Epilogue – Ensley
Ensley
Our parents stared at the three of us, both with expressions of pure joy.
Emeline nodded.
Lilibeth giggled. “Yep!”
“Are you two competing with each other?” my father asked.
“Sure seems like it, doesn’t it?” Emeline laughed.
They all turned to look at me. “And you’re due September 8th?”
“That’s what they tell me,” I replied with a wink.
“Goodness, we’re going to go broke with all of the grandkids’ birthdays within one month of each other,” my mother joked.
My father looked at me and asked, “Have you and Colt decided on the wedding?”
Smiling, I said, “We’re going to skip the wedding and just focus on building the house. With us merging our businesses, the baby, building a house, it’s a lot.”
My mother reached for my hand. “You know we will support you both in any way we can.”
Squeezing her hand, I replied, “Thank you, Mom. Colt and I decided we’re going to just go to the courthouse and get married. Nothing big, just simple. We’ve waited so long for all of this that it just makes sense to do it this way.”
“When?” my father asked.
I chewed nervously on my lower lip before I answered. “Next Monday.”
“I don’t blame you one bit, Ensley. The two of you have waited a long time for this moment.”
“Thank you, Mom. I know you and Lynn were looking forward to the wedding.”
She waved off my worry.
“Do we at least get to throw you a shower for the wedding?” Emeline asked.
I laughed. “I mean, I guess we could.”
“You’re going to need things for the new house!”
Emeline jumped with excitement. “We could do it on Valentine’s Day!”
Lilibeth let out a squeal. “That is a great idea! That gives us, what…four weeks to plan the shower.”
“That’s plenty of time!” Emeline responded.
Mom slowly shook her head. “The three of you, all pregnant at the same time. This is so lovely.”
“Who wants a bowl of ice cream?” Dad asked as he stood.
“Me!” Lilibeth and Emeline both replied.
“Not for me, Dad. My stomach is a bit uneasy.”
He leaned down and kissed my forehead before heading into the kitchen. Lilibeth and Emeline were on his heels talking about everything they wanted with their ice cream.
“Do you have sardines, Ladd?” Lilibeth asked as Emeline gagged.
I looked at my mother. “Did she just ask for sardines with her ice cream?”
Laughing, my mother replied, “She had weird cravings with the first pregnancy.”
My mother took my hand in hers. “I’m happy that you and Colt have decided to keep things simple. There is one thing I want to remind you of doing before you get married.”
“The carving tree.”
She smiled. “Yes. Once the weather gets better, of course.”
I nodded. “We won’t forget.”
Placing her hand on the side of my face, she smiled. “You look so happy, Ensley.”
My hand covered hers. “I am, Mom. Happier than I’ve ever been before. Last night, when Colt and I were talking, we made a decision.”
Her brows raised. “What did you decide?”
“If the baby is a boy, we’re going to name him Grady. If it’s a girl, we’re going to name her Vivianna. Almost your name, but a little different.”
Tears filled her eyes. “I love both of those names, sweetheart.”
We both stood and she hugged me tightly. When we stepped back, we both smiled at each other.
“Whether this is a boy or a girl, I just know they are going to be a blessing.”
I wiped a tear from my cheek.
Wrapping her arm around my waist, she said, “Come on, let’s go join the others.”
We took one step into the kitchen and froze. I snarled my lip as I watched my father, Emeline, and Lilibeth all eating their ice cream…with sardines. My hand slowly came to my mouth.
Turning to look at me, Mom said, “Let’s go shopping for a wedding dress for you to wear.”
Fighting the urge to throw up, I let my mother grab my hand and we both nearly sprinted away from the kitchen.