Epilogue
NINA
I t was hard to believe that one whole year had passed.
Nina looked down at the sleeping face of her younger son in her arms. His eyes were closed, and his long lashes, so reminiscent of his father’s, were splayed across his chubby cheeks. His rosebud mouth was curved in what Nina could only describe as a smile, though her baby books had warned her that at only four months old, Rafi was probably too young to be smiling.
“How are you, my love?” An arm slid around Nina’s waist and she sensed as much as felt Rashad’s presence beside her. She leaned back against his muscular chest, enveloped in his masculine scent and his warmth.
“He just finished feeding and he’s asleep now.” Nina turned her head to give Rashad a quick kiss. “How was the meeting?”
Rashad had just had a virtual sit-down with his two business partners, Amira and Abdul. Since they’d become parents, Nina and Rashad had delegated a significant portion of their work to Rashad’s staff. Now, most of their days were filled with sticky preschooler hands and toothless baby smiles. Occasionally, one of them ducked out for an important meeting or a few hours of essential work, but for the most part, the little family was able to just enjoy each other.
“It went well. They agreed with our plan to partner with hospitals to offer affordable healthcare-monitoring options for newly diagnosed patients.” Rashad kissed Nina’s cheek, the press of his lips sending pleasant shivers down her spine, then kissed Rafi’s forehead. “Let’s put all thoughts of business out of our minds, though. Today is all about family.”
“The twins are excited.” Nina shifted Rafi in her arms and leaned back against Rashad. “I think they know something’s happening, even though we haven’t told them what.”
“Do you think they’ll be happy about me adopting them?” Rashad asked. There was a hesitation in his voice, which Nina knew was because he still worried he wasn’t a good enough dad, even though he did an excellent job with all three children.
“Of course. You’ve been a father to Miles and Kate this last year, and they’ll be thrilled to make things official.”
“I already love them like my kids, so it doesn’t feel like much will change. I am looking forward to having things official, though.”
For the last few months, Rashad and Nina had been discussing Rashad’s planned adoption of the twins. They’d agreed to take the kids out on a weekend yachting trip, just as they’d done more than a year ago, and announce the news then. Nina had cried tears of joy when Rashad had first said he wanted to adopt the twins, although whether that was really from the news or from postpartum hormones, she wasn’t sure. Either way, she was overjoyed that Rashad wanted to become the twins’ official dad.
“Speaking of which, we should go and wake the little rascals,” Nina said. “I’ve already packed their bags, so all we have left to do is give them breakfast and get them out the door.” She carefully laid Rafi into his crib, set up his baby monitor, then slipped out of the nursery with Rashad by her side. Rafi had been up early that morning, wanting to be rocked, so Nina didn’t mind letting him sleep while they got the twins ready.
There was no need to wake Kate and Miles, though, because they were already up when Rashad and Nina came into their room. They were both in Miles’s bed, whispering to each other and giggling.
When Rashad and Nina had purchased their family home in a leafy San Diego suburb six months ago, they’d considered giving each twin their own room. They’d quickly realized, though, that at four years old, both the twins were still happier together than apart. The house was big enough that in a year or two, they could move Kate down the hall to her own bedroom and give both twins some privacy.
Nina loved their house. It was decorated with pictures of the five of them at the park, playing minigolf, and posing with Santa last Christmas. There were also pictures of the twins growing up and a few snapshots of Rashad and Nina posing together. More than anywhere Nina had ever lived, this house felt like a perfect home.
“Are you guys ready to go?” Rashad asked.
“Yeah!” The twins bounced, sharing matching grins that took up most of their little faces. “Let’s go!”
As had become their morning routine, Nina and Rashad each scooped up a twin to help with toothbrushing and dressing. They all reconvened in the kitchen for a breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and fresh fruit expertly prepared by Nina and Rashad earlier that morning, Rafi now awake from his nap and babbling in a carrier on Rashad’s chest.
Nina couldn’t help smiling as she listened to the twins’ excited chatter and caught Rashad’s grin. Everything in her life felt absolutely perfect. The road hadn’t always been easy; it had been an adjustment working with Rashad instead of against him. Learning to parent a newborn all over again had been a learning curve, too. Even being in a relationship after many years alone had meant a lot of adjustments for them both.
