Epilogue
Meghan
1 year later
It’s a Summer sister tradition that on the first Saturday of each month, the six of us get together. We take turns picking the location or activity, anything from margaritas and a movie to wine and painting classes at the small gallery uptown. One thing, though, is as certain as the sun rising over the Chesapeake Bay every morning: there will be alcohol involved.
Always.
The landscape of our monthly sisters’ night has changed a bit over the years as our family continues to grow, but we still get together every month. Tonight, we went to dinner at one of those little hotdog stands down by the touristy spots along the Bay. AJ is craving cheese fries like no one’s business. You know the ones that they make right there in front of you by peeling and slicing the potato with their fancy little machine, dropping the shreds of spuds into a fryer basket, and then dipping it into the big pit of grease? Not to mention the fact that she’s practically drooling as they cover it with cheese – three extra pumps, as per her request. She’s been extra munchie since finding out she’s pregnant. At only three months along, she’s eating like she’s feeding eight babies, not one. At least, we think it’s only one.
I take a drink of my beer and set it down on the picnic table. Besides AJ, the only other one not drinking is Payton, who is still breastfeeding baby Noah. He’s almost four months now, and has his mom wrapped around his tiny finger.
The rest of us all decided to have a drink with dinner from the alcohol vendor just up the beach. Hot dogs (minus AJ who isn’t allowed to have one) and beer, with our toes in the sand. It’s a pretty great combination, if you ask me.
The bright orange sun is starting to set behind us, but it’s a beautiful sight the way it reflects off the water. “I’m so glad we still do this, even though our lives have been all sorts of crazy lately,” I say, finishing off my hotdog and dragging a French fry through my ketchup.
“Agreed. I hope we always do this. Every month,” Jaime adds.
“Even when we’re dealing with snotty noses and cranky nappers,” Lexi contributes.
“All the more reason to make sure we never skip them,” Payton says, glancing at her watch for the nth time in the last hour.
I toss my empty wrapper onto the tray and add, “Of course, it helps that we have amazing men at home to help.”
“Amen,” Jaime says and the same time Lexi replies, “Truth!”
Right now, all of the guys and the kids are gathered at AJ and Sawyer’s beachfront house, waiting for us to return. They decided to grill out in a “Guys’ Night” while we’re out. They started this a few months back, which allows us girls to all still go out and enjoy a bit of free time away, but gives them all a chance to hang out together too. Plus, no one has to find a babysitter. We just have to make sure someone remains the designated driver, but that’s been pretty easy since we’ve had someone knocked up for much of the last two years.
I’m not there. Not knocked up in any way, shape, or form. Not that it isn’t on the horizon…someday. Just not now. Not yet.
Over the last year, a lot has changed. I finally packed away all of Josh’s belongings. His mom came over and helped, which was a blessing in disguise. We cried together and were able to decide what to part with and what to save. I kept a small box of keepsakes – things he had given me or items that would always remind me of him, like his favorite coffee cup. All of his clothes we donated, including that pair of worn running shoes that I finally put away in the closet that night Nick and I met up at the cemetery, and when it was all said and done, I couldn’t believe how much better I felt.
It was a step in the right direction to help me move forward.
Nick was there too. He never pushed me, but silently stood by my side and offered me as much support as possible. He was a godsend, and never complained when I would break down in tears.
After a few months of alternating back and forth between his place and mine, we decided to take the next step and try living together. Both of our houses were cute and more than acceptable, but both also hold memories of our pasts. So, after much talking and consideration, we decided to sell our houses and buy a different one.
Together.
And we got a cat! Not that we really had a choice, considering my grandparents dropped it off on our second day in the new place. They say it showed up at the house the night before, and they knew we’d give the young, male, tan and brown kitten a good home. He even came with a name, courtesy of Grandpa. Rooster. Yep, he named our cat Rooster, and now all the guys snicker and mutter something about Nick’s little cock running around the house.
