Epilogue

"Slow down, Bonnie," Emery said to the three-year-old girl tugging on her arm. "You know mommy can't move very fast right now." She rubbed the top of her bulging belly where she could feel the baby kicking into her ribs.

"Katie has cucumbers!" A six-year-old announced from her place beside a teenage girl who was pulling weeds.

Bonnie ran to her sister and dropped onto her knees.

"The cucumbers," Em said, "had no option but to grow. Katie, you've been nursing those things since they've been planted. But where's your hat?"

Katie smiled and scratched her shaved head. "In my room."

"Jade, honey," Em said to the six-year-old. "Can you go run and get Katie's hat for her?" Jade jumped to her feet and sprinted for the house. "You're going to get a sunburn, Kate. That won't be very comfortable."

"I've had worse."

"That doesn't make it okay. But I'm glad I'll have cucumbers tonight for a salad."

"I told you, I'm on dinner tonight," Katie said. "You need to put your feet up."

"If I keep walking, maybe I'll get this baby to hurry up and get out. I'm tired of having to lever myself in bed every time I want to roll over."

"You still have a week until your due date. Be patient."

Em groaned. "Easy for you to say."

Jade returned and fitted the hat onto Katie's head.

"That's better," Em said. "Once you're done here, there's lunch at the house."

"You shouldn't be working so hard," Katie said.

"Making sandwiches is not hard."

"I'll be in soon."

"Come on, Bonnie, let's go see what Daddy's up to."

Bonnie skipped toward a large barn across a large yard.

"Keep up the good work girls," Em waved to her daughter and to Katie before waddling to the barn.

When she went inside, Jep was scooping up Bonnie. He kissed her before tucking her on his hip and carrying her over to Em.

"How're you feeling?"

"Uncomfortable. How're you guys doing?"

"Really good. I got another call today. Word's getting around the state that Slate's the best. Everyone wants him for their paint job."

"He's got a great attention to detail," Em said.

"You two must be related."

"I do love him like a brother, so that's got to count for something."

"It's lunchtime, Daddy," Bonnie said, head butting her dad. "I'm hungry."

"Lunchtime already?" Jep said before giving her a raspberry on her neck.

Bonnie squealed and slid down to the floor before running out the door. "Last one's a rotten egg," she yelled before disappearing.

"You could have called my cell," Jep said.

"I need to walk. Get this baby moving."

He rested his hand on her belly. "Three girls. What am I going to do with myself?" He leaned down and kissed her belly. "I can't wait to see what God has in store for each of them."

"That's a long way off. Let them grow up first."

"If I could have it my way, they'd never grow up. What am I going to do when the boys start sniffing around?"

"Don't worry about them," Slate said, ambling over. "I've got my shotgun. And you know I won't be the only one." He looked back at the workshop where three other guys were working.

"I can bring lunch out to you if you're busy," Em said.

"No way," Jep said. "I'll help you back to the house, then I want you to rest for a bit."

"I don't need help. Slate, you make sure they all wash their hands before coming inside."

"Yes, ma'am."

Jep linked his fingers with hers. "My hands are clean. I'll walk you back."

"You worried I'll go into labor on the way?"

"You never know." As they walked across the yard, Katie was headed for the house. "How's she doing?"

"Better."

"I hope those nightmares don't last much longer."

"We had a good talk about God after breakfast," Em said. "She has a lot of obstacles to climb over, but she knows it. She can see what her life's done to her, and she has a sense that there's more."

"She's turned up at the right time. If she can stick to this path, it will be good to have her around with the new baby. She loves the girls, and the girls have really taken to her."

"Yeah. It's sweet. But I do worry."

"About what? You think Katie could be trouble?"

"No," Em said. "But she could still go back out into the world and throw away everything she's worked so hard for."

"Like your sister? We knew going into this that we couldn't save them all."

"I know. But I can't help but wonder when someone new comes into our lives if this will be the one we lose. I don't know how God does it, watching us screw up over and over again."

"It's His long suffering. If you want to ask God for more, you know what He'll do."

"Make me suffer." She laughed, then stopped and pressed a hand to her stomach. "Oof."

"Are you okay?" Jep said.

"I think my water broke—" She felt the warmth run down her leg. "Yup, it definitely broke."

"So I was right. You did go into labor on the walk back to the house. Slate!" he yelled back at the barn. Slate ran out the door, drying his hands on a towel. "It's time!"

Slate went rigid. "The baby?"

"Calm down, you two," Em said. "I'm not pushing a baby out right this second."

"You were only in labor with Bonnie for two hours."

"Exactly. So we have hours. I'll call Carla and?—"

"These guys can look after everything until she gets here. I'll get your bag."

Em laughed as Jep raced toward the house. He yelled to Katie, who stuck her head out the door, then sprinted onto the porch, launching herself before landing in a full sprint.

"You're having the baby?" she said, out of breath. "Now?"

"Not right this second." Em started toward the car.

"What do you need me to do?"

"Jep's going to have a heart attack if we don't leave for the hospital right away. Slate can look after the boys at the barn if you don't mind babysitting the girls until Carla gets here."

"Absolutely. Whatever you need." Katie's eyes were rimmed with tears. "This is so exciting."

Em took her hand and squeezed it. Katie had had an abortion not long before coming to the house. "You're going to be okay?"

"Are you kidding?" Katie said. "This is the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I mean you." She laughed.

It was after she tried to kill herself that Jep and Em had been recommended to her by a desperate friend. Seeing her laugh was a gift.

"I've got your bag," Jep said as he swung it in the air. "Let's go."

Em hugged her kids before Katie took both their hands. Bonnie jumped, nearly yanking Katie's arm from her shoulder as she squealed in delight. Katie just laughed.

Jep led Em to the car and helped her into it before running for the other side, sliding across the hood to get there in record time. He cranked the engine over, and the wheels skidded as he stomped on the accelerator and sped down the driveway.

"Slow down," Em said, gripping his leg.

"Sorry."

"You can handle bullets whizzing by your head and bombs going off all around you, but when it comes to the birth of your girls, you're a nutcase."

He grinned. "I like to make the most out of life. It's more than I could have imagined, and if I want to freak out when my baby girl is born, I should be allowed."

"Okay, fine. But just make sure you obey the road rules. I don't want to have to call Lawson for a long overdue favor to get you out of a speeding ticket."

"Are you kidding? He'd love the opportunity, and you know it."

She grimaced as a contraction started. "Here we go. One more life coming into the world."

"What? Now?!"

"Just drive."

Jep took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet smell of his new baby girl as he held her his arms. She was gripping his pinky tightly with no intention of letting go.

"She's so beautiful," he said. "One more precious life to dedicate to the Lord."

"What do you think she'll be like?"

"Different from her sisters," he said.

"Sisters are always different. Even when I thought I knew our Jade and Bonnie would be unique from each other, I was still surprised to find out how different."

Jep kissed the tiny hand, then leaned down to kiss his wife. "How can someone have so much joy? God has been so good to us."

"All we can do is be thankful. And remember the good times when we have the bad."

"And never forget that God is always with us. Even till the end."

"Even in the darkness. Whatever we face?—"

"He'll be there."