Extended Epilogue
Harrison
“Gah, I love these getaways. I look forward to them the minute you put visiting Matt and Ellie into the universe.” Harlow laughs, the wind whipping through her long brown tresses as we make our way back home from Sycamore Mountain.
My heart slams against my chest, so full of love for this incredible woman. She works so hard. It’s a privilege to be able to share in these carefree moments. My eyes trail along her colorful tattoo before getting distracted by her bright red manicured toes as they dance against the dash. Fire Engine red, she’d said. Mom’s favorite color.
It was a short trip, but we wanted to meet with Ellie about the menu and our schedule didn’t allow for much time away. The boys have been attending baseball camp during the day and staying with their grandmother each evening. While Rob offered to take the boys, despite it not being his weekend, Harlow’s mom already had their things with her so we collectively decided to leave them there. Rob’s been working hard at Hightower Construction, and I didn’t want to overwhelm him when he’s been doing such a good job. His work ethic and parenting have grown a lot in a short while. But without Jimmy by his side, and us away, I didn’t want to risk it.
Reaching for Harlow’s hand, I start to tell her we’ll have to plan our next trip once we return from our honeymoon until I’m interrupted by a familiar screech and wince. The shrill noise is akin to nails on a chalkboard. Harlow’s singing fills my Pontiac Firebird as one of her favorite tunes pours from the speakers. I can barely make out the words over her off tune shrieking. “And here I thought you were perfect.”
“What?” She cackles.
Making an exaggerated face before lifting her hand in mine to cover my ear, I give her a wink. “This beautiful ride or die I’m committing my life to soon sounds like a cat who got her tail trapped under someone’s foot.”
Pulling her hand away she gives me a playful glare. “Ha-ha. Very funny. I told you I sound better after a few drinks, but you wanted to get straight home to the boys. It’s not often I get to go away with a man for the weekend. Then instead of wanting to stay longer, you decided to leave early. It’s downright embarrassing that my company doesn’t do it for you, mister. Buying me a few drinks for the road to drown my sorrows was the least you could do.”
Interlacing our fingers, I pull her hand back from her thigh and dot chaste kisses along her knuckles. “I can’t help it. I miss them. You know good and well I don’t want to cut my time with you short.” Kiss. “But since we’ve gotten this second chance, I haven’t been able to reconnect with the boys as much as I’d like. I have a lot of making up to do for the way I turned my back on them.”
“Harrison, they understand. Once I explained about your mom… well, they were really sad.” She turns slightly, looking out the front window with a faraway look in her eyes. That must’ve been tough, sharing that someone they knew, even for such a short while, was no longer here. Death can be so scary to children. They don’t understand it’s part of life. Hell, I didn’t understand it until I could heal enough to see my mother was trapped here. As much as I miss her, I know she’s in a better place. “They love you. They’re glad to have you back.”
A broad smile stretches my facial muscles at her words. Her and the boys bring a pure joy to my life that very few ever have. Resting my head back as we drive, I let the warmth of the sun embrace me as I consider how fortunate I am. It was only a few months ago that I felt I’d lost my one connection to family. To the one person who loved me enough to stay.
Fast forward to today, and I’m able to come home to Harlow and the boys each night. What’s more, I’m surrounded by people who show me how much they love and respect me, both in my personal life and on the job. My thoughts drift back to Mom’s memorial. The number of people lining the pews were all there to show respect for my mother. And to an extent, me.
While I might be leaving my brother and Ellie behind, I have no doubt they’ll always be here if I need them. We simply need to make spending time together a bigger priority. Stop living to work, but work to live.
And that’s exactly the motto I need to keep at the forefront with Harlow and her boys. Not get buried under meetings and deadlines. Protect that space where my family needs to grow.
My family.
“Whatchu thinking about over there all dreamy eyed, stud?” She waggles her brows at me.
I chuckle. “For once, it’s not what you think.” I squeeze her thigh. “Just thinking how damn lucky I am. I’m glad we decided to seize the day and not schedule some crazy big wedding that would take a year to plan.”
Harlow’s gaze turns serious. “I love you. I can’t wait to marry you, Mr. Hightower.” She pauses contemplatively. “And this one’s gonna stick.” She throws her head back in laughter.
