Epilogue

Adam was serious about the hospital chaplain marrying us. I though he was joking until two days later when, after I could walk around somewhat normally and by myself, he brought the chaplain, a man named Roger Lightly, into my hospital room while I was feeding AJ. I felt so bad for the portly little preacher man who turned completely red when he saw me practically topless, wiping milk from the corner of AJ’s lips. He even turned around abruptly and stuttered and stammered something about waiting until later, but Adam, completely oblivious—or perhaps non-caring—dragged him into the room anyway. Chaplain Lightly wasn’t comfortable with me until I covered myself and AJ with a blanket. He then told me that he would be honored to marry us in the hospital chapel that afternoon.

I tried to stall, to convince Adam to wait just a few months, but he refused. Within two hours of meeting Chaplain Lightly, I found myself wearing an unflattering white cotton dress, standing with Izzy, Becca, and Estela at my side while Mom and Dad planted themselves behind us with a smattering of other witnesses. Caleb stood up with Adam, who seemed slightly agitated the entire time Chaplain Lightly spoke with us on how special a bond we were about to create. Occasionally, Adam sighed heavily and made rude gestures for the preacher to hurry up. During a particularly heavy sigh, Caleb nudged his brother in the side and whispered for him to chill out.

“She’s going to change her mind!” Adam hissed.

“No I’m not,” I laughed at him because it was such a silly thing to believe, but one look in his eyes showed how worried he was that I was going to walk out on him. Ignoring Adam’s obvious concern, Chaplain Lightly continued to talk about the holy bond we were creating and how marriages should be worked at during difficult times. When the man mentioned fighting, Adam burst into laughter and told him to skip that part—we were professionals.

I guess he meant professional fighters, although we’re much tamer now that we have AJ.

Adam sighed heavily many more times before we came to the part he cared the most about, the vows. He turned to me with a bright smile and held out his hands.

“Give me him,” he said.

Instead of a bouquet of flowers, I had been holding AJ. Reluctantly, I gave him to Adam who passed him off to my mother. Then, as Adam took my hands and kissed my knuckles, everything that had felt so wrong started to feel right. The fact that I looked horrible slipped out of my mind. The fact that we were getting married in a hospital slipped out of my mind. All that mattered was the man standing in front of me and that I was committing the rest of my life to him. And when I said my vows and he said his, it was like this invisible cord wound around us, pulling us together at the belly button. And of course he kissed the crap out of me after we exchanged our vows and then again when Chaplain Lightly told him to. The poor chaplain fanned his red face and turned away sputtering his congratulations.

Adam told me later that he really was scared that I’d fallen in love with AJ and worried that I’d get my head on straight and leave him with our baby. It was so silly we laughed about it, but I could tell he really had been concerned.

It seemed like we were rushing things at the time, but Adam promised that we’d have a nicer ceremony once I was out of the hospital and we were settled in our daily lives as parents.

He said that eighteen months ago.

I still think about having a nicer and more intimate ceremony, but the more time that passes, the more I believe that what we had at Roosevelt Hospital was perfect for us. It was quick, spontaneous, and a little hostile if you really looked at it closely. And if we did do something else, I think it would be really cute if AJ was our ring bearer, and since he still falls every few steps, I don’t think he’s ready for such a responsibility. But he would be so cute in a little tux, racing toward us with a little pillow. He would also make a cute farmer I’ve decided. After spending a few days with Adam’s family on the Triple H Ranch, and seeing AJ ride the tractor and a horse with his grandpa, and seeing him in the little overalls Audrey made, you can’t get a much cuter picture in your mind than that.

Sipping my lukewarm tea, I turn back to Audrey who’s just finished icing Caleb and Adam’s birthday cake.

“Do they sell little cowboy hats?”

“You know, I was thinking that same thing just a minute ago!” she beams at me. “Great minds think alike—AJ would look so adorable in a little hat wouldn’t he?”

“He would!” I nod. “He looks cute in anything—Adam takes credit for that.”

Audrey nods and licks a bit of frosting off her finger. I watch her eye the cake for other little imperfections, which she is set on correcting. Spotting something, she picks up a tube of blue frosting and bends over to get to work yet again.

“How’s your father doing?” She asks. “We’ve been keeping up with the trail on CNN. Does he think Jake will get prison for life?”

