Sierra’s fingers rose to touch the image of their daughter’s face. And even though the tears fell freely down her face, she smiled incredulously, and she said, ‘How?’ She met his eyes again. ‘How did we make something so perfect?’
Benji kissed her head. He pulled her back into a tight embrace, and he whispered, ‘With love, Sierra.’
Epilogue
Santa Barbara County – October 22, 2029
(Five Years Later)
‘The fact that I come on this trip every year is a testament to how much I love you all,’ Markus said dramatically. ‘I could be at a five-star hotel with Juan right now.’ Dressed in cargo pants, a long-sleeved shirt, combat boots, and a hat with a full veil of mosquito mesh that fell to his shoulders, he looked like a tourist who was about to embark on a tropical wilderness adventure, not spend one night camping in Santa Barbara County. He surveyed Wrangler’s Clearing with thinly veiled dread. ‘It’s so … picturesque.’
Markus might not have had an appreciation for the great outdoors – as he called it – but Sierra’s bond with the clearing surpassed any fondness for family camping trips, irrespective of how fun.
Wrangler’s Clearing was where she and Benji had come to say goodbye to Baby Girl.
They had agreed to mourn their daughter openly and had come up to Wrangler’s Clearing together after their shotgun court wedding. They had scattered her ashes among the trees and then held each other and cried long into the night. And when Benji had said, ‘We don’t have to call her Ava if you don’t want to,’ Sierra hadn’t agreed.
She had finally accepted what she had lost, and she had replied, ‘She was our firstborn. She’ll have the name we always promised our little girl would have.’ So, they’d named her on the same day they’d finally set her free.
Afterwards, the family had made it a tradition to stay overnight on Ava’s birthday every year. Markus came in for the night. Even after winning two Academy Awards and becoming one of the most sought-after actresses in Hollywood, Nina adjusted her filming schedule every year so that she and Mav and their kids were always home for the trip.
Jade and her family had even come up a few times, though this year the trip to Wrangler’s Clearing had coincided with their family’s vacation. Still, Jade had called all the way from Spain that morning to check in and make sure that Sierra was okay.
With Mav and Nina’s three kids, Poppy, Daisy, and James, and Sierra and Benji’s twin girls, Willow and Wren, what had once been a quick overnight visit had turned into an epic annual excursion.
The tent and sleeping bags were packed, but so too were the kids’ sleeping onesies and socks, portable potty, insect repellent, nightlight, changes of clothes, favourite snacks, enough toys to entertain them for eighteen-odd hours … The list went on, and although she occasionally grumbled about it, Sierra’s Type-A heart loved every second of fighting for order in the chaos that was her family.
‘You know you love it,’ Nina teased, and passed Markus her and Mav’s youngest, James. At six months old, James explored the world by picking things up and putting them in his mouth. And Markus’s mosquito netting was no exception.
‘What I can’t figure out,’ Mav piped up as Markus patiently rescued his hat from the baby, ‘is what the hell you pack in this thing?’ He heaved Markus’s huge bag out of the Jeep and held it up.
‘Only essentials,’ Markus replied and perched James on one hip.
Sierra, who had been listening in, snorted. ‘He literally has a wilderness survival kit in there. There’s a pocket just for aerosols!’
‘Um’ – Markus held up one finger – ‘don’t mock the aerosol pocket. Those babies may just save your life one day.’
‘Oh?’ Sierra taunted. ‘How exactly?’
‘Bear spray, insect repellent, sunscreen, hairspray, air horn, and most importantly’ – he tipped his nose up in a mock-superior gesture – ‘whipped cream to bribe the kids with.’
Sierra and Nina exchanged a glance and started laughing.
‘He’s not wrong,’ Nina ceded.
Knowing that the four girls could find trouble in seconds, Sierra turned to look for them. She relaxed when she saw them huddled around Benji, taking turns with the rubber mallet to hammer tent pegs into the ground.
Nina finished popping up the last camping chair. ‘Wanna let them get a swim in before it gets dark?’
‘I am not getting in that water again.’ Markus shuddered dramatically, his shaking body making James giggle in his arms.
‘You can be on baby duty,’ Nina clarified. ‘Si?’
‘We’ll meet you down there in a few minutes,’ Sierra replied. ‘I’m running behind, and I want to finish setting up the girls’ things while I have light.’
Mav paused what he was doing to look pointedly at Sierra’s hugely pregnant belly. ‘You need help?’
‘Nope. I’ve got Benji. Go. We’ll just be a few minutes.’
