Epilogue
Jaq
Fixing Elliot's party hat, I rounded up the kiddos as we decorated the kitchen with Congratulations Daddy banners and party favors.
He'd been on a Zoom call that felt like all day that he took outside, so we wouldn't add to his anxiety.
To be talking for this long, I hoped it was good news, but I was prepared to pivot if it wasn't.
For now, Graham was still taking a lot of freelance composer jobs.
An animated movie there, a TV theme here.
He even taught a few classes at the university, teaching editing and production.
But my Graham was a doer, I knew he'd never take a permanent teaching job that planted him in one place.
He had spent years building his portfolio, attending workshops, interning with film directors, and scoring events.
Because he didn't want any of my connections as help, his talent had finally spoken for itself when he landed an apprenticeship with a big animation studio to score for a project that he described as an adult version of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
We were definitely stans in this house, and I could tell he was excited to even be considered for a project of that size.
It would mean he'd get to travel and learn a few different styles of music, since from the treatment, it was inspired by five unique cultures inspired from the real world.
It looked like all that smoozing and hard work was finally paying off.
We were preparing the kids for a move, we just didn't know where yet.
But even if it was just a continent away, I was excited to give the kiddos the traveling bug.
Melody had just started the first grade, and Elliot was gearing up for kindergarten.
Our little multiples, Māia and Tāine were just months away from celebrating their third birthday, and like their mama, they were always getting into trouble.
Thankfully, like their daddy, if you put an instrument in their hand, suddenly they were preoccupied and well-mannered. Balance.
A few years ago, I truly questioned the idea of having this many kids, but then I looked on the bright side.
I'd never have to get up to turn off the light or get the remote ever again.
Things like that made it all work out. Plus, like the characters I crafted in my books, these kiddos all had their own little styles, quirks, and personalities.
It was actually kind of fun watching them evolve.
I was praying for the day one of the kids took after me bearing the role of weird, cringey outcast. My bets were set on Māia, because Melody and Elliot were gregarious and had AuDHD like their dad. But Tāine? He was always in his own little world.
“Hey, we're not bringing the cake out yet, honey. We want to hear your dad's news first.” I took the blank cake from Melody and placed it back on the fridge shelf.
“What if Dad doesn't get it?” Elliot asks, it still wild to me that my kiddos spoke in a different accent than me.
“Well, then we get to stay home in Auckland and nothing changes.
Your dad might be a little sad, though. That's why we made his favorite cake blank just in case we have to change the congratulations to better luck next time.” It had to be the one sweet recipe he missed back in the States.
Every month when I was preggers with Mel, he'd get a whole berry Chantilly cake from Whole Foods.
He'd save me one piece of it and go to town on the rest. It wasn't an easy cake to recreate, but the fruit out here was so much fresher.
In essence, my attempt had tasted better than the one back home.
The side patio door opened, Graham spilling inside, meeting us in the kitchen, his laptop in tow.
His eyes widened at the blow of my party favor, as Māia then had the honors of releasing the confetti.
Her timing was a little late, but I was gonna let that slide.
“What's going on? What is all this?” With another blow of my noise maker, the kids played their instruments to the tunes of Congratulations by Post Malone with their own spin to it, as I took backstage as their background dancer.
Melody was our Beyoncé on the lead vocals as Graham watched in stitches at our chaotic performance.
Actually, he was probably only laughing at me because my babies sounded good. He gave us a round of applause at the end, taking me into his arms afterward.
“Jaq, I got the job. You're looking at the next lead composer of the Summoner series.
They want me there in a couple of weeks, so it looks like we're headed back to the States,” he said, taking me deeper into his embrace.
“You guys hear that? We're moving back to where Mommy's from.” The kids eagerly showed their excitement with screams and jumping.
Aww man, I wish I had their energy. “We'll get to see Grandma and Grandpa.” They moved their energy into the next room, giving me and Graham a moment to ourselves.
“You sure you want to move back to the States?”
“Jaq?” he questioned. “This is the opportunity of a lifetime,” he beamed, his eyes wide.
“I know, I know. I’m aware how badly you wanted this. I just want you to be sure it's what you want.”
“What I always wanted was you. Home is wherever you are. You know that.” He leaned in to give me a kiss.
“Tonight, when we get the kids to sleep, we're gonna walk up to the beach and celebrate.
You can love on my new boobs, and maybe, just maybe we can have that beach sex we've been always trying to have.
Oh, before I forget, let me write on this cake.
I didn't know how it would go, so I left it blank.”
“Geez, babe. Thanks for believing in me.”
“I wanted to wait because I wanted you to see it first,” I said, pulling the cake out the fridge, the edible print on the cake's top, a selfie we took the night at the opera my first trip to New Zealand.
“Awww, now I don't even want to eat it.”
“It's your favorite…”
“Okay, fine. But cut me off a piece with you on it, so it's like I'm eating you.”
The End
Thank you for not only joining us for our first release in almost four years, but making it to the end of this book!