Tigger was Colton’s surprise. You see, Evan and Colton decided together, after much discussion, that returning to Ternbay would be too much of a temptation to return to a life of mischief. Colton was very mature about it, stating that he wanted to buckle down and focus on his senior year, and he could do that in Alder Notch. He drove home from what wethoughtwas just a simple weekend back in Ternbay with Nikolas, claiming he had some important news.
“Dad, Brooks, we gotta talk…”he said, with a serious look on his face.“Please don’t be mad, but… I’m going to be a dad. I’m hoping you’ll understand, Dad, since, you know—me.”
This sent Evan and I into a bit of a panic.
Just as Evan was aboutto tear into him, Colton burst out laughing. Nikolas came strolling in with a cat carrier, containing the feisty, orange maniac now known affectionately as Tigger.
“Bruh, you should see the look on both y’alls faces. Dad, you’re not going to have a heart attack like Gramps, are you?”Colton asked as he continued laughing.“Meet Tigger. Look at him. He needed a friggin’ home, and Snarf-dude needed a bud. I swear he wasn’t this pissy in the shelter.”
“Congrats, grandads!”Nikolas teased, playfully.“But seriously, if he can’t stay here, my mom and dad said he’d be fine to stay at our place.”
We pretty much own stock in allergy meds now, and Evan can grumble about the cats all he wants—he’s the one that just built them acatio.
So yeah, a lot can happen in a year. Just like a lot happened in two months—ahem—like last summer. I’m madly in love with, and incredibly pampered by, the most supportive man—my husband. We have three amazing kids, two indoor fur babies, a wiley pair of raccoons, and with that, our family is complete.
And to think, I gave this whole amazing life an expiration date for the end of that summer. All I see now is forever.
Epilogue Two
Two years after
“Ican’t believe he wasn’t kidding this time,” I sigh, sitting on the edge of the bed. “I can’t believe they weretrying. I mean, holy shit Brooks, we’re not even forty, and we’re going to be grandparents.”
Brooks pokes his head out of the tiny bathroom, one of those weird-looking green clay masks on his face. “Well, now that Tally’s out of diapers, we can pass them along to Colt and Nikolas. Relax, they’re going to make great dads. Besides, with Tallulah and their little nugget so close in age, it’ll be like you’re doing it together this time, he can see what all you had to go through.”
“I just wish they’d gotten completely through college,” I grumble.
“Evan,” Brooks sighs and fixes me with an annoyed look, “you and I both know that Nikolas has surgery in mind. I can’t fault them for wanting to make this happen before he can’t anymore. They’re being responsible and are future oriented. Besides, Colt is doing well for himself at the studio, and Nikolas’ app is doing well.”
My husband isn’t wrong, Petro is set to find success with the app he’s been developing, and will likely make it big in the tech world. Colt is apprenticing at a successful tattoo parlor, and is set to graduate in a couple more years, which is when he plans on opening his own studio. I let him ink me up a few more times, and currently he’s working on a sleeve for me. Everyone’s birthflower: his, Miranda’s, Brooks’, Morgan’s, Tally’s—even Ryann’s, because without her, we wouldn’t have been blessed with Captain Morgs. I guess I’ll now have to save a little space for my grandbaby, too.
Maybe it can go right next to the bee Colton etched into me as a joke, because he thought it’d be funny to remind me how I risked fuckin’ my life battling one in order to get Brooks those flowers years ago. Kid can still be a prick sometimes, vandalizing my body, but I still love the ever-loving shit out of him regardless. I’m proud of him, and I’m happy that he does appear to have his, Petro’s, and their baby’s future in mind.
As her DBA, I’m proud of Morgan too. She decided to follow in her father’s footsteps and is halfway through getting her B.S. in Outdoor Recreation and Leadership. She’s already implemented some necessary changes to the programming at Camp Healing Waters, and the camp is actually one of the top in the state now, even with his specialty designation. She and I have worked together a lot on the business side of things, allowing Brooks to just work on his therapy—and to take time for himself.
Well, as much as our active four-year-old will allow.
“Are you going to wash that shit off your face and get out here or what?” I call out to Brooks.
He pokes his head back out of the bathroom again. “It gives me, and I quote, flawless skin. Don’t rush me, it’s our first baby free nightin”—he pauses to think—“well, heck if I know. I’m practicing some self-care here, that’s all Idoknow.”
I groan. “You’re already gorgeous, though,” I whine.
He steps fully out of the bathroom now, clad in an outfit that is entirely made of lace and satiny-looking straps. Must be another new one, because I don’t recall seeing this one on him before. As usual, he looks stunning in it, though.
“You really think so?” he asks me, and I’m sure that if his freckled cheeks weren’t covered in that crusty bullshit, they’d be pink.
“You really have to ask me that?” I quip with a roll of my eyes. “I’m sure Gannett’s got a full-length mirror on this boat somewhere. Do I need to dig it back out and show you just what I think?”
He bites his lip, a salacious smirk forming on them. He grabs a little pinch of his belly. “I feel like I look a little like a hog in this,” he teases, knowing damn well he’s in the best shape of his life now that he's had time to get back into swimming. The lake in the summer; the Y in the winter. He and I also hike a lot too, and I know I’m feeling like I can do that better now that I’ve finally kicked those stupid friggin’ smokes. After a day of chasing Tally around, however, I feel every bit my age.
I swat his hand away and haul him onto my lap, nuzzling into his neck, minding that mask of his. “I’ve told you a million times already, and I’ll tell you a million more. You’reperfect, Brooks Waters-Gallagher.”
He sinks into me and sighs. “You know, I’m still a little miffed we aren’t EWW BUG anymore, Evan Waters-Gallagher.”
“Who even saysmiffedthese days, babe?” I huff. “Would you like to get divorced, so you can have our old initials back?”
“No! No, no… of course not,” he fires back quickly.
