Epilogue
Sophie
2 Years Later
I stand next to my brother on his wedding day and I can’t believe this day has finally come. Feels like it’s been such a long time coming and so far, it’s been absolutely beautiful, though, I would much prefer to be in one of the shimmering golden dresses the bridesmaids are wearing rather than a black tux like the rest of the groom’s party but then, I guess that’s what happens when you struggle to get along with the bride.
But on the other hand, Zac totally let me pimp out my tux so I must admit, I look damn fine.
Standing here on this day, in my hometown, Denver between Zac and Tank, with my parent’s right before me, there is truly nowhere else I’d rather be. The music begins just as Tank laces his fingers through mine.
I look up to him and give him a beaming smile as the first bridesmaid commences her way down the aisle. One after another they come down in those stunning dresses which looking at the size of MJ’s sister and the way she keeps eyeing Zac’s best friend, that dress will be on the floor at some point and when it is, that bastard is mine.
The music changes and the crowd get to their feet. “You ready for this, baby brother?” I murmur as we wait for MJ to make her appearance.
He turns to me with a smile that I’ve never quite seen before and I read the answer in his eyes. “Yeah,” he says. “I’ve never been more ready.”
A vibration starts in my pocket and my hand clenches down on Tanks. Shit, I forgot to turn off my phone. Tank looks down at me in concern as I slide my free hand into my pocket. I fish my phone out and discreetly step further behind my brother so the massive crowd don’t notice and l look down at the screen.
“Holy shit,” I gasp as I look at the caller ID.
“What?” Tank questions as he pretends to continue smiling and being the perfect groomsman.
Zac gets wind of our conversation and turns around to find me staring down at my phone. “Are you shitting me right now? MJ is about to come down the aisle, put your phone away.”
“Too late, brother,” I grin as MJ makes her appearance at the other end looking absolutely stunning. My comments completely draws his attention away as he focuses in on his beautiful bride, allowing me to focus on the phone call.
I cringe knowing this isn’t the best time but I hit accept on the call anyway. I step backwards and pull Tank a step closer to Zac to hide me a little better. “Hello?” I answer into the phone.
“Hi there, is this Sophie?” The woman on the other end says.
“Yes, this is her,” I answer as my brother turns around once again.
“For fucks sake,” he moans before gesturing to mum and dad as if they can do something about me.
“Hi Sophie. It’s Suzannah from the L.A Adoption Agency. I’m just giving you a call to let you know your birth mother has just gone into labour.”
“Seriously?” I shriek in excitement as my hand clenches down on Tank’s once again. Holy crap. I knew it would be soon but I didn’t quite expect it would be today of all days.
He turns around and I look up at him with tears of joy in my eyes. “Yes, dear,” Suzannah continues. “It’s still very new and process is coming along slowly so you have a few hours before you need to be at the hospital but you should start making arrangements.”
“Ok, we will,” I smile as the tears really start streaming down my face. “Thank you so much.”
I’m going to be a mummy. I’m going to be a mummy. I’m going to be a mummy.
Holy shit.
“No problem. I’ll meet you at the hospital with the paperwork,” she tells me before hanging up.
“What is it?” Tank questions the second I pull the phone away from my ear.
“Lilly has gone into labour,” I tell him as I throw my arms around him in excitement and start jumping up and down. “We’re going to be parents.”
“Holy shit,” he says as his body goes stiff. “Are you sure?”
Zac turns again with an angry pout over his face. “What the fuck is going on here?” he demands as MJ makes it to his side. She takes his hand and he looks back at her with an adoring smile. “You look amazing,” he tells her. She blushes slightly before zoning in on the fact that something is going on down this end of the aisle.
Tank ignores everyone in the room as his full attention is on me. “Shouldn’t we be going?” he questions with urgency.
“No, not yet,” I tell him. “We still have a few hours. We can make the end of the ceremony then catch our flight back home. We won’t miss it,” I promise him.
“What?” Zac demands. “You two aren’t going anywhere. I haven’t even said my vows yet.”
My dad takes this opportunity to step in, followed with my mother right behind him. “What the hell is going on over here? I came to see a damn wedding and all I can see is a bunch of idiots screwing it up,” my father demands.
“Our birth mother went into labour. We’re going to have a baby,” I tell them all while also feeling like a complete douche bag. This is Zac’s big day and here I am, spurting my news as his new bride has hardly had a chance to make it down the aisle.
“Ohhh,” my mother starts sobbing instantly as she pulls me into a hug and then grabs Tank to bring him in on the action.
From then on, I can’t really recall who says what but after five minutes my father manages to pull everything back into order. “Right,” he says. “Get you’re shit together. We have a wedding to get through so you two can get out of here.”
“What? So you’re not staying for the reception?” Zac whines.
