Epilogue
Maya
Seven Years Later
“I’m so glad you could come for this.” I grin at Derek’s mom, Pamela, as I set canapes on a tray for the party later. It’s Derek’s birthday, and I’m surprising him with his parents, who flew in from Bath just a few hours ago, and a small party later this evening with family.
Of course, if I’d invited the whole family, it would have been a huge party, so I included my parents—who are on their way to pick the kids up from school—and my siblings and their families.
If you count the kids, we’ll still have more than twenty people here.
“Are you kidding?” Pamela samples a crab canape. “Christian and I wouldn’t miss it. I can’t wait to see how big the children have gotten since Christmas.”
“They grow like weeds,” I confirm and then rub my growing belly. Our third little bundle will be here any day, and she’s reminding me to take it easy.
“Here,” Pam says, shooing me out of the way. “Sit for a while and put your feet up. I have this.”
I don’t argue and smile serenely as I watch my mother-in-law bustle around my kitchen. I’ve lived here for five years. Derek and I made a home here with our children and families coming as often as we can get them here.
The relationship between my stubborn, grumpy husband and his parents has softened with time. I think becoming a parent himself gave him some perspective on his childhood, and it makes me happy that their bond has strengthened over the past seven years. Derek claims it’s because of me and my ability to help him understand them, but I disagree. I think love helped him open his heart to his parents.
Pamela and Christian never miss a holiday with us, whether they make the trip here, or we take the kids to see them in Bath.
“I think my boy is pulling into the garage,” Christian says as he joins us in the kitchen. He stands behind me and rubs my shoulders. “How are you feeling, little mum?”
“Tired, but so happy you’re here.” I pat his hand. “Tonight will be fun.”
“And you’ll let us do the work,” Pam says, giving me the stern mom eye. “Your mother and I can handle things. And we have your sister-in-law and brother, too. You just relax and enjoy everyone.”
“Deal. I’m too tired to put up a fight.”
I grin at them as we hear the mudroom door open from the garage.
“Der?” I call out.
“I’m home,” he confirms in that voice that never fails to awaken the butterflies in my stomach. “That new bloody assistant is a pain in my arse, Maya. He can’t do fuck-all right.”
I sigh and bite my lip as Pam tries to hide a laugh behind her hand.
“I’m glad the kids are still in school,” he continues, ranting more. He must be putting his shoes away or something because we still can’t see him. “Because I’m going to strip you naked and bury my—”
He walks into the room and stops cold, his eyes wide as he takes in the scene before him.
“Happy birthday.” I manage to get off the stool and waddle over to my husband so I can wrap my arms around him. “I’m so glad you didn’t finish that sentence.”
“Me, too,” Pam mutters with a laugh.
“That’s my boy,” Christian adds, making us all laugh.
“Surprise, darling,” Pamela crosses over and hugs her son, then kisses his cheek.
“Uh, thank you.” He narrows his eyes at me over his mother’s shoulder, but I just smile at him and rub my hand over my moving belly. Our little girl is active today. “This is a surprise.”
“That’s not the only one,” I reply, but before I can say more, we hear the front door open and the stomping of little feet as our kids come running through the house. “Kids are home.”
“Oh, he beat us here,” my mother says as my parents follow the children inside. “Happy birthday, Derek.”
“Thank you,” he replies, hugging her and then my father.
“It’s your birthday,” Miranda, our youngest, announces with a dance and then launches herself into her father’s arms. “You’re old, but I still love you.”
“How kind,” Derek says and busses her little cheek with a kiss. “Did anyone call you Princess Miranda today?”
“No.” She shrugs and then leans forward to be let down. She’s been wearing her tiara and Belle costume nonstop for a week. I finally had to wash it when she was asleep because she never wants to part with it. “But they will. Eventually. Mikey, let’s go have a tea party.”
My son, so serious at just five years old—just like his father—sighs. “I don’t like tea.”
“Yes, you do,” Miranda says, taking his hand. “Come on. Steve can come, too.”
At the mention of his name, our golden retriever’s head rises from his bed in the corner. His tail thumps twice.
“You’re not putting a stupid tiara on him,” Michael warns his sister. “He’s a man, not a princess.”
“He likes the tiara,” Miranda insists as they hurry from the kitchen and out to their playroom, the dog trailing behind them.
“They’re magical,” Pamela says with a happy sigh and then turns to my parents. “Jeannie, David, let’s have a glass of wine by the fireplace.”
With the kids out of the room and all the parents out of seeing and hearing range, Derek pulls me in for a long, deep kiss.
“You got them all here without me knowing.”
“Yep.” I kiss his chin. “They all love you and wanted to celebrate your birthday.”
“And then be here long enough for the little one to come,” he guesses. “Which is actually rather clever. How are you feeling, love? You’re smiling, but I see the exhaustion on your face. You shouldn’t have done all of this.”
“Hey, I’m okay. Everyone’s helping me—more than I usually like. You know I’m in my element. No one will let me overdo it, especially you.”
“That’s right.” He kisses my forehead, and I lean into him, enjoying how he holds me up so I can relax.
Our life is more incredible than I could have ever dreamed. We have a beautiful home, a gorgeous family, and more love than I probably deserve, but I never take it for granted.
“Did you fire the new assistant?”
He sighs. “Not yet. Maybe on Monday.”
I lean my head back so I can look up at him. “Do you know how much I love you?”
His lips twitch. “Yes. I do. But it doesn’t hold a candle to how deeply I love my wife.”
“Oh, she sounds nice.”
He slaps my ass, then rubs the cheek in a circle as he laughs. God, I freaking love that laugh.
“Come on,” he says after kissing me once more. “Let’s go chat with the family. You need to put your feet up.”
“Will you rub them?”
“There’s not much I won’t do for you, love.”
“Will you grab the Twizzlers?”
He eyes me. “Why are you stressed?”
“Hello.” I point at my belly. “Childbirth is imminent. It’s all fun and games until I have to push this thing out.”
He smirks. “Let’s get you settled by the fire, and I’ll fetch the sweets.”
“You’re handy to have around.”
* * * *