“He doesn’t talk to me about it much—I think he believes that any time I hear Jake’s name mentioned I automatically flashback to the apartment where he shot me,” Audrey glances up with worried eyes. I dismiss her worry with a wave of my hand. “Honestly, I don’t remember too much about that day. But he’s pretty positive that Jake will receive life in a maximum federal prison.”

I know that Dad’s been working really hard to help the U.S. Attorney General pin Jake for espionage. They have enough to convict him, but the case has to go through the normal proceedings, which means waiting in line for trial. The only good thing about all of that is that Jake is being held in a federal prison until the trail begins. I’ve also heard that he spends most of his time in solitary confinement. Izzy, who’s been very consumed in her own love life with Abe, says that Jake will get what’s coming to him. She doesn’t elaborate or give specifics, and personally I don’t really want them. I’d rather have specifics on Izzy and Abe.

All Izzy has managed to tell me is that for the first time in her life, she’s in love. She hasn’t told Abe about her family or her ancestry; she hasn’t uttered a word about Talisca or her “sight” to him either. Abe is pretty artistic by nature, I’m sure that he’ll take it in stride and accept her for who she is, but Izzy is much more guarded. All Abe knows is that she’s keeping a big part of her life from him. I think for a man to know that you have big secrets and to still stick around says major things about his personality. They’ll get it together—eventually.

“You don’t talk to Adam about the case?” Audrey asks.

“God no,” I say quickly. “Every time anyone even mentions the case all he says is that he wishes he had killed Jake when he had the chance. I guess he had several chances to do just that—I don’t know. It bugs me when he talks that way. Especially when murder talk comes from the mouth of a man who just received an honorary medal for his service to the United States.”

“Oh, he looked so handsome in his uniform,” Audrey sighs. Adam received his medal from the president about three months ago. He was reluctant to go to the ceremony, but felt suckered in by his friends, the president himself, and me. Details of the operation weren’t given to anyone, but I could tell by the way people interacted with Adam, that he had done something outrageously heroic. We were invited into the Oval Office with about twenty other people and a few members of the press. Adam was very gracious when he accepted the medal, but looked immensely uncomfortable. The cutest picture we have is the one where Adam’s holding AJ against his hip, and AJ has the medal in his mouth. Adam and the president are both laughing in the picture.

“I’m sure that Jake will go away for a really long time,” I tell her. “He’ll probably die in prison. It’s coming to a close though—Dad says any day the verdict will come down.”

“That’s good,” Audrey says as she corrects the C in Caleb’s name. “Ugh oh… I think Caleb’s name is bigger than Adam’s—what do you think?” As I bend over to look at the cake, the back door slides open roughly.

“Here, take him!” Adam orders with an exacerbating sigh as he enters the kitchen. He looks flustered, annoyed, and maybe a little hurt too.

“What’s wrong?”

“Just take him, don’t ask questions.” Adam says as he pulls AJ off his chest.

“Mama, mama,” AJ coos to Adam, his little fingers grip handfuls of Adam’s t-shirt.

“Ugh! Take him,” Adam pulls grip free and ignores his son’s little wail of despair.

“Mama!” AJ cries, desperately reaching for Adam. Wrapping my hands around his little body, I turn AJ to see me. The crocodile tears that had filled his huge green eyes dry instantly the moment he recognizes me. “Mama,” he coos and lays his head on my shoulder with a heavy thunk. He sighs heavily and curls his little hand around my hair.

“Adam, don’t get upset,” I call as I watch him stomp back toward the door. “Adam!” He waves his hand dismissively over his shoulder walks back outside, sliding the door closed behind him.

“AJ’s still calling you both ‘mama’?” Audrey asks as she rubs her grandson’s back.

“Yes,” I smile against AJ’s soft black hair and squeeze him gently. “Adam sits with him every night—well, most of the day when he’s at home—and tries to get him to say ‘dada’, but AJ just can’t get it yet. Then Adam gets frustrated. I mean, come on—AJ is his spitting image in all things. AJ even gets cranky if he doesn’t eat at a certain time—just like Adam. Sure, he has my hair and maybe a little of my attitude, but everything else is Adam. And he says my name first and Adam flips out.”