“Sorry, bro,” I cringe. “But nature calls.”
“Don’t worry,” MJ intervenes. “It will be fine. We’ll fly in tomorrow to meet your beautiful baby and we can tell you all about it. You need to be there for your child.”
“Thank you,” I smile, thinking I might just like her after all. “Now, let’s get you two idiots hitched.”
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“Holy shit,” Tank murmurs to himself for what must be the twentieth time.
I grab his hand and hold on tight as our private plane touches down. We had basically run from the ceremony to the airport, only to find that every domestic flight from Denver to L.A was full, so, we did what any other insane people would have done and booked ourselves a private plane while thanking the heavens that my husband is raking it in.
We impatiently wait for the plane to come to a stop before we find ourselves rushing through the airport and trying to get out the front doors.
Tank decides I’m not keeping up well enough and grabs me around my waist before hoisting me over his shoulder and taking off to his truck.
He basically throws me in the truck and demands I buckle up before slamming the door and bolting around to his side. The ignition is started and we’re peeling out of the airport parking lot within seconds.
“Calm down,” I tell him as he drives us to the hospital. “You’re going to freak poor Lilly out.”
“Sorry,” he grunts as he pulls into a parking spot. “I can’t help it.”
“I know,” I laugh as I meet him around the front of his truck. “You ready for this?”
A massive grin instantly takes over his handsome face. “Fuck yeah.”
That’s enough for me. We take off inside and find the birthing suite and soon enough are ushered into the room with the fifteen year old Lilly who seems to be going through the worst pain of her life.
She clocks us the second we walk through the door. “Oh, you guys are here,” she smiles as a bead of sweat trickles down the side of her face. If she notices the matching tuxes, she doesn’t mention it.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” I tell her before coming right to her side and taking her hand. “How are you going?”
“Not great,” she pants as another contraction comes on. “It freaking hurts.”
“I know but you’re doing great so far. Not much longer to go,” I soothe her as I order Tank to grab her a damp wash cloth. He brings it over and I instantly start pressing it to her forehead.
“Shit, you guys are going to be great parents,” she tells me which has a tear coming to my eye.
“Thank you,” I whisper as Tank comes and stands behind me and rests his hands on my shoulders.
“Is there anything you need?” he asks Lilly who is preparing for another contraction.
“Drugs?” she questions.
“Sorry, Lilly,” the doctor says as he comes into the room. “You’re too far along now. It’s just about time to push.”
Her eyes widen as she looks to the doctor in fear. “Oh, holy shit,” she says as she latches onto my hand in fear.
“You’ll be ok,” I soothe as the doctor goes around preparing for delivery.
A short ten minutes later, her legs are up in the stirrups and the doctor is telling her to push.
With Tank and I on either side, we watch as our child is brought into the world.
Tears of joy stream down my face as the doctor places a beautiful little baby in my arms. “Congratulations,” he says with a proud smile. “It’s a girl.”
Tank comes and stands by me, looking down on our daughter with the most adoring look in his handsome eyes. “She’s beautiful,” he murmurs as he presses a kiss to my forehead.
I raise my head and capture his lips in mine. “God, I love you so much,” I tell him before looking down on our baby girl.
“I love you, too,” he murmurs as he wraps us both in his big arms.
“She’s absolutely perfect,” I whisper before turning to Lilly who watches us with tears in her eyes. “I don’t know how we’re ever going to be able to thank you,” I tell her.
She wipes at her eyes before giving us a sad smile. “Just be the best parents you can, that’s all I ever ask.”
“We will,” I promise her.
“Do you have a name picked out?” she questions.
I look up at Tank with a proud smile before turning back to Lilly. “If it’s ok with you, we’d like to name her Lilly.”
“Really?” she questions.
“If it wasn’t for you we’d never have this child. We owe everything to you,” Tank says.
Her sad smile quickly becomes a proud, beaming one as she looks to the child she has just gifted us. “Lilly is perfect.”
We are soon ushered out of the room with our new baby so Lilly can go through the recovery process and I must thank her at least a million times more before we’re lead away.
We are taken to the maternity ward where our beautiful little girl is measured and weighed before we have the chance to give her a quick bath and dress her.
A nurse comes in with a bottle of formula and explains how to make her milk while Tank listens intently, terrified of screwing it up.
Before we know it, our daughter is a few hours old and is fast asleep in her Daddy’s arms. A knock sounds at the door and I soon find a very pregnant Dani pushing her way into the room with Miller and Mia right on her heels, completing our beautiful family.
While they gush and coo, I can’t help but think that this little baby is a gift sent to us from above, by a beautiful little boy who I have no doubt hasn’t stopped looking down on his Mummy and Daddy and I swear in this very moment, that with every single chance I get, I will tell our daughter all about her big brother.