To hear her apologize instantly melts all the turmoil I’ve been feeling toward my family. Smiling, I reach across the table, and she holds my hand. “Thanks, Mom. I appreciate that.”
With everything now settled, we can all enjoy the meal and conversation as Karl runs through a few ideas he has for his new construction company. His passion for the job is seeping out of him with every word.
After a while, Jon clears his throat, reminding me that we came to dinner with big news for them all. Having my grandmother here is the icing on the cake as I grab my bag that sits on the floor beside my chair.
“So…” I say, gathering the attention of everyone at the table. “I—We have some news to share with you all.”
My hand dips into the bag, and I grab the ultrasound pictures. “Jon and I are pregnant.” I pull the pictures out and show them to them.
Mom immediately snatches them from me and squeals. “Finally!” she hollers. “Luke…we are finally grandparents!” Mygrandmother claps lightly, smiling from ear to ear as the pictures make it to her.
“That’s fantastic,” Karl says as he stands and walks around the table to me and Jon. He hugs me from behind, and Jon stands to shake his hand, but Karl surprises us all by pulling him in for a hug as well.
Just a week ago, he was ready to tear the limbs off of Jon, and now they are hugging.
Once everyone settles back down, I put the pictures back into my bag and tell them all the details of the pregnancy. “So, what happens now?” my mom asks.
“Well, Jon asked me to move in with him. From there, we will just take it day by day and prepare for parenthood.”
I don’t know what I was so worried about with telling them our news. I always make things seem worse than they truly are, but it’s my way of preparing for the worst so I can be pleasantly surprised when things turn out okay.
My life is finally making sense. I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.
EPILOGUE: ELIZABETH
Heavy snow falls outside of the large windows in the kitchen as the sky darkens.
It has turned into the perfect Christmas.
I run over to the oven as the timer goes off, and I pull out a tray of rolls.
“Jon, can you grab me the rest of the presents out of the closet for the family,” I holler from the kitchen. “They’ll be here any minute.”
It’s the first time we’re hosting Christmas dinner at our penthouse, and I’ve been frantic all day, running around, setting out last-minute decorations, and prepping food.
Jon comes out of the spare bedroom, carrying a large tote filled to the brim with wrapped gifts we’d gotten for my family, along with some for Dani and Chase, who have also agreed to join the festivities.
Karl is even bringing over his fiancée, Eleanor. They lost contact after she left for college, but she’s since moved back home to herfamily and they rekindled a love that never really left. I was lucky enough to witness the proposal.
My brother never struck me as a romantic, yet he set up an entire array of flowers and candles at the place where they had their first date many years ago. It was a small Italian restaurant a few miles away from my parents’ house.
Jon sets the gifts under the tree neatly, and a soft cry from the nursery catches our attention. Jon disappears and I remain in the kitchen, putting the last few marshmallows on top of the sweet potatoes.
“Momma, someone wants to see you,” Jon calls out as he walks into the kitchen from the nursery, holding our son gently in his arms.
Weighing in at a healthy seven pounds, eight ounces, our son Calvin was born three months ago.
After finding out the gender of our baby, I began going through all the names in a few of our baby books, but Jon wanted to name him after his late father. While he had my piercing, blue eyes, the rest of his features were Jon’s, so it only seemed fitting.
Jon’s father meant everything to him. He had worked so hard making sure that Jon had a good life and a business after he had gone.
And when Calvin was born, it was the only time I ever saw Jon emotional, and I’ll never forget that moment.
“Well, good morning,” I whisper as I take him from Jon. “Just in time. Grammy is coming.” Calvin is dressed in a Christmas-themed outfit with red and green presents covering his onesie.
“I got all the gifts out,” Jon says. Anything else we need before they get here?”
Smiling, I point to the Christmas tree. “Yes. You and Calvin need to put on the star and then everything is finished.”
