EPILOGUE
Thanksgiving
Eighteen months later
Brandon lifted his head after saying the blessing and looked around the Thanksgiving table. A wave of emotion flowed over him and he knew he had a lot to be thankful for. His bride of one year glowed as she passed the mashed potatoes to Max.
Brandon sent a prayer of gratefulness heavenward as he did every time he looked at her. He still had a hard time believing she wore his ring on her finger, but she did. The gold band on his left ring finger fit snugly. He’d already gotten used to wearing it. Took pride in wearing it.
Erica held her newborn son while Max began to heap his plate with food. “Are you hungry, dear?” Erica asked, a hint of teasing sarcasm in her tone.
Max flushed. “Not any hungrier than your dad over there.” He transferred the spoonful of dressing to his daughter Molly’s plate, then lifted a brow as though asking if he had her approval now. Erica laughed.
Brandon’s father had helped himself to a large chunk of turkey. “I’m not shy. I’m starving. I skipped breakfast so I could fill up here.”
Brandon grinned and Sonya winked at him. He could see the joy in her gaze along with something else. Curious, he looked closer but couldn’t put his finger on it.
Peter looked healthy and happy and joked with Spike. The two had hit it off from the moment they’d met. “So, bro, have you managed to beat Spike yet?” Brandon asked, coating his question in teasing innocence.
Peter’s smile slipped into a scowl. “Let’s not go there. He only wins because he cheats.”
“I do not,” Spike protested. The grin on his face said he wasn’t too upset about the accusation. They both knew the truth. Brandon had hopes Spike would get a basketball scholarship to college. Spike’s mother looked on with an indulgent smile.
Ann Bradley sat quietly on the other side of Sonya. She hadn’t said much since the day she’d shot her husband. When he’d been killed in a prison-yard fight, she’d withdrawn even more into her protective shell. But she loved Sonya and seemed happiest when they were together.
Sonya passed him the bread without taking any. He looked at her and his heart skipped a beat. She looked pale. Her lip curled and she slapped a hand over her mouth. She exchanged a look with Erica. “Excuse me,” she mumbled. She jumped up and raced from the suddenly quiet dining room.
“Sonya!” He bolted after her, but thought he could hear Erica laughing. Why would his sister laugh at Sonya’s obvious distress?
He reached the hall bath and knocked on the locked door. “Hey, are you okay?” The sound of her being sick made him wince. “Oh, baby, do you think you picked up a virus?”
The door swung open. She turned back to the sink to rinse her mouth. Tears leaked down her cheeks. She grabbed a toothbrush and toothpaste. “No, it’s not a virus.” She gave a hiccuping laugh and brushed her teeth.
He waited for her to finish. “It’s not? Then something you ate?”
She turned and patted his cheek. “I haven’t eaten yet.”
“You’ve been working hard all morning getting everything ready. Your blood sugar is probably low.” He gripped her fingers and pulled her into the hall, ready to lead her back into the kitchen. “That’s probably the problem.”
“Actually, this problem is going to take about seven more months to solve.”
“Seven—” Confusion, then realization, flashed in his eyes. He gave a whoop, then pulled her into a crushing hug. When he released her, she saw the tears in his eyes. “I’m going to be a dad?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re going to be a mom?”
“That’s generally the way it works.” She grinned.
He laughed and hugged her again. “Sonya, how long have you known?”
“Just for a little while. I’m about eight weeks along, I think. I have a doctor’s appointment on Monday.”
“A doctor’s appointment? You are a doctor.” She’d finished up her last semester just after their wedding.
She laughed. “I’m not that kind of doctor.”
“Well, I’m going with you.”
“Of course you are. That’s why I scheduled it on your day off.”
He grinned and his eyes danced. The last time she’d seen him so giddy had been on their wedding day. “God is good.”
“He sure is,” she whispered. “Even in the bad times.”
He pushed a lock of hair back behind her ear. “It took some bad times to bring us together.”
“Exactly.”
His finger reached out to trace her lips. “I remember the first time I saw you, I wanted to see you smile.”
“It was hard to find a smile during those days.” Her lips curved up. “It’s easier now.”
“I love you, Sonya.”
She wrapped her arms around his waist. “And I love you. We’re going to have a great life together. You, me and the baby.”
“Babies,” he said.
She giggled. “Let’s get through this one first.”
“Absolutely. But know this. No matter what the future holds, as long as we’re together, we’ll be fine.”
“Hey, are you guys all right?” Erica asked. She’d come into the hallway without either of them noticing.
Max and Molly appeared behind her, then Peter. Then Ann and Brandon’s mother and father.
Ann Bradley. Her aunt. She’d pleaded self-defense to shooting her husband and had won. Frankly, Sonya didn’t think the prosecution had tried very hard to build a case against her. And now she was a part of the family.
Their growing, rapidly expanding family.
Brandon grinned at his sister. “How would you like to be an aunt?”
Erica blinked, then grinned. “I’d love it!”
“I’m going to be a grandma again?” Brandon’s mother pushed her way through the growing crowd to hug Sonya. His father did the same. “Oh, my goodness. This is wonderful.”
Sonya looked into her husband’s moist eyes. “It’s the best thing ever.” She clapped her hands. “Now, let’s eat. I’m starving!”
Laughter filtered back to her as everyone headed back to the kitchen. Sonya couldn’t help the tears that dripped from her cheeks. Sheer happiness filled her, and she offered a prayer of thanksgiving to the One who’d made it all possible.
And she smiled.
* * * * *