“How many dirty diapers do you think they talked Dean into changing?” Abby asks, grinning from ear to ear, referring to the fact that Dean seems to be the only one who doesn’t gag and make a big production out of cleaning poop off a bare baby bottom.
“All of them,” Jaime replies. “Amelia loves green beans, but they make her poop look like she ate grass and really runny. Ryan turns this weird shade of green and thinks he’s going to throw up every time he has to change her diaper.”
“Linkin once paid me a hundred bucks to not have to change one of Hemi’s diapers. It was seeping out the top and leg holes,” Lexi says, sticking her final French fry in her mouth.
“I can’t wait,” AJ adds. “Sawyer is going to be the best daddy.”
I nod. “He will be.”
“How about you, Abs? Any baby-popping plans yet?” Payton asks one of the twins.
“We just got married two months ago. Can we enjoy the honeymoon phase for a bit?” Abby asks, her cheeks flushing a light shade of pink.
“Ohhh, we enjoyed the honeymoon phase a bit too much. That’s why we’re in this predicament,” AJ contributes with a bit of laughter and a rub of her still-flat belly.
“I think Jaime and Ryan will be pregnant by Halloween. He couldn’t keep his hands off her while she was pregnant,” Payton adds, glancing back down at her watch before finishing off her bottle of water.
“Agreed,” everyone chimes in.
“I don’t think so. We’re enjoying our little family of three right now. I’m in no hurry.” Jaime finishes off her beer bottle and tosses it in the trashcan.
“Are we about ready?” Payton asks, standing up and grabbing our piles of trash.
“What’s the rush? You’re in such a hurry, and you’ve checked your watch every two seconds since we got here,” I state as I grab the rest of my own garbage and throw it in the can.
“No rush,” she insists, her purse strap thrown over her shoulder.
“She’s anxious to get back to her family,” Lexi insists with a nervous laugh.
“Yep, I am,” our oldest sister urges. “Let’s go.”
They’re all walking a bit faster than expected as we make our way from the beach walkway to the parking lot. Everyone is laughing and carrying on, sharing stories of things their kids did or something that happened at work. It’s comfortable. Familiar.
Payton drives Lexi’s SUV, which comfortably seats all six of us, once we took the car seats out. The trip to AJ’s place is short, since she seems to take the turns at forty and disobeys every traffic law on that twenty-mile stretch of shore roadway. I’m actually a little relieved when we finally pull into AJ and Sawyer’s driveway.
“Let me out of this car,” I grumble, waiting for Jaime to open the door so I can climb out of the third row.
“Oh, don’t be dramatic. It wasn’t that bad,” Payton retorts, throwing the keys to our baby sister.
I follow as we make our way through the front door. The first thing I notice is the sound. There’s laughter and growling, clearly the house has been overrun with monsters.
“Hurry, hurry!” Brielle exclaims, running from the living room with Hemi and Hudson hot on her heels.
“Daddy Monster is coming!” Hudson proclaims.
“Huh-we, huh-we,” Hemi mimics with a wide grin, running straight into the entryway and hiding behind our legs.
“Rahrrrr!” Linkin growls, his hands raised high above his head as he stomps into the foyer in search of his boys. When he spies his wife, he changes course and stalks toward her. “Rahrrrr, Mama,” he says, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively and pulling her into his chest.
“You’re nuts,” she says, laughing as he mauls her where she stands.
The boys start laughing and cheering. “Get her, Daddy!”
“Eat Mommy!”
As we make our way into the living room, we find the rest of the gang in there. Dean is rocking baby Noah in the recliner, who’s sawing logs, even though it’s as loud as a sports arena in this place. Ryan is sitting on the floor watching Amelia bang on pots and pans from the kitchen cabinets with a wooden spoon. Levi is chatting with Sawyer, glancing back and forth between the chaos in the room and the baseball game on the television.
And Nick?
He’s nowhere to be found.
“Hey, where’s Nick?” I ask, glancing around at my brothers-in-law, waiting for one of them to answer my question. When none of them do, I decide to check the kitchen, where I find a couple of open cabinet doors and a pile of dirty dishes from their little “guys’ night.”
