Epilogue
Kaden
Ilove my life. As I’m standing at the grill, I hear the laughter of children running in the backyard. Our Golden Retriever, Bo, is barking as the kids run through the sprinklers. I look inside the house where Alyse is laughing with Emma. My heart swells when I see her softly bounce little Maria, cradled in her arms.
We had a small wedding ceremony with all our friends and family a few weeks after we were engaged. I needed both her and K.C. to have their rightful last name, mine. K.C. took a little longer since we had to get me added as the father to his birth certificate.
I finally met her grandparents. Her grandfather gave her away. I’m so proud that K.C. is his namesake. That man is pretty kick ass. I told him this. The fact that my son has mine and his name is perfect. These two amazing people stepped up and took in their grandchild and raised her into the incredible woman that I was marrying. They did that and gave her a sense of independence.
My thoughts are interrupted by Bryce.
“She’s a beauty, Kaden. I know you said you both wanted a large family, but you know all the rooms are filled now. Any chance you two are done popping them out?” Bryce says, handing me a beer.
“They tied the tubes after Maria was born, so yeah, guess we are done,” I say, feeling torn over it.
We brought Maria home about two weeks ago. I can tell already she’s going to be a challenge. She refused to latch on and will only feed from a bottle. Alyse was heartbroken over it, but now she’s relieved. She breastfed all the kids. Not having to with Maria allows her a little more freedom.
“How’s Jessica doing these days? She’s a sophomore now, right?” I ask Bryce.
“Yeah, she loves it, but missing home. She tries to come home on the weekends, but I know as soon as she catches the partying buzz or gets a boyfriend, that will stop. Fuck, I don’t even want to think about her getting a boyfriend,” he says almost crushing his beer can.
“Dad! I got accepted to science camp!” K.C. says, running through the back patio door with a paper in his hand.
“That’s amazing, Bud!” I say, rubbing the top of his head.
I had no doubt he would be accepted. He’s seven years old with the intelligence of someone twice his age. We are trying to make sure he doesn’t get bored, but still remains a kid. We are trying to take every opportunity to get him involved with mental stimuli with kids his own age.
Alyse isn’t so keen to let him go half way across the country for six weeks. She knows it will be good for him, but that’s her first born and will always be her baby.
We both have made sure that he was exposed to the different languages that we’ve learned over the years. Surprisingly, he leaned Korean on his own. We will sit at the dinner table and switch from English to some other language. The younger ones are starting to pick it up, too. My goal is to have my kids be as well rounded and developed as I can. I want nothing but the best opportunities for each and every one of them.
K.C. and Jonathan, Bryce and Emma’s son who is a year younger, but they get along very well, seem to balance each other out. K.C. gets Jonathan excited about doing gross science experiments, while Jonathan gets K.C. excited about playing football or baseball. I’m glad he has someone so early on. I wish I would have had that growing up. I’m going to make sure he doesn’t have the struggles I endured.
We had Evelyn almost exactly nine months after we were engaged. I was right about the baby-making sex. Bryce and Emma had Alicia a week later.
As soon as Bryce had the all clear, he wasted no time getting Emma pregnant again. The girls are both five now and are inseparable.
Braden came two years after Evelyn. He is three and looks up to K.C., who taught him to read. He’s not as advanced as K.C., but reading at three is nothing to scoff about.
Last to round out the bunch is little Maria. I wanted a large family, but I really never expected we end up with four. I’m so blessed and can’t imagine living life without any of them.
Most importantly, I have Bryce, Rigs, and Gavin still in my life.
Rigs ended up moving his family out here and buying into an autobody franchise. His son is playing college ball at Penn State and he is in the running for the Heisman as Rigs predicted.
I look back at the lowest point of my life where I thought I had lost everything. Those broken ties have been mended and are now are inseparable. Mended together through brotherly bonds and love.
Looking over the backyard, I watch the kids and dog run through the sprinklers. K.C. and Jonathan have joined in, making me smile.
I look through the window at my beautiful wife, holding the last of the McIntyre’s. She looks up with those loving green eyes and mouths “I love you” and blows me a kiss.
I pretend to catch it out of the air and press it against my chest. I mouth back “I love you, too.”
I rub my chest and look up to the sky. No one can tell me that fate does not exist. I thank God for that fate. Some people believe in one or the other.
I think they go hand in hand.
THE END