Epilogue

Dalton

I knew something was going on for a little while now, and I’ve been expecting Devolin to say something, but she hadn’t.

It’s been two weeks since the wedding, and I can honestly say that I haven’t been happier. What would make me ecstatic would be if she quit living in denial and finally admit it.

Turning so she could snuggle into me, I heard her, “Good morning, babe,” as she pressed her lips to my chest, kissing it.

That’s when I would normally flip her onto her back and proceed to ‘greet’ her for the day. This morning was no exception, except that when I leaned down to kiss her lips, her eyes rounded in horrified surprise, she pushed me off her, and made a beeline for the bathroom.

Well, maybe that’ll clue her in.

Seconds later, I heard her wretch into the toilet, followed by, “Oh, God!”

That was my cue to get up and take care of my woman.

Padding into the bathroom, I grabbed a washcloth and wet it with cold water. I went to crouch down behind her, but she yanked the thing out of my hand and pushed me away. “Go. I don’t want you to see me like this.” Then she began to heave again.

“Sweetheart, I take the ‘in sickness and in health’ portion of my vows seriously,” I joked, garnering a groan from my wife. “Plus, I’ll have to get used to it, because it might be happening more often from here on out.”

Once she’d regained her breath from her nonproductive heaves, she held the cloth to the back of her neck, then turned her head to look at me. “What in the hell are you talking about?” she asked.

“Sweetheart.” I knelt onto the floor, far enough away so that I couldn’t see last night’s dinner in the toilet bowl, and gently pulled Devolin to me. She came easily, straddling my lap. “I think you’re pregnant.”

She shook her head. “That’s not possible, Kip. You know I can’t—”

“You said you never had the fertility tests done, baby.” I played with the strand of hair that had fallen into her face. “It is possible. And judging by the fact your tits feel and look larger, you’ve been eating—”

A hand covered my mouth and my wife gave me a death glare. “Don’t fucking say it. I can’t help it. I’m just hungry.”

Pulling her hand down from my mouth, I grinned down at her. “Bullshit.”

 

Devolin

I’d been putting off that test Dalton had gone to get me for most of the day now, choosing to ignore the proverbial elephant in the room. On one hand, I didn’t believe that I could get pregnant. After all, my life had never allowed me to be that lucky. Why would my luck change suddenly, right? On the other, I knew that being pregnant was a possibility, no matter how minuscule, but I refused to hope.

We were now working on movie number two of the evening when I ended up having to rush to the bathroom for my third bout of puking for the day. All because of that stupid fucking bag of Doritos I’d just popped open.

Feeling Dalton crouch down behind me, holding my hair and dabbing at my neck with the cloth I’d set aside from earlier, he said, “Sweetheart, take the test.”

“What if I’m not?” I voiced my worries. “What if it’s something else; something bad? It could be my lupus…or what if that anemia is back? Stem cell treatments don’t always work, Kip.”

“I promise it isn’t.” He kissed the back of my head before straightening himself and heading to the sink to fill me a glass of water and handing it over. “Drink slowly. I’ll go get you some saltines.” He left the room.

“No! Cookies! I can’t eat any more saltines. Get me the Oreos, please,” I told him as I got up to brush my teeth. You’d have to kill me before you could hope to get those slices of sawdust in my mouth again today. Cure nausea? Oh no they didn’t!

“Yes, dear!” he hollered from what sounded like the kitchen.

Four cookies and a full glass of water later, the urge to relieve myself hit.

Grabbing the test that mocked me since its arrival in our home today, I headed for the bathroom.

 

Dalton

She finally caved.

The more the day wore on, the more I felt my hopes climb. The symptoms were all there, and some of the physical signs, too.

My guess is that she never entertained the possibility, simply because of what the doctors told her years ago, but had never actually medically confirmed it.

“Son of a bitch!” I heard yelled behind the bathroom door, which slammed opened moments later. Devolin’s shocked eyes snapped up to look at me as she mumbled, “You knocked me up!”

The moment was too comical not to laugh. “You’re damn right I fucking did, baby.”

She smiled at me. “Baby.” I nodded, moving toward her. “Our baby.”

“Yeah,” I whispered. “Our baby.”

“I’m pregnant,” she said as if still in shock.

“You’re pregnant,” I parroted her.

“Know what else I am?” she asked coyly, that mischievous glimmer making its way into her eyes.

“No, what?”

“Horny.”

Then she jumped me.

 

Devolin

The exhilaration I felt at that positive test result had me flying high. Seeing Dalton’s face light up with excitement like it had, was a dream come true.

I was giving him something I never thought I’d be able to.

It was a miracle.

The minute I’d wrapped myself around Dalton, he had taken control.

Now here I was, my hand between my legs, sitting spread-eagled against the headboard while Dalton sat on the lounging chair in the corner, watching me as he jerked himself off.

“I was right,” I licked my lips. “This is so hot.”

“Oh yeah?”

I nodded. “Yeah, but now I have another fantasy.”

His eyes smoldered. “Tell me,” he growled.

Pulling my fingers from my pussy, I crooked them. “I want to sit on your face while I suck you dry,” I said, licking my own juices off my fingers.

The man pounced.

 

Dalton

Hours after our lovemaking, in the break of the night, I smiled to myself as I watched Devolin sleep, our hands entwined over the belly that would soon grow larger with our child.

I’m not sure what woke me up, but glad for the solitary moment of introspection, I finally could agree with my mother’s words.

Dream big.

I didn’t know when I quit living by those words, but somehow, I’d started doing it again, and it all hinged on one dark night when a band of brothers set off to save a damsel in distress.

In my arms lay the woman I loved, my legacy, my world. My home.

There’s no better dream than the ultimate one of happiness—and I got mine. Finally.

 

THE END

 

Stay Tuned

for the next in the Nightshade series…

Night Shift