“Adam should take it as a compliment,” Audrey says as she makes one last decorative touch to the cake. She smiles at me as I cuddle AJ and kiss his soft little cheek. “Adam used to do the same thing to William.”

“Really?”

“Yes, he called William ‘Maa’ until he was two; he called me ‘mama’, William hated it and would get so frustrated,” Audrey gently kisses AJ’s cheek and then smiles at me. “I’ll remind Adam of that later; perhaps he won’t be so pouty.”

“I doubt it,” I laugh.

“Come on lets go out with the others, maybe if Adam opens a birthday present he’ll be in a better mood,” she gestures for me to follow her outside where everyone else is.

We flew out to Washington specifically for Adam and Caleb’s birthday—they wanted to celebrate together and with their family. Adam also wanted to show me off to his extended family, which had mixed reactions to me. I think I shocked a few people with my wild hair and tattoos, for others I was as normal as a midday rain. Some were happy to welcome me into the family and others were put out that they hadn’t been invited to the wedding. Those select few didn’t seem to like the shotgun aspect of our nuptials and told us that we needed a real ceremony. Adam told me to ignore their pouty comments, and again promised we’d have a nicer ceremony soon. So I ignored those negative looks and comments and focused on people who were happy to have me there, and those who were even happier to welcome AJ.

I’ve never been to the ranch before; actually, I’d never been to the country before so it was a shock when I found that I actually liked it. Quaint, is a good adjective for it I suppose. It’s quiet at night—no sounds of the city or roaring sirens every hour or so—and completely peaceful during the day. I don’t think I could spend the rest of my life on a horse and hound farm, but a few weeks—sure. And I must admit, I dismissed Estela’s excitement over the hay barn at first, but after a few leisurely hours with Adam, I’ve got to agree with her—it’s quite a fun place to spend an evening.

We have to flip a coin for who gets to use it now. She’s won the past three times and I’m starting to think that she’s using a two-sided coin or something.

AJ lifts his head off my shoulder and twists his body so he can look around. The moment he sees Adam approaching me, he turns and buries his face in my neck. I hear his excited little giggle and smile against his shoulder.

“Daddy’s gonna get ya,” I whisper.

“Okay,” Adam sighs as he stops in front of us. “I’ll take him back now.”

On hearing his daddy’s voice, AJ lifts his head from my shoulder and twists around to reach for Adam.

“Done pouting?” I ask as Adam reaches out for his son.

Adam shakes his head no and smiles at AJ.

“Mama!” AJ says happily as Adam pulls him close and kisses his cheek.

“I really wish you would call me Da-da,” he stretches out the syllables. “Try it!”

“Mama,” AJ says before plunging his entire fist into Adam’s mouth. It’s a game they play. Adam pretends to turn into a baby eating monster and playfully chews on AJ’s hand before turning his teeth on AJ’s neck and shoulder, which I guess tickles because AJ screams with laughter each time.

“Mmmm good baby!” Adam growls as if on cue. He pretends to gobble up AJ’s fingers while our son squeals with delight. “Baby taste good!” As he walks away with AJ heading toward a small circle of Hood men, Estela approaches me and grasps my arm. She looks over her shoulder at Caleb, who Adam sits beside, and then looks back at me with nervous brown eyes. Taking my hand, she pulls me along the trail toward the stables.

“What is it?” I ask as we walk inside. A curious horse comes to the gate of his stall and looks at us. Estela hurries forward and scratches the animal between the eyes. I watch as she picks up a grooming brush and begins stroking the horse’s huge neck. While brushing him, she keeps looking out the stable doors with wide, nervous eyes. “Estela, why are you so jumpy?”

“I don’t know, I’m just so… jittery all of a sudden,” she laughs and puts the brush away. “I needed to just take a walk,” pulling my arm against her side she tugs me toward the door and peers out secretively. I follow her eyes toward the large group of people sitting around the yard. Adam has AJ on his knee and is bouncing him up and down quickly. I hate when he does that because it looks so violent, like shaken-baby-syndrome violent, but AJ always laughs hysterically and seems fine afterward.

“Who are we watching?” I whisper ducking behind her. “What’s with the secrecy? Why are you so jumpy?”