“Oh, yeah. How are you so sure?” It’s a rhetorical question. I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life. This girl was made for me.
“Third time’s the charm!” she squeals before reaching to turn up the volume on the car radio singling along to the chorus of “All American” by Mickey Guyton.
Okay, maybe singing isn’t the best word for this.
Bounding through the sliding glass doors in search of my fiancé, I pause when muffled sounds of dismay greet me.
What the heck?
Coming closer to our bedroom I come to a sudden halt. It’s officially the end of my last day of work before our wedding. I’d pulled into the driveway feeling like a giddy teenage girl, but hearing Harlow’s tears has pulled the rug out from under me.
I nervously rap my knuckles against the door before pushing it open to find her curled up on the bed, her face buried in her pillow. “Baby? What’s wrong?”
Harlow jolts at my words, my arrival startling her. “What are you doing here?” She sniffles.
“Uh. I live here?”
“No. I didn’t think you’d be home ‘til later.”
“What’s going on, Har? You’re scaring me.” I pause, pushing my hands through my hair. “Are you—?”
Her big green eyes connect with mine in alarm. Shit.
“Are you having second thoughts?”
“No!” She wails as she drops her face back into her pillow.
Sitting down beside her, I gently rub circles onto her back. She feels warm. And now that I think of it, her skin seems flushed. I’d chalked it up to her crying. “Baby, are you sick?” And here I was hoping to convince her not to spend the night before our wedding at her mom’s house. But if she ends up sick on our wedding day… well, no wonder she’s crying.
“Just once… just once I wanted to do this right,” she splutters.
“Do what right? You’re perfect, Har. I’m sure you’re—”
Suddenly she thrusts her arm in my direction, wielding a white stick. Her face is still pressed firmly into the pillow, so I retrieve the hard plastic from her grasp and pull it closer. There are two pink lines.
Wait…
“Har?”
“Yes,” she chokes out over a sob.
“Is this what I think it is?”
“If you call me fertile Myrtle, I’ll stab you in the balls with that thing.”
Reality starts to sink in and I spring up from the bed. “Holy shit,” I blurt. The insane way I’m feeling right now it utterly indescribable. I jump onto the bed, bouncing up and down like a lunatic as Harlow’s limp form springs up and down with each launch from the mattress.
“Please stop, you crazy man. Or I’ll puke again.”
Dropping to my knees to settle the bed quickly, I stroke her long hair away from her face. “Sorry, baby.”
Turning her head, she opens one eye to look up at me. “I’d believe you if you didn’t have a smile on your face that mimics a Cheshire cat.”
“My girl is having my baby. What other expression do you expect me to have?”
Harlow lets out a groan. “I wanted to do it right this time. Get married before I got pregnant.” She rolls onto her back looking up at me in earnest. “Now everyone’s going to think this is a shotgun wedding. That we planned it quickly because I got knocked up. Again.” Harlow throws her open palms over her face.
Straddling her body, I gently pull her hands down. Her sweet face is puffy and streaked with tears. “First, we both know why we’re getting married. I can’t live another second without you and the boys. Second, who cares what anyone else thinks? No one needs to know until we get back from our honeymoon. Or until you start to show. It’s no one else’s business.” My eyes drop down to her belly and my chest swells with pride.
“Yeah. We’ll never be able to keep this under wraps if you keep looking at me like that.”
Bending down, I bury my face in her neck. “I can’t help it. Harlow, I thought marrying you was going to make me the happiest man alive. But this.” Smiling into her warm skin, I give her a tight squeeze. “I never knew anything could feel this amazing.” Springing up from where I’ve been lying against her, I tug her up with me. Dropping my arms around her, I pull her into me. “If someone at Mom’s funeral had told me to keep my chin up, because I was going to have a beautiful wife and three kids in the near future, I would’ve laughed in their face.”
“You’re okay with this?” Harlow asks quietly.
