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Epilogue

Heather

“OH MY GOD!”

“Breathe, baby. Breathe… BREATHE. We practiced for this.”

“WE DID NOT PRACTICE FOR THIS!” I screamed. I think I was cutting off Brian’s circulation.

He didn’t seem to care. He was clutching my hand, but stretched as far as our linked arms would allow him to go, staring in between my legs over the doctor’s shoulder. “I SEE HER!” he bellowed. “I SEE HER.”

“IS SHE – OOOOOOOWWWWWW! BEAUTIFUL?” I wailed.

“She—she—looks like a fuzzy round thing coming out of your vagina sweetie, I can’t tell yet. But I’m sure she’s gorgeous!” he added hurriedly.

“Push, Mrs. Littrell.”

It had been a year since we’d been married and I still felt a rush of joy whenever someone called me Mrs. Littrell. Brian was hopping foot to foot and I squeezed the life out of his hand. “Oh my Lordie-Lord-Lord, baby. She – I see – it’s her face. Oh my Lordie-Lord…” he was fanning himself with his free hand.

He bounced to my side, pressed a kiss against my cheek as I huff-puffed and frolicked back to the end of my arm’s length. “Oh baby, baby, she’s beautiful. You’re doing so good.”

“One more push, Mrs. Littrell,” the doctor said joyfully.

“You hear that baby? One more push!” Brian scampered to my side and leaned over me, staring into my eyes. He clutched my hand to his chest. “One more push and we’ll be have our lil sugar.”

I stared into his eyes.

A moment later, there was a cry and the nurses set to work cleaning off our baby. Brian was bouncing foot to foot and I could hear his massive white sneakers scuffling the floor as he moved. They were quieted by the blue bootie things they’d made him put over his shoes. He looked like a scrub nurse all dolled up in the hospital garb.

I heard a nurse coo and a baby’s whimper, then the doctor’s voice – low and gentle – “Here you are, Mr. Littrell.”

I struggled to lean forward to see Brian take her into his arms.

His hands slid along her back, cradling her to his body. He stared down at her, his blue eyes sparkling bright with tears. He stared into her face, his breathing slowed, his chest barely rising and falling as he stared, hypnotized by her. The first of the tears escaped his eyes and slid down his cheek, into the hollow of his jaw bone and slipped over his chin. He looked up at me, his face en raptured. “Heather,” he whispered, “She has your eyes.”

It was exactly what I’d always hoped he would say.

He carried her over to me and rested her into my arms softly. I held her and smiled down into her perfect face. I glanced up at Brian and smiled. “Hey Allison,” he whispered.

“Hi baby,” I whispered quietly.,

“Hey kiddo,” he added, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

I looked up at his face. “Brian?” I whispered.

“Yeah?” he asked.

“So which one of Nick’s twins do you think she’s gonna marry?”

Brian’s face paled. “Oh sweet Jesus,” he whispered.