Anna sighed in relief. And my God… why were they so unsure about asking for something so beautiful?
I opened my mouth to speak, but my voice failed me. Within seconds, tears were streaming down my face beyond my control.
“Are you sad, Evy?” Anna asked, her face clouding with worry.
Aurora quickly signed that if I didn’t want to, it was okay.
How could I not want this?
Anna explained, “In the video Mommy left us, she said she would be our mom forever. She’s our mom in heaven now, but she said we could have another. And we love you so much. And we think it’s a little weird to just call you Evy.”
Aurora added, her signs gentle and hopeful:
We want
To call
You
Mommy.
Can we?
I felt Logan’s strong arm wrap around my shoulders, pulling me close as he pressed a kiss to the top of my head. I looked up at him through my tears, and we exchanged a smile full of more love than I ever thought possible.
Then, I knelt down in front of the girls—ourgirls.
They would always be Eleanor’s daughters, as they themselves remembered. But I knew that love wasnever divided; it only multiplied. The feeling I had for them was so vast it overflowed my heart.
“I will be the happiest woman in the whole world if you call me Mommy,” I said, my voice trembling, my hands repeating the words in signs.
Their faces broke into the most beautiful, radiant smiles, and then they threw themselves into my arms for a double hug.
Logan knelt down too, wrapping his arms around all three of us, completing our family.
*****
Epilogue 1
LOGAN
December 31stof the same year...
Los Angeles
It had been a while since I’d seen my mother so excited to host a party. She was with a new boyfriend, Jack, a thirty-nine-year-old nurse from NYCH she’d met while visiting Evelyn.
The year before, it had been a security guard named Leon. We’d all thought it might last, but Trinity Turner’s interests were… seasonal. I didn't expect this relationship to last either, but what mattered was that she was happy.
And she was, hosting an impeccable New Year’s Eve party at her home. The whole family was there,along with many friends. We’d had to insist heavily to get Sebastian to come.
It had been almost a year since he was widowed, and his life had stalled since then.
Camila and Michael’s baby had been born—a boy named Eric, the family’s newest member. My mother showed him off to all her friends like the proudest grandmother. She would have done the same with Anna, Aurora, and Alice if the girls had stayed still for more than a minute. They were a whirlwind of energy, racing across the mansion's courtyard.
Another incredibly proud great-grandmother was Jenna. Anna and Aurora adored her and loved spending time at her bookstore whenever we visited Los Angeles.
Evelyn and I tried to keep an eye on them as they darted around with their cousin Alice. I stood behind Evy, my arms wrapped around her waist, swaying to the music. It wasn't quite dancing, just enjoying the moment. Every time she placed her hands over mine, I felt the engagement ring on her finger. Our wedding was set for July.