“Okay? I’ve never been more excited about anything! I’m getting the chance to raise a family with you. I’d accepted the fact I’d probably never have biological children. You, Jimmy, and Rob allowing me to share in the boys’ lives was honestly enough. But I don’t think I realized how much I wanted this until now.” Cupping my little mermaid’s face in my hands, I lean in for a tender kiss before dropping my forehead to hers. “Thank you. Thank you for loving me more than I deserve. For giving me a life I never imagined was possible.”
“Stop, Harry. You’re going to make me cry. I’m already hormonal as hell. Jeez. This wedding is going to be something. I’m going to cry from sun up to sun down.”
“No.” I cover her face with kisses. “There’ll be time for happy tears. And we’ve earned them. The rest of the wedding and reception is going to be a celebration of all we’ve been given.”
Harlow dabs at her wet cheeks with the back of her hand. “You’re right. We’re going to celebrate the beginning of our happily ever after with all of our friends and family.”
My face falls at her statement before I can gather my thoughts. I almost blurt, that not all of our family will be there. But my perfect girl senses what I’m thinking.
“Carolyn will be there, watching over us with a proud smile on her face. I just know it, Harry.”
Harlow
Three years later
“And that’s Daddy,” I say pointing at the picture of my handsome husband dressed in his white shirt and linen suit pants on our wedding day.
Carrie Lynn bounces on my leg and claps. “Dada.”
Flipping the pages of our wedding photo album has become a ritual before nap time. My daughter loves to look at her father, brothers, and me all dressed up on our special day. She gives me a toothy grin when I tell her she was there too. That Mommy had just found out about her, making our ceremony even more spectacular.
“There’s Alec,” I say as I point at her brother’s photo. He made quite the ring bearer that day.
“Jussin,” Carrie squeals as she puts her chubby palm down over the next photo. Justin stood proudly in line as one of Harrison’s groomsmen.
My finger bounces down the row, pointing out each of the men in our extended family. “Daddy, Uncle Matt, Justin, Jimmy, and Rob.” I laugh. How many people can say their ex-husbands were in their wedding party? But Harrison wouldn’t have it any other way.
Family isn’t limited to a biological mom and dad. My work in the ER has shown that it can come in many different shapes and sizes. Foster parents. Same sex parents. Adoptive parents. Grandparents raising their grandchildren. Or a found family who embraces what each member brings to the table. Ex-husbands and all.
As is customary, Carrie lets out a yawn as we reach the end of the photo album, signaling its naptime. Carefully placing it on the small table by the rocker, I lift her in my arms as her heavy lids drift closed over her green eyes. This sweet cherub has brought so much light into our lives, and I’ll be eternally grateful.
I sway her tiny body in my arms for a few moments before bending to place her in the crib. Smiling down at her, I push the light brown hair from her forehead. So many of her features she seems to have inherited from her father. With Alec and Justin resembling their fathers, I was certain a little girl would look more like me.
Tip toeing to the door, I close it gently behind me, and place my hand over my swollen belly. “Think you could have some darker hair and my nose, baby girl? No pressure or anything.” I inwardly laugh. But I honestly don’t mind if both of my girls resemble their dad. To see the face of my Hard Hat Hottie reflected back at me is a precious gift I’ll never take for granted.
Carrying the baby monitor with me, I carefully descend the stairs until the unexpected sound of music playing halts my steps. Once I identify the tune, I smile continuing my way down the last step to find my husband staring out at the ocean.
“Hey. What are you doing home in the middle of the day?”
Harrison spins on his heel, flashing a grin in my direction before meeting me at the steps. “Been working too many long hours. I’ve been missing you lately,” he says pulling me in for a hug.
“I understand. You’ve got a lot going on with work. I’m so proud of you, Harry. I don’t tell you enough.”
My husband places a soft kiss to my temple as we sway back and forth to our wedding song. “I’m grateful for how Hightower Construction has grown. But I never want you to question my priorities.” Harrison holds me at arm’s length, looking directly into my eyes. “Without a doubt, if I have to choose, I choose you.”
As Lee Ann Womack belts out our favorite song, I wrap my arms around Harrison’s back, pulling myself as close as I can with a nearly full-term baby between us. “Same.”
I never want to sit it out again for fear of failure. What’s more, I want my children to see how much is waiting for them if they simply take a chance.
And dance.