Epilogue 2
Blake
FOUR MONTHS LATER
Ifix my tie in the mirror over the hallway table as Tinsley twirls around the living room in her yellow dress.
“Careful, Sprout,” I say with a chuckle. “You’ll make yourself dizzy.”
“No, I won’t,” she insists, stopping abruptly and wobbling before catching herself on the couch.
“You were saying?” I tease.
She ignores me, skipping over to fix her hair in the mirror. “What’s a gradutation again?”
“Graduation,” I correct, smiling at her in the reflection. “It’s where I walk across the stage, they give me a piece of paper, and everyone claps.”
“Sounds boring.”
A snort of laughter slips free at her honesty. “It is.”
“Do Rett and Emily have to walk across the stage, too?”
“They sure do.”
She narrows her eyes. “Why do you have to do this when you’re already finished school?”
“This is just the celebration ceremony,” I say with a shrug.
“Is Tori coming?”
I nod. “They’re getting ready at the hotel and meeting us there.”
Her face lights up. “Did they bring Jasper?”
My lips tilt up at the mention of my five-month-old nephew. “Yeah, he’ll be there.”
“I wish I had a little brother or sister,” she says wistfully, and my chest squeezes, because I have to admit the thought’s crossed my mind once or twice since he was born.
“You’d like that?” I ask. “If your mum and I had a baby one day?”
She nods with so much enthusiasm that her curls bounce around her face.
Shit.
I haven’t broached the subject with Juliet; we’ve only been together a year and we’ve been busy planning our wedding later this year, but I want nothing more than to start a family with her and Tinsley.
We’re not in any rush, though, and I can’t be putting ideas into Tinsley’s head when I don’t even know if Juliet wants another child.
“What are you two talking about?”
I turn at the sound of Juliet’s voice, and my pulse skyrockets as I take in the tight purple dress that hugs her curves in all the right ways.
My thoughts immediately turn dirty.
I clear my throat, croaking out, “Nothing.”
At the same time, Tinsley sings, “My baby brother or sister.”
Juliet’s eyes go wide. “Your what?”
“Hypothetical,” I rush out. “We were actually talking about Jasper.”
“Oh,” she says, but her smile is tight.
Tinsley looks up at me, confused. “But you said—”
“Are you ready to go?” I blurt out to stop her from finishing her sentence. The last thing I want is for Juliet to think I’m putting pressure on her to have a baby with me by using Tinsley.
“Actually,” Juliet says, smoothing a hand down the front of her dress. “I think you should both take a seat.”
Tinsley’s green eyes find mine. “Are we in trouble?”
Good question, kid.
Juliet laughs. “No, princess. I just need to talk to you about something.”
My stomach twists into knots as I follow Tinsley to the couch. “What’s going on?”
“You’re acting weird, Mama.”
“No, I’m not,” she says, but she remains standing, and Tinsley and I share another look.
“Yeah, you are,” I say, my knee bouncing. “Come on, pixie. Spill.”
She releases a shaky breath, her hands drifting over her stomach absentmindedly before she reaches up to tuck her hair behind her ears.
Something clicks into place, and my breath catches as I lean forward. “Juliet?”
Her eyes meet mine, and I see the swirl of emotions. Nerves. Hope. Fear.
“Tinsley’s baby brother or sister might not be hypothetical,” she admits.
My heart thuds against my ribs.
My vision blurs.
“You’re—?”
I can’t bring myself to say the word.
She nods, biting her lip. “I found out this morning?”
“What?” Tinsley asks impatiently, her gaze swinging between the two of us.
I stare at Juliet, trying to process her words while the surge in my chest threatens to overwhelm me.
“A baby?” I choke out. “When? How?”
She winces, pressing her palm to her forehead. “I guess the food poisoning two months ago messed with my birth control.”
“What’s going on?” Tinsley demands.
“We’re having a baby,” I murmur the words, but it’s more to myself than to her.
“Really?” she shrieks, jumping to her feet and doing a happy dance when her mum nods.
I drag a hand through my hair, a grin spreading across my face. “We’re having a baby,” I repeat, louder now, the words finally sinking in.
Juliet stares at me, a look of uncertainty on her face. “Are you okay with this?”
Bolting off the couch, I cross the space between us in two strides and pull her into my arms. She melts into my embrace, burying her head in my chest as her hands slide around my neck.
“Okay with this? Pixie, I’ve never been more okay with anything.”
“The wedding—”
“Forget about the wedding,” I say, tilting her chin up to meet my gaze. “We’ll push it back if we have to. Or we can bring it forward. Whatever you want to do. Right now, I’m focussed on the fact that I’m going to be a dad.”
Her eyes fill, but she’s smiling now. “You already are,” she says, nodding at the little girl dancing around the living room, chanting, “I’m going to be a big sister.”
I brush my thumb across her cheek. “Thank you for giving me the best family a man could wish for.”
She pulls me in for a kiss. “Thank you for choosing us.”