“No,” she giggles, putting the spatula down and turning off the burner.
She turns and loops her arms around my shoulders and gazes up at me, her face fresh and unburdened with makeup, showing the natural vivacity of her unshielded skin, the genuine beauty of her eyes.
“I’d never be angry about that,” she says, looking as bright as the sun with her dark hair all tousled from bed. “I’m not angry at all. I just couldn’t sleep and I’m scared if I look at you for too long I’ll just start jumping around like a maniac.”
I pause.
I stare.
My mouth goes dry, and my hopes soar, and for a moment everything goes silent except for the pounding of my glee-filled heart.
“I took a test, Mason,” she says. “Three tests, in fact. I wanted to be sure. And they were all positive. We’re pregnant, Mason. We’re freaking pregnant!”
I let out a laugh like a madman and sweep her into my arms, running into the living room as she giggles – yep, like a madwoman – and we spin and spin and spin.
Happiness blooms between us like a physical force and my love for her gets even deeper and more certain, something I thought impossible. Finally, I put her down and fall to my knees, laying my ear against her belly, clutching tightly onto her thighs, her thick juicy perfect fucking thighs.
“I can hear them,” I whisper.
“Don’t be silly,” she laughs, smoothing her hand through my hair. “It’s probably only been a couple of weeks.”
“I don’t care,” I smile, squeezing her, them, closer to me. “I can hear them, Melody. And they’re telling me you’re going to be the best damn mother in the world.”
I don’t have to look at her to know that she’s smiling.
EXTENDED EPILOGUE
ONE AND A HALF YEARS LATER
Melody
I sit at Gertrude’s side in the ballroom, the dance floor full of laughing, happy people, and the Jazz band playing their hearts out.
All around the cavernous heavenly room, the servers circulate skillfully, doing their jobs with grace and ease. I find myself scanning the trays to make sure that they’re all clean, adequately filled, pleasingly arranged, until I notice that Gertrude is shooting me just-relax daggers.
“The planning is over, dearie,” she says, looking dignified and pristinely beautiful in her long pale blue dress, her hair done up in an interwoven pattern inlaid with small beads that enhance the silver. “This is the time to sit back and enjoy the fruits of our labors. The ceremony went off without a hitch. They’ve had their first dance and nobody fell down. I’d consider this a success.”
“I can’t wait to see the pictures,” I whisper, unable to stop smiling.
This is the biggest wedding I’ve planned so far, but not the biggest I mean to plan, no way.
I’ve got big … well, big plans for the future of Eternal Bond.
“Yes, that will be nice,” Gertrude agrees. “There’s nothing like framing a moment like this, is there? I still can’t believe you and Mason got married before Natalie, though.”
I giggle.
“What the heck were we supposed to do? We just couldn’t wait.”
I feel a warm glow inside of me, lighting up every part of me when I think about Mason. Even after a year of being together, that glow hasn’t left.
And then, as if by magic, I turn to find my husband standing there with Lacy in one arm and Jacob in the other. He cradles them close to his chest, whispering soft soothing words, and of course, the little bundles just sleep soundly with his giant strong handsome frame to protect them.
He looks dashing in his suit, so solid and reliable and mine.
“See?” he said, grinning warmly. “I told you a little walk around the grounds would work beautifully.”
“You’re a showoff,” I tease, pouting at him jokingly.
“If anybody’s a showoff, it’s you,” he says, sitting down next to me.
I reach over and take Lacy, rocking her softly and kissing the top of her head, smelling her just-Lacy smell, and then I reach across and nuzzle Jacob’s cheek with my hand so that he knows Mommy loves him too.
“Oh, really?” I banter. “And how’s that?”
“Because you did an incredible job with this wedding, that’s how,” he says. “And you’re clearly aiming that sassy-as-hell pout at me so I’ll shower you with compliments. You see, Mrs. Mackendale, I can see right through you.”
I hug Lacy closer to my chest, feeling her little heartbeat against mine, glad that we’re sitting at the furthest table at the back, where I specially checked it was safe for the children to be noise-wise. I wouldn’t risk them. Not my little bundles. My treasures.
“So where are they?” I ask.
“What?” Mason smiles.
“Don’t play dumb, husband,” I giggle.
“The compliments, boy,” Gertrude laughs. “She’s asking for the compliments.”
Mason smiles widely, his eyes flowing with love, his lips proclaiming serene happiness.
“I don’t have to try very hard to compliment you, Melody. You’re the best person I’ve ever met. You’re smart, funny, loyal, beautiful, talented—”
“Okay, okay,” I say, cheeks blooming red. “You’re embarrassing me now.”
He grins and I smile, and then he leans across and kisses me. We pause forehead to forehead, our precious twins between us, a tight ball of happiness as the Jazz music plays in the background, with my adopted mother sitting right there, watching, happy and carefree.
And just when I think life can’t get any better, I feel it, a subtle twitching in my womb.
It’s too soon.
But it’s unmistakable.
Another life.
Another slice of happiness.
EXTENDED EPILOGUE
NINE YEAR LATER
Mason
“But Dad,” Jacob says, jumping up and down in the computer chair and nodding at the lines and lines of code on the screen. “I don’t understand why it isn’t working. I used all the solutions and everything and it’s still not working.”
“Oh, you’ve tried everything?” I say, grinning down at my son, who everybody says looks exactly like I did at that age.
He’s got the same thick brown hair and the same eyes, but when I look at him I don’t see myself. I see somebody completely