Yet every second had been worth it. Nina remembered Rashad scooping the twins into his arms when they’d reunited after three months apart. She remembered him holding her hand during every prenatal appointment and during labor, never wavering. She remembered the first night they’d spent together as a family, all snuggled on the couch under warm blankets, wrinkled newborn Rafi in Nina’s lap, Rashad by her side, and the twins flopped over their legs.
While Nina and Rashad had enjoyed their family, business had been thriving, too. It turned out that they were both able to hand over a lot of their responsibilities without any dire consequences, and business was better than ever. Nina liked to think that, in a few months, she and Rashad might work a little more, together, but for now she loved having everyone at home.
After breakfast, they packed the children into the car. Rafi was sleeping again, even as Nina eased him into the car seat, but he woke once they set off and the twins began to sing along with the oldies station Rashad put on the radio. He smiled gummy smiles at everyone as they drove.
Rashad reached over and gave Nina’s hand a quick squeeze as she drove. She looked up to see that he was smiling at her, a private look of genuine affection that warmed her heart. Even though they were often with the kids, a single look from Rashad always made Nina feel like they were alone together.
On the yacht, Miles “helped” Rashad drive the boat out of the harbor, while Kate “helped” Nina change Rafi’s diaper and get him settled. Once they were out on open water, everyone reconvened for board games and snacks on deck. The afternoon was spent swimming and playing, though Rafi sat out the water portion of events with one parent or the other. As evening drew in, Nina and Rashad exchanged a glance and a nod. With the twins curled up on a bench seat on the top deck and Rafi playing in his portable baby gym, Rashad took Nina’s hand.
“Kate, Miles,” he began, “I have a present for each of you.”
The twins, intrigued, sat up a little straighter as Rashad handed over two gift bags. The twins tore into them and pulled out a T-shirt each. On the T-shirts were five figures: Nina, Rashad, Kate, Miles, and baby Rafi, all enclosed in a heart.
Patiently, Rashad explained. “I’ve loved you like I was your dad for a long time now, but I want to make sure everyone knows we’re a family. I’d like to adopt you both, so that I can be your dad forever and ever.”
The twins had a few questions, but mostly they were excited. They both climbed onto the couch to hug Rashad, and he kissed their heads. When they climbed off, he took their hands.
“I think now it’s time, right?”
The twins nodded, identical blond heads bobbing. “Yeah!”
“Remember what we talked about?”
“Yeah!”
Kate and Miles took each other’s hands and ran into the interior of the yacht. Nina gave Rashad an inquisitive look.
“What was that about?”
“You’ll see.” Rashad took her hand again. A moment later, the twins reemerged, carrying large posterboard signs. They held them up over their heads.
“Marry our dad,” Nina read from Kate’s sign, suddenly breathless. “Please will you,” she read from Miles’s.
“Oops, those might be backwards,” Rashad said. Nina turned to him and saw that he was on the floor on one knee, a ring box open in his hand. A bright diamond glittered up at Nina. “The very first day I met you, you began changing my life for the better. You helped me understand that there’s more to life than work. You taught me how to love, even when it’s frightening. You made me a father. I can never repay you for all you’ve done, but I’d like to spend every day trying, for the rest of our lives, if you’d like that.”
Nina felt teary. “There’s nothing to repay.”
“Even so.” Rashad smiled at her. “I love you, Nina. I want to show you that every day. Please, will you marry me?”
Nina’s heart overflowed with warmth as she held out her hand. “Of course I will.”
In a heartbeat, Rashad slid the ring onto Nina’s finger, before standing and sweeping her into his arms for a kiss. A moment later, the twins were there, hugging their legs, and, smiling at each other, Nina and Rashad bent down for a group hug.
“There’s a celebratory cake in the kitchen,” Rashad told the twins. Squealing with joy, Miles and Kate ran towards the kitchen, and Rashad wrapped his arms around Nina once again. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
“Just like I’ve felt like a dad to the twins for a long time, I’ve felt like a husband to you for a long time, but I’m ready to make things official.”
“So am I.” Nina smiled. “I don’t think I could be happier right now.”
“Just wait until you see the cake.” Rashad winked.
At that moment, little Rafi began to murmur happily. Rashad picked him up, then took Nina’s hand again. Together, they walked towards the kitchen where the twins waited. With her fiancé, soon-to-be husband, by her side, and their three kids around her, everything was perfect.
The End