“Um…” Estela turns toward me grasps my hands as she begins hopping up and down like an excited little child. I join in with her and we bounce all over the place before she stops and squeezes my hands. “It’s my present to Caleb,” she says with excitement. “I’ve had to wait to give it to him for so long and now… I’m scared!”

“Why are you scared? Just give it to him!” I exclaim. “What is it? Oh, is it something that will embarrass him? If so, don’t give it to him, you know how Adam is, he’ll never let it die.”

“It’s embarrassing I suppose in the way I’m giving it, but I don’t’ know—it just depends,” she says while pulling at her hair. She starts to pace in front of me, which I have to admit is completely unnerving. I’m starting to feel anxious and jittery too. “It’s not something that I can just hand over and if he doesn’t like it he can exchange it for a new one, you know? It’s not like that… I mean… it’s—” she stops short and tilts her head to the side to listen “—what’s that?”

“What’s what?” I ask, holding still to listen as well. All I can hear is my own heart beat and the sound of the horse munching on oats and grains from a pail hanging outside the stall door.

“Do you hear singing?” She hurries past me and out the stable doors. Following her, I realize I do hear singing—light and happy singing, like a college glee club. As we round the path back toward the group, I notice several people have arrived. Two hold large helium balloon bouquets, one has a flower arrangements and basket of presents, and two hold up a giant glittering sign that I can’t read because of the sun’s glare. They’re all standing around Adam who has turned AJ around to listen to the pretty harmony notes they’re singing.

“Oh no!” Estela cries. “NO!”

“What?” I gasp as she takes off running toward the group screaming for them to stop. I’m not exactly sure what’s going on, so I follow her as quickly as I can.

“No! Stop!” Estela wails as she skids to a stop in front of the group. “STOP!”

A young man holding one side of the sign stops singing automatically and looks at her as if she’s lost her mind. I can read their sign now, it says: “Congratulations New Daddy!” Several of the balloons have the same message. Estela, out of breath, shakes her head several times while waving at one of the girls to stop singing.

“Stelly,” Adam says firmly. “You’re ruining my present!”

“It’s not for you!” she snaps at him. To the singers she says, “You’ve got the wrong one.”

Sucking in a breath, she turns slowly and points a finger at Caleb, who’s sitting forward in his lawn chair. “The daddy gram goes to him—it goes to Caleb.” Estela’s arm drops heavily. There’s a genuine gasp of shock and happiness. Audrey is the first person to truly understand; she throws her arms in the air with a squeal of delight and then launches herself into her husband’s arms.

“It’s not for me?” Adam asks with a pouty lower lip.

“Oh, it doesn’t matter—it’s ruined now!” Estela erupts with tears as everyone else starts to cheer and the singing group picks up at the beginning of their song. Estela waves for them to stop, but they step around Caleb and sing louder. Wiping her cheeks, Estela shakes her head sadly. “It’s not a surprise anymore. It’s ruined. Just stop singing.”

As she slaps her hands over her face to cry, Caleb’s father reaches over to give him a hard pat on the back and his older brother Jacob does the same to the other shoulder. Adam reaches over to rub the top of Caleb’s head. Caleb’s face shows his shock as he stares at the group who is singing a silly little song about changing diapers and nappy time. I don’t think anyone is listening though; they’re too busy talking amongst themselves and pointing at Estela.

Caleb’s eyes slowly shift from the singers to Estela who is still crying. A slow smile stretches out across his face as he watches her. It’s a minute before he stands to his feet and moves in front of her. He pulls her hands from her face; he cups her cheeks and draws her toward him.

“Are you pregnant?” he asks with an excited laugh.

“Yes!” she wails. “I wanted it to be a surprise and it’s not… it’s not a surprise. They sang to the wrong person!”

Caleb’s smile grows wider as he stares at her.

“I wanted them to sing to you—I knew they were coming, I should have stayed up here to make sure they went to you—not stupid Adam!”

“Hey!” Adam exclaims with a look of outrage. Of course that lasts only a minute before he turns his attention to AJ and starts bouncing his knees rapidly. “You’re going to have a cousin, kiddo!”

“Adam stop!” I shout as his knees intensify the bounciness.

