Epilogue

* Three Years Later *

It's hard for a big guy like me to walk quietly, but after years of tiptoeing through the forest, I feel like I"ve been training for this moment my entire life.

I set the bottle of apple juice silently on the nightstand, then pull out the other two items I picked up at the hospital gift shop: a stuffed forest ranger bear for the lady, and a fluffy stuffed owl toy for the young gentleman.

I set them at the end of the bed, looking down at my two angels. Kara is sound asleep, clearly exhausted but with a smile on her face, her hand flopped over the edge of the bassinet beside her. Our four-hour-old son Michael is also asleep, but he"s a bit twitchy, as if he"s still getting used to being here in the outside world.

Placing my palm gently on his cheek, I watch as he settles, his breathing becoming as regular as Kara"s. After a few moments, I walk around to the other side of the bed, carefully pulling the chair close so that I can hold Kara"s other hand as she sleeps.

"The perfect family portrait."

My head jerks toward the low, soft voice in the doorway. "Hey, Jonah."

He smiles at me. "I"ve already spoken to her doctor. They"re both doing great." He looks me up and down. "You, on the other hand, look like garbage. You need sleep."

"He"s just been born. How can I sleep at a time like this?"

"Yeah, but I bet you haven"t been sleeping for a few weeks, have you?"

"Of course not. I"ve been getting the house ready for the baby."

He shakes his head. "I"ll hold you down and have a nurse give you a sedative if you don"t at least close your eyes for ten minutes." I make a face, then fold my arm under my head so that I"m leaning on the edge of Kara"s bed. He shrugs, then slips back out, muttering, "Good enough."

Staring close up at Kara"s elegant hand, I love the way her engagement and wedding rings sparkle together in the dim light. Love the way our lives have been like a dream from the very beginning, even though I"ve been nervous for the past few weeks, running myself ragged as I"ve tried to get everything perfect so that Kara won"t be stressed when we bring Michael home tomorrow.

After listening to my lovely wife and son breathing calmly for a few minutes, the exhaustion begins to settle in now that the adrenaline has worn off, and I can finally relax enough to close my eyes for just…

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