And when I wake up, we’re snuggled in bed.
Epilogue
Blake
9 months later
“I’ll help you with your calendar afterward,” Trena begs from the living room. “You have to pack for the hospital, Ceci.”
Lennox and I asked her to come over and help us convince Ceci this isn’t one of those things you wing at the last minute. It doesn’t sound like it’s going well despite the thirty minutes she’s been trying.
We’re in the study wrapping up a case we’re consulting on, giving them some space. After all was said and done in Whispering Pines, we tried retiring, but Ceci, Trena, and Mandy insisted we continue working to help youth and young adults who get caught in dangerous paths.
After we moved to Eggplant Canyon, Lennox and Henry stayed in touch. The distance did everyone good. Henry needed time to lick his wounds after getting dumped by Cecilia and Mandy, even though the latter was an extremely short-lived relationship, and he deserved it both times.
Lennox could see how adrift Henry was and fell into the dad roll like a champ, not giving up on his son, which was decidedly easier since Ceci was ours.
Henry was inspired by our new career path and just got his Private Investigator certification.
Ceci gave her approval for us to hire him for remote work gathering intel for cases. She’s totally over him, and with a little more time, I think he’ll come around to our Cecilia situation.
From the other room, Ceci’s repeating the same things she’s been telling us. “I plan on packing when the contractions start. It’ll give me something to do until they’re close enough to go to the hospital.”
“And if you don’t have time? Not all labor is slow.”
Lennox closes the case file. “I thought she’d listen to Trena. She hasn’t even gotten her to the bedroom.”
Ceci says, “Then I’ll call my bestie and ask her to grab stuff for me.”
“Or we could go to your bedroom and I can fill a suitcase right now.”
Ceci mumbles something but doesn’t appear swayed.
“We might have to pack a bag for her and put it in the entry closet,” I say.
“Sounds like a plan. Time to let Trena off the hook.” Lennox gets up and I follow him to the living room.
I go straight to where Ceci’s pacing, get her to stop, and rub her shoulders. Alternating between sitting and moving helps keep her back pain to a minimum.
“What do we have here?” Lennox says from the table where Ceci’s dayplanner is open next to a to-go box Trena must have brought.
“Two conniving daddies who recruited my best friend to pester me.” Ceci smiles at me from over her shoulder.
“No Panties Day?” Lennox grabs the paper planner, brings it to us, and points at the entry to make sure I see it.
“Ceci, what are you doing?” I ask.
“Some-bodyhijacked last year’s parade.”
Lennox is stern. “You’re going to have a three-month-old baby. You can’t put this together.”
“That’s why I’m organizing it now.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“What is your obsession with not wearing panties?” I say, curtailing the rest of my thought when I remember Trena’s there.
“Nope! I’m out. I know where this kind of talk leads.” Trena grabs her purse and heads for the door. Over her shoulder, she says, “Don’t forget to pack, Ceci.”