“He likes it!” Adam exclaims as his knees still to show a laughing AJ. After a moment AJ scoots forward and bounces on Adam’s knees, which is all the encouragement that Adam needs to start up again. “EARTHQUAKE!” AJ bounces hard as Adam pumps his legs up and down. Hurrying forward, I snatch the baby away and pull him close. Adam swats at my hip. “Oh, you party pooper!”

“You’re going to give him brain damage!”

“He’s not going to get—”

A cheer erupts around us. Turning, around, I see that Caleb and Estela are kissing. And I mean kissing, he’s bending her over from the intensity of it. The kiss is so passionate I feel dirty watching it. Blushing a bit and turn toward Adam who’s grinning from ear to ear as he watches his brother and sister-in-law. AJ lifts his head off my shoulder to look at me. I smile and he smiles back before hiding his head again. Adam reaches forward and pulls me toward him. As I sit on his lap, he wraps his arms around both me and AJ.

“Look at him,” Adam whispers as we watch Caleb and Estela. Estela laughs as Caleb is bombarded by the singing group as they hand over balloons, flowers, and the basket of goodies, all extending their congratulations. Caleb puts down the basket and reaches his hand out to feel Estela’s stomach.

“How long have you been hiding this from me?” He asks. She holds up four fingers and laughs at his shocked face. “Four months!” He drops everything except for the balloons and pulls her into his arms. Again their kissing like there’s no tomorrow.

“Did you know about this?” Adam asks me.

“No clue,” I answer. “Wow, I’m so happy for them!”

Adam rubs my side softly and nibbles on my shoulder until I turn my head to look at him. His green eyes are hooded and full of mystery and sensual heat. “You know what this means don’t you?”

“What?”

“We have to get pregnant again—I can’t let my brother beat me in kids.”

“Shut up,” I laugh lightly.

“I’m serious—she’s probably carrying twins, then he’ll have two and we’ll only have one.” Adam runs his fingers through AJ’s hair and smiles. “Look, he’s all tuckered out.”

“Because you rattled his brain,” I sit up and tilt AJ away from me to look at him. AJ looks at me with sleepy eyes and yawns showing two little white teeth. “You really need to stop bouncing him like that Adam—it scares me. He’s too young.”

“Nah, he likes it,” Adam says as he pulls me back against his chest. His hand slips around to my belly and he rubs softly. “But honestly—I want another one already.”

“Well… let’s make sure you don’t kill this one first,” I mutter. In response Adam starts to bounce me and AJ on his knee. AJ lifts his head off my shoulder to give us both a drooly smile. He holds himself up for a moment and then collapses on my chest with a sigh.

“That’s where I would want to go too—right into mommy’s bouncing boobies.”

He laughs in my ear as I elbow him and squeezes me tightly before wrapping his arms around both AJ and me. Together we watch Caleb and Estela, who are still wound up in each others arms, intermittently kissing one another and accepting congratulations from family members. Caleb looks so happy; the smile on his face reminds me of the one I often see on Adam’s face when he plays with AJ.

Adam moves his chin along my shoulder and kisses the side of my head.

“Hey, look,” he whispers suddenly. “There, in AJ’s hair.”

Smoothing my hands down over AJ’s back, I turn my attention to the mop of soft black waves on his head. There, near his ear, and crawling toward the top of his head is a little red ladybug. Smiling, I carefully pluck the bug from AJ’s hair and watch as it scurries across my finger and down my palm and arm. Adam picks it off, stares at it for a moment, and then puts it down in the grass. Once again his arms come around us both and he squeezes lightly.

"My love bug," he whispers.

"Love you too," I whisper back.

The rest of our afternoon passes by lazily. And somehow, I manage to remain sandwiched between the two people I love the most. I’ve never felt as normal as I do now, and it feels amazingly good. Right. Perfect.

A/N: Thank you SO much everyone for reading this story. I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. I love writing fun characters like Es and Caleb and Adam and Daisy. I hope that I can bring similiar strength to Zoe and Colton (coming soon), and who knows... I might eventually do an Isobel and Abe story. One has yet to come to me, but if I give it some true thought I'm sure something will pop up (maybe even an Es and Moo #5). Anyway... one million thank yous. I hope I tied everything up here--if not, send me a note. Sometimes I forget what I write about--I'm not sure if that's a good thing, but it does happen!

Cheers!