EPILOGUE: REBECCA
“It’s okay, Charlotte,” I say softly as I lean over the changing table. “I’m almost done. Then we can get some breakfast.”
I stare down at the perfect little face of the perfect little girl I gave birth to just four months ago. As I slip her arm into the sleeve of the red dress Steven and I bought her for Christmas, I pick her up and head out of the pink and purple nursery.
It’s been hectic since she was born, but worth every sleepless night. And Steven has been my rock through everything. Once I hit five months in my pregnancy, I stopped working at Impact Media with him to focus on getting the house ready for a brand-new baby.
With my newly found free time, I was able to enroll in culinary school. It only took a few months to get certified, and I graduated last month.
It was the best decision I ever made, besides having my family, of course. Steven has been keeping his eyes peeled for good real estate so I can eventually have my dream of owning a bakery.
Just a year ago, we were starting out as a family, with a new one on the way. Everything came to a standstill as we tried to prepare ourselves while still making time to enjoy each other. It wasn’t easy, but we made it out stronger than before.
“Hey, there’s my two favorite girls,” Steven says with a smile as we walk out into the hallway. He is dressed in one of his black suits, fully prepared for the family picture we are getting when the rest of my family shows up.
“She’s changed and all dressed, Papa,” I chuckle back as I hand her over to him. Damian runs out of his room, asking for help with his Velcro bowtie that goes along with his suit. The older he gets, the more he and Steven look like twins, especially when they dress similarly.
Not to mention, he’s acting more like his father now too, especially because they’ve taken up a lot of hobbies together. One of them is Cub Scouts, where Steven is one of the troop leaders. They’ve camped most of the weekends over the past summer and gone on countless hikes.
While it gave me plenty ofme time, I can’t wait until Charlotte is old enough to go on outings with me. The boys can have their outdoor fun, and we girls can have fun shopping and baking.
I’m not trying to speed things up by any means. I don’t want either of my children to grow up and move away from me. No mother is ever prepared for that.
Once Damian’s bowtie is hooked, I straighten his hair. “There, perfect. Don’t get too dirty because Grandma and Grandpa are gonna be here any minute,” I yell after him as he disappears back into his room.
It’s nice to know that since last year, my family has kept up on their word about coming to our house every holiday. And they’ve helped me so much since Charlotte was born. My grandmother, especially.
She says she has a special bond with her, since she has her middle name. But I know it’s because she only had my dad, so she didn’t get much girl time. When I was born, she was still living out of state, so she’s making up for lost time.
From time to time, when my family is around, I still see that shift in Steven’s mood. It’s like he still doesn’t know how to react around them due to the lack of caring in his own house growing up. It pains me to know what he went through, yet it’s a miracle he turned out as wonderful a father as he did.
Steven still has nothing to do with his parents since he found out the truth. They did try to come around once they heard about the new baby, but Steven immediately shut them out. He had told me that he wasn’t ready, and may never be ready to forgive them or even trust them again.
Honestly, I can’t blame him. Although he does speak with Cam every so often on video chats. He likes to call to see the baby and check on Damian.
After everything went down last year, it really hit Cam hard. He did a lot of self-reflecting, and it didn’t take him long to see his parents’ true colors.
He has since moved to the Dominican Republic to be with his girlfriend, Maria, whom he met online. I’ve only seen her on the phone, but she always seems very nice. He hated the long distance and had had enough of living with his parents.
His move was the best decision he could’ve made. He seems like a whole new person now. He said that they were poisoning his environment, and he needed to breathe. He has since apologized to both of us for all he’s done.
I’m just happy that everything has finally worked out for the better. For him and for us.
“Can I open one present before they get here?” Damian pleads, coming to find us as we sit in the living room. I exchange a glance with Steven as I begin feeding the baby and nod.
“Yes, but only one. They want to see what Santa got you as well,” I reply, and he practically dives under the tree for the silver-wrapped gift. I immediately know what it is, but I hope he doesn’t plan on playing with it in that nice outfit.
“Whoa! It’s a mushroom growing kit…” his voice tapers off as he flips the box over to read the instructions. “Dad, can we set this up?”
The look on Steven’s face as I shoot him a disagreeing look almost makes me laugh. He seems more excited than Damian does. Rolling my eyes, I shake my head. “Fine, but don’t mess up those clothes before the picture, please.”
After about an hour, my living room is filled with laughter and warmth as my family all sit around to watch each other open gifts. Mom begins to laugh as Steven opens a gag gift she couldn’t resist buying from the store the other day.
It’s a pair of boxers that have my picture plastered all over them, and I laugh right along with her. “These are great,” Steven chuckles. “I’ll make sure to wear them to the next get-together…”
Dad holds Charlotte for most of the gift giving, and I steal a few glances of him playing with her. It’s such a touching moment because I know how easily this could’ve been different.
Maybe he didn’t forgive us and never showed up to last year’s Christmas Eve dinner. Where would we be right now? He wouldn’t get to see his grandson grow bigger or bond with Charlotte.
