Epilogue

EPILOGUE

ELLIE

One Year Later

I t’s hard to keep my breathing even, and the television the nurses have turned on isn’t exactly helping.

“Newscast Blast Yosemite Valley! We're here at the base of El Capitan to watch as climber Drake Evans, owner and CEO of Dragon Ascent, makes his first free solo climb of the granite monolith! He's made it about halfway and is on track to make it in record time. But wait! He's descending! What on earth could make this hardened climber leave an attempt like this midway through?"

"Oh, you better hurry, you idio—ah"

The nurse watches the replay of today's earlier events on the television with me as she mops my damp forehead, quietly talking me through the contraction. "I'm sure he'll be here, Mrs. Evans. Anytime now."

We’ve been in California for months now, overseeing the construction of the new Dragon Ascent factory. I was due to be induced next week and insisted that Drake could still attempt his climb today. I want to go back in time and slap my former self for even considering it because now I'm giving birth alone and?—

The birthing suite doors fly open, and then a tall figure, still dressed in half his climbing gear, rushes towards me.

"Drake!" I reach out for him, relief crashing through me.

"I'm here, Ellie," he says, voice calm and controlled as always.

I shake my head as another contraction grips me. "I'm so glad you made it. I shouldn't have?—"

He takes my hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze. "It's all right, baby." His smile is filled with such tenderness and love that my heart swells. "You can do this. I'm here now."

He settles himself behind me as the nurse helps prop me up on the side of the bed, and I lean against him, taking comfort in the safety and warmth of his body. He's right. As long as he's here, I can do this.

Four hours later, the chaos of the birth is over, and I'm exhausted and sore, but there's also a strange, buzzing energy under my skin. Drake has been by my side the entire time, holding me and letting me squeeze his hand until it goes white. Now, he cradles our tiny daughter in his arms, looking down at her with a mix of wonder and concern. He's terrified but oh so in love.

"Drake," I whisper. "She's beautiful."

"She is, Ellie," he murmurs. He kisses her forehead softly. "Just like her mother."

I blush, still getting used to the sweet things he says to me. We've only been together for a year officially, but in that time, he's shown me just how deeply he feels for me. He may be gruff and brash when we're at work, but the man I've fallen for is kind, gentle, and fiercely protective. I can't believe I got so lucky.

We got married just weeks after the proposal, not wanting to waste a second. Now we're here, together in this moment, looking down at the tiny person we created. It's still hard to believe that Drake and I are parents.

Drake shifts our baby girl in his arms, and her little hand flails up. He smiles and takes her tiny palm in his much larger one.

"Hey, sweetheart," he coos. "It's your daddy. I'm so glad you're finally here."

My heart melts as tears well in my eyes. I love seeing Drake so gentle. It's so nice to see his softer side. I reach out and take his empty hand in mine, and his green eyes turn to me.

"We did good, Ellie," he says, voice a low rumble. He kisses her forehead and then leans over and kisses me, too. "You're an amazing woman. I love you."

I smile and kiss him back. "I love you and our little Teagan."

Drake strokes Teagan's soft baby cheek, and it might just be the dimmed lights of the room, but I swear his eyes are shinier than usual.