
“Why are you smiling?” I asked.
He kissed me. “Because we’re off, it’s almost Christmas, and for at least a few minutes, our daughter is in the loving care of her doting grandparents.”
“Hi to you too,” I said, going in for another kiss.
He blew out a big breath, as if with that, he left all the work stress behind for the holiday. “I’m looking forward to having some time off with you.”
“Me too.” I smiled and got up, walking over to my bag and pulling out the little package my mom had handed to me. “I have an early Christmas present for you.”
He looked puzzled. And like all he really wanted were more kisses. “Now?”
I nodded. “Right now. It’s—important. While we’re alone. And it’s quiet.”
He gave me a shouldn’t-we-be-responsible-parents-and-seek-out-our-child look.
“My mom’s been waiting for a month to have Grace all to herself.” I pushed the box into his hands.
He tore open the package to reveal of all things, a small cube-shaped box. “This isn’t a snow globe, is it?”
I shook my head. “Of course not.” When he sent me a questioning look, I shrugged. “Just open it.”
He tore it open to reveal…a snow globe, similar to the one Brax had given me six years ago that sat on my desk at work and that I fondly looked at a hundred times a day. It inspired me and reminded me of who I aspired to be. The inside of this one, however, was a completely different scene. It held a family. A man and a woman, and two little children, all bundled in winter coats, building a snowman. And a golden retriever frolicking in the snow.
“We don’t have a dog,” he said slowly.
“Not yet,” I said with a smile. “Keep going.” I made a rolling motion with my hands.
Frowning, he looked from me to the globe, studying it carefully. He lifted his head and met my eyes. “…or a second child.”
“That’s correct.” I nodded sagely. “But in about eight months, we will.”
It was the big thrills of my life to watch his eyes grew wide and the truth dawn. “No way.”
“Yes, way.”
He moved fast, so fast, I’m not sure how he carefully set down the globe and tackled me on the bed. “Dr. D’Angelo-Hughes, congratulations.” He gave me a loving gaze, his eyes full of happiness. The exact same happiness that was overflowing in my heart.
“It’s going to get a little busier around here,” I said. “You okay with that?”
“I love being insanely busy and having no sleep and working twenty-four seven. It reminds me of our residency days.”
He shook his head incredulously, and then he kissed me tenderly. I wrapped my arms around his neck, felt the familiar silkiness of his thick hair, and pulled him in closer. His lips were soft and so familiar, moving over mine in a way that sent warmth flooding through me, making me breathless and dizzy. Still.
“Thank you for giving me your love. Every day is like Christmas with you,” he said.
“You make me my best self,” I said. “You helped me find my true destiny.”
“I’m glad mine’s with you.” He kissed me. “Love you.”
“Love you too. Merry Christmas.”
Then we headed out to tell the fam our news.