EPILOGUE—HAPPILY EVER AFTER
IZZY
Epilogue
Izzy
Five Years Later
I feel like I can’t breathe. I’m sitting on the couch in the sitting area of our master bedroom. I’m holding Caleb’s hand, and I can’t do anything but stare at the two pregnancy tests that are lying on the console table across from us. This is happening sooner than we planned. Sure, I just finished my residency, but I start my two-year fellowship next month. It’s definitely not the ideal time to have a child. I don’t know how to feel about any of this.
It's a complete shock. We’ve been very careful to prevent pregnancy. We had a small scare right after we bought our house. It was serious enough that we went back to using condoms along with my birth control. I didn’t like it—I prefer not having anything between us when we are making love—but it was the smart thing to do.
Now, here we are. It’s not like we got complacent, but a broken condom along with a bout of flu that made me forgetful enough that I forgot to take my pills, and here we are. I’m not sure why I’m freaking out. Caleb and I are fantastic. Loving him and letting all my walls down was the best decision I ever made in my life. If I am pregnant, we’ll handle it just like we handle everything else in our lives—together.
“I’m so sorry, Isolde. This is all my fault,” Caleb says, sounding disgusted with himself. “The last thing I wanted was to cause your career to get sidetracked,” he adds making me smile.
I lean up and kiss him on the cheek. “Your fault?” I question. “How? Because your dick is so big the condom broke? I think it has more to do with how greedy I am to have you inside me, that I didn’t exactly ride you gently. If you remember, I can’t get enough of you and I rode you hard. I didn’t even let you rest. Hell, I kept going until we both passed out.”
He laughs and kisses my forehead. “I love you. Whatever the tests show, we’re in this together,” he vows.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way and honestly, if I am pregnant, I’m okay with it. I wasn’t planning for it to happen this soon, but I want your babies, Caleb. I want to feel them growing inside of me and know I’m carrying our future in my body.”
“Woman, if you don’t stop, I’m going to fuck you now and do it in a way that if you aren’t knocked up, you will be when I’m done with you.”
I don’t even try to stop my giggles. “I’d tell you not to threaten me with a good time, but you need to hold that thought, because it’s time to read the tests.”
Caleb stands, leaning down to kiss my forehead. He walks over, grabs the tests, and looks at me. “Do you want to read it, or do you want me to?” he asks.
“Go ahead,” I encourage him.
I watch closely as Caleb looks down at the test. His face gives nothing away as he walks over to me. Then he grins and slowly kneels in front of me. His lips press against my stomach, then he looks up at me with so much happiness shining on his face that it steals my breath.
“We’re going to be parents, Isolde.”
Tears are making haphazard trails down his face. I haven’t seen those tears since we found our way back to one another and he confessed he was afraid he’d lost me. Over the last five years, we’ve become so close that I know his tears are a mixture of fear and happiness. I cup the side of his face, smiling through my own tears.
“You’re going to make the best daddy ever, Caleb.”
“If I am a good father, it will be because of my beautiful wife. I love you, Isolde.”
I smile at him. My heart is full. We’ve been together for five years now. Our lives merged so easily that it was almost scary. I moved to Dreary, instantly meshing with Georgia as if we were sisters. Nana scared me, but I soon discovered that she loved my man, and because I made him so happy, she loved me by extension. The club is awesome, and though there are club girls, all of them are extremely respectful around the old ladies. That’s easier for me to deal with because I know without a shadow of a doubt that Caleb would never disrespect or risk losing me. Heck, even my parents and brother trust him implicitly. I’m so secure in who we are together, there’s no freaking out for me. Somehow, we will juggle my being pregnant, my fellowship at the hospital, and life in general, easily. I know we will, because as long as we’re together, nothing can stop us.
“I love you, Caleb. Thank you for making all my dreams come true.”
“Think of some more dreams you need fulfilled, baby, because I’m just getting started.
“Well, as good as that sounds, for now, how about you carry me over to our bed and we celebrate the fact I’m pregnant?”
Caleb stands, picks me up and cradles me against his chest, making his way to our bed. There are times—like right now—where I can’t believe this life is mine and I know without Caleb I wouldn’t have any of it. I send up a small, silent prayer of thanks for crazy men who never give up.
No matter what.