“Do you want a drink?” AJ asks as she joins me in the kitchen.
“No, I was looking for Nick. Did anyone see where he went?” I ask, starting to get concerned. Maybe he wasn’t feeling well and went home. Maybe there was a dental emergency at the office, and he was needed. I hope that’s not the case because I haven’t checked my phone the entire time, and I’d feel guilty if I missed his message and he had to take care of the patient on his own.
“Oh, uh, Sawyer said he went for a walk. You should check the beach,” AJ suggests with a bright, almost fake, toothy smile.
Why is she acting weird?
Choosing not to dive into one of the many reasons why one of my siblings is acting strange, I head to the back door. It’s standing open, so it doesn’t take much for me to slip through the screen door and step out onto the deck.
Their party lights are on, probably left on from when they were out here cooking. As I head toward the stairs that lead down to the beach, I can hear music off in the distance. When I reach the sand and take off my sandals, I realize the music is closer than I originally thought. I head in the direction of the sappy country song, trying to figure out where it’s coming from.
It takes me about a hundred yards to find it.
Or more specifically, to find Nick.
He’s standing along the shore, a blanket at his feet and a smile on his face. The combination of waves crashing on the beach and the sentimental love song playing on the radio makes for a pretty great ambiance.
“What are you doing?” I ask, smiling as I approach him.
“Waiting for you.” His hair is slightly tussled as the warm breeze filters off the salty Bay.
“For me? Why are you out here and not at the house with everyone else?” I ask, finally reaching his side.
“Because I didn’t want an audience,” he says matter-of-factly.
I stop in front of him, glancing up at his serious face. “For what? Is everything okay?” I ask, starting to get a bit worried. Even under the darkened sky, I can tell he’s slightly flushed and seems a bit sweaty. Maybe I wasn’t far off on the whole not feeling good bit.
“Everything is fine. Perfect, actually. Well, almost,” he says, stumbling on his words and chuckling dryly.
“Nick?” I ask, stepping into his space and touching my palm over his forehead. Maybe he has a fever.
As soon as my hand touches his skin, I can sense his relief and feel him relax. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, honey. I promise,” he says, seeming to find his confidence. “I have something I wanted to say to you.”
“Okay,” I whisper quietly, my entire body suddenly on guard.
“You know I love you, right?” he asks, his eyes brightening under the moonlight.
“Yes,” I reply with a smile.
“Good, because there’s no one else I imagine spending the rest of my life with. We both have a bit of baggage that we carry, but I want you to know that I’ll always be here to help shoulder that burden. You were once engaged, and that didn’t exactly go as planned,” he says softly, taking my hands in his own. The tears well in my eyes, but I can’t look away from the hazel ones in front of me.
“I know how much it hurt to lose Josh, and I know how far you’ve come since it happened. But everything that happened, everything in your life and in mine, led us to each other, to this place. It was ugly for a while, but together, we’ve found beauty once more. We’ve found love. We’ve found forever.”
He takes a deep breath and drops to his knee in front of me. A gasp slips from my lips as I watch in shock and awe as he kisses my knuckles and gazes up at me. “Meghan, you’re the only one I want to spend the rest of my life with. The only one I want to wake up beside in the morning and fall asleep with every night. You’re my forever, honey. Will you marry me?”
I close my eyes, letting his sweet words wash over me, and when I do, I see Josh. I see his smiling face, nodding his approval. I know he’s watching over me, encouraging me to live as he always said in my dreams. To live for me and for him.
When I open my eyes and glance down at Nick, my heart beats wildly in my chest. I know what my answer will be. The only answer. “Yes. Yes, Nicholas Adams, D.D.S., I will marry you.”
I barely even register the ring being slipped onto my finger before he jumps to his feet and takes me in his arms, spinning me around on the sand and planting a kiss on my lips. It’s a kiss of everlasting love and friendship. One of grief and forgiveness. Hope and peace.
It’s the kiss that starts my forever.
With Nick.