Bonus Epilogue Indie

Bonus Epilogue

Indie

Forty Years Later

“Happy Birthday, Baby. Seventy and more stunning than the day I met you,” Dom says, as he walks across the front porch of our house, a cupcake in one hand and the other shielding the candle sparkling on top of it. A breeze blows the swoop of gray hair off his forehead.

“Are you having an episode? We can’t break out the cupcakes before everyone gets here. They’ll riot,” I tease.

“Let them. We’ve earned the right to do whatever the hell we please and I want a moment with my wife before we are overrun with family and friends. Lord knows once the grandkids get here you’ll forget I exist.” Dom leans in close, holding the chocolate cupcake between us.

“Stop it. You’re just as wrapped around their grubby little fingers as I am.” I blow out the candle, closing my eyes; wishing for health and happiness for my loved ones. There’s nothing else that matters. I have it all, everything I ever dreamed of.

My husband pulls out the candle for me and I take a bite before he steals one of his own.

“Getting them wasn’t easy,” he says, running his thumb along my bottom lip, cleaning the chocolate frosting from it.

“But it was worth it.” Every needle poke, every failed IVF cycle until we finally got our oldest. Even the scare we had after I delivered Farrow was worth it. A full hysterectomy led us down a different path to get Vienna and Blake.

“I’d do it all again because you’re happy and healthy, we have a beautiful family, and amazing friends who helped build this life.”

The first of many cars that will roll up to celebrate with us today parks along the curb, when they get out Hendrix holds open the gate of the white picket fence for Poppy. Without my childhood friend this family wouldn’t be complete. She carried Vienna for us—a gift I’ll never be able to repay.

“Happy Birthday, Ind,” Poppy says, kissing my cheek when she joins me on the porch swing. “Oh chocolate.” She pulls a piece off and pops it in her mouth.

“Lilah and Cruz were right behind us,” Hendrix tells Dom. “He’s the slowest driver ever.”

“And even grumpier in his advanced age,” I joke.

We owe another piece of our family to them. Lilah carried our youngest Blake for us to complete our family.

Car after car rolls up, our family filling the yard with squeals and giggles as the kids and grandkids arrive, filling my heart until it feels like it might burst.

“You okay, wife? You’ve got a little something . . .” Dom says when he takes the spot next to me on the porch swing a few minutes later, his hands find my face and wipe away the tear trailing down my cheek.

“Couldn’t be better. Just taking it all in.” I lean my head against his shoulder and together we watch the joyful chaos unfold as kids chase each other around and their parents struggle to rein in their little ones after the ride.

“You’ve never been one to sit on the sidelines, don’t tell me you’re slowing down. ”

“Not a chance.” I kiss his neck and then stand from the chair, holding my hand out for him. “We’ve got lots of life left to live, think you can keep up old man?”

“You know I can. Now let’s go squeeze those grandbabies and fill them with sugar.”

“I love you, Dom,” I tell him with a laugh.

“Forever and always, Indie Duran. I love you.”

THE END