Epilogue

EPILOGUE

E mber took a last glance at Swift Hog and the other cars she was working on and smiled. They had taken a lovely house just out of town with some big outbuildings she could use as a garage and lovely views to the forest. She smiled as she walked up to her front door, knowing what was coming next.

She opened the door.

“Mommy!” came a high-pitched squeal.

A tiny form thudded into her, nearly taking her off her feet.

“Hey, Natalie!” She picked up the little girl with one arm, balancing her daughter on her waist.

“I missed you! You said you would come pick me up! Only Mom showed up,” the girl said with a pout.

“Yeah, there was a car-fixing emergency, sorry I couldn’t come pick you up. I’ll be there next time.”

Her beautiful daughter’s expression changed instantly to a big smile. She was a lively preschooler. Dramatic and so expressive.

“Promise?”

“If there are no emergencies with cars, I promise I’ll be there.”

Ember had left her job as a firefighter. She couldn’t say it was forever, but for now and certainly while Natalie was small, she didn’t want to be risking her life all the time. She was working as a specialist mechanic, her own little business, and she loved every second of it.

A delicious aroma wafted from the kitchen. Ember followed her nose, she found Josephine in the kitchen, fretting over the stove.

Natalie had returned to coloring in a coloring book at a little table.

Josephine was wearing well-tailored pants and a lovely, fitted blouse. Her beautiful caramel hair was loose around her shoulders. Ember felt butterflies still when she saw her. She was filthy and sweaty from work, but Josephine never seemed to mind.

“Hey,” Ember leaned against the doorway.

Josephine looked up and smiled, wiping the sweat off her brows. “Welcome home, honey.”

She pulled Josephine tightly to her and kissed her deeply. Ember pulled back and stared at her wife in the eyes. Her lovely dark green eyes flecked with amber. She looked more beautiful than ever.

Four years. It had been four wonderful years since they got married. That time had gone by in a blink. She was happier than she had every been.

“Is dinner ready yet?” Natalie asked, pulling at her pretty red hair.

Josephine laughed. “Almost, sweetheart.”

There was a knock at the door.

“Oh, that will be Becky or my dad. They are joining us for dinner, I didn’t think you would mind?”

“No, of course.” Ember wandered towards the door and Natalie toddled after her, her eyes lit up in excitement.

“Is it Granny? And Grandpa?”

“Maybe…” Ember said, smiling at her beautiful daughter. “Shall we open the door and see. Natalie was bubbling with excitement as she helped Ember open the door.

Both Becky and Benjamin were there smiling widely.

Becky held a bottle of wine and Benjamin held a bottle of whiskey. It was a good job because neither Ember or Josephine really drank alcohol these days. Since Natalie’s birth, they both just wanted to stay sober for her, to enjoy their time with her, to make sure they were always able to drive if there was an emergency. So if Becky and Benjamin wanted to drink- which inevitably they did, they had to bring their own.

Becky passed the wine to Ember and scooped up little Natalie in her arms kissing her face as she wriggled and giggled. Natalie looked a lot like Ember and Becky.

At first, when Ember and Josephine had discussed the possibility of having children, Ember hadn’t been so sure about being pregnant herself.

Josephine was older and because of her age, the chances of her getting pregnant were unlikely.

So they had decided on Ember getting pregnant and carrying their child. Ember was super fit and healthy and despite her initial reservations, when she luckily became pregnant on their first attempt at the clinic, she felt such an overwhelmingly powerful connection immediately to the tiny baby growing inside of her.

She had felt awkward physically as her belly grew- it was a strange feeling for someone who had spent her life working out. She stayed as active as she could until the baby was born and her body handled everything well.

Ember had labored in a birthing pool in their home with Josephine and Becky both with her. Josephine’s love had carried her through the difficult hours of the night and when the sun rose and Natalie was born and Ember took her from the water and held her in her arms she had never known love like it. There were tears in her eyes as the tiny baby nuzzled at her breast. Josephine held her from behind, kissing her neck, “You did it, baby. You are so incredible. This is our beautiful daughter.” She leaned forward and kissed Natalie’s tiny head which was covered in white vernix.

Ember could see Becky crying with happiness. She reached over the edge of the pool and took Ember’s hand, squeezing it.

“This reminds me of when you were born. My amazing daughter and my amazing granddaughter and my amazing daughter in law. I am the luckiest woman in the world.”

Being Natalie’s mom had been the greatest privilege of Ember’s life. It had meant reassessing her work priorities and starting a little garage of her own, but that suited her so well being able to work from home and choose her own hours.

As good of a firefighter as Ember had been, she knew her self destructive tendencies were not good. Whether she would go back into that one day, she didn’t know right now. What she did know was that she was happy every day now and that was a huge thing.

Yes. Ember was happier than ever, and she would do everything she could to live for this. For them. Her family. Her loves.

Josephine was happy, too. She had settled into her role running the hospital. It played to all of her strengths. She was efficient, organized, a strong leader. She did an occasional surgery, but she didn’t miss the constant life or death stresses of being a full time surgeon.

She loved being Natalie’s Mom, an honor she never thought she would have. She had contemplated having children earlier in her life, but between her career and her ex’s, she had known she wouldn’t have been able to spend the time with them that she had wanted.

But now, she had negotiated her hours at the hospital so that she worked less hours and she could work some of her days from home and that suited them all well.

She could never have imagined the beautiful little life she had now with her own little family. Loving Ember had been a love she had never imagined possible. Filled with a passion she had never known and a tenderness that she knew Ember kept reserved only for her and Natalie.

Natalie was the most beautiful little girl with big dark eyes just like Ember’s. The three of them spent all the time they could together. Becky visited often and Josephine valued their friendship greatly. Women in positions of power had to stick together, Josephine always thought that and having Becky Thompson the Fire Chief on her side was a powerful friend to have. She was an incredible grandmother to Natalie, too.

Benjamin had bought a home in Phoenix Ridge, too. It wasn’t his only home, but he certainly spent more time than Josephine expected there with all of them. Her connection with her father had only grown through having him spend time with her new family.

They were all sitting round the dining table in the yard as Josephine walked through carrying out the big pasta dish she had been preparing. They were all laughing and chatting away and Natalie sat on Ember’s lap, her own smile lighting up the world.

Ember’s big dark eyes met Josephine’s and she smiled that lovely lazy sultry smile that Josephine had fallen in love with.

She felt filled with warmth and love. This was her family. This was her happy ever after.

“I love you,” she mouthed to Ember and Ember mouthed it back. Beautiful Ember. Beautiful Natalie. Her very own beautiful little world.

“Right everyone. Dinner is ready!” she smiled and began serving.

THE END