Epilogue Stella

Stella

Today is my baby girl’s second birthday. It looks very different from her first. Today, we’re surrounded by family and surrounded by love. Maverick and I have been married for five months, and it’s been bliss. Every day I fall more in love with him.

Today, my husband is up to his usual antics. He was insistent that we have a big family bash for Ada’s second birthday. That part I was fine with. It’s the bounce house, the balloon animals, and face painting I tried to dial him back on. It’s no use.

The bounce house is part of her gift because, let’s be honest, our girl has way too many toys. The balloon animals and the face painting are a husband-and-wife duo from Harris. They were fairly inexpensive for two hours of their time, and when Maverick gave me those puppy-dog eyes, I gave in.

Who am I to stop him from showing our daughter love? This is Maverick. It’s who he is, and I’ve embraced that. Not to mention his smile is just as big as Ada’s and the rest of the kids’.

“Do they ever grow up?” Jordyn asks. She’s holding her thirteen-week-old son, Finn.

“I’m thinking that’s a no,” I reply.

“No, to what?” Alyssa asks. She plops down on the couch next to Jordyn with Ivy, her nineteen-week-old daughter, in her arms.

“They never grow up.” I nod toward our husbands.

“Nope. But that’s part of their charm,” Alyssa says, smiling down at Ivy.

“How are you both feeling?” I ask them.

“Great,” they say at the same time, making each other laugh. We’ve all grown close, as close as sisters can be.

“You ready for another one?” Jordyn asks me.

She must read something on my face. “Stella?”

“I can’t tell you before I tell him,” I confess without actually confessing.

Jordyn and Alyssa offer me matching grins. “When?”

“Today. I took the test last week. I scrambled to find what I needed to tell him.”

“How far along are you?” Jordyn asks.

I shrug. “I’m not sure. I’m two weeks late. I was a week late when I took the test last week. I have an appointment next week.”

“You said you had a doctor’s appointment but didn’t say what for.”

“Yeah, I told Mav it was my woman’s check-up, and he bought it.” I smile, thinking about my husband. I know he’s going to be out of his mind, excited about this news. “I wanted to make sure he could be there with me. He didn’t ask why.”

“Yeah.” Alyssa smiles. “They never do. We ask, and they’re there. All of them are like that.”

“How are you going to tell him?” Jordyn asks.

“Well, I copied his move. I bought Ada a tank top. She’s wearing it under her T-shirt.”

“Do it now,” Alyssa says excitedly. “I cannot wait to see his reaction.”

“I don’t want to take away from Ada’s day.”

“Stella, honey, she’s two. She doesn’t understand, and the other kids will keep on playing. It’s not going to faze them. Tell him,” Jordyn insists.

Before I can answer, Ada comes rushing over. “Mommy, milk.”

“I can take her.” Maverick appears. “You ladies enjoy your chat.”

“Babe, she’s getting hot. Why don’t you take that T-shirt off her? She has a tank top on underneath.”

“Got it.” Maverick walks away to get our girl something to drink.

“We should follow him,” Alyssa says.

“He’ll find me,” I assure them. “We’ll know exactly when he reads it.”

“What does it say, anyway?” Jordyn asks.

“This birthday girl is going to be a big sister.”

“Aw,” Jordyn and Alyssa say at the same time.

“No. Way!” Maverick’s voice is loud, and everything stops around us. “Stella.”

I turn to face him and work hard to keep my face neutral. “Mav?”

“Angel, can you read this for me?” He rushes toward me with Ada in his arms. She’s bouncing on his hip, thinking it’s a game, and laughing like she always does when she’s with her daddy.

“Oh, that, yeah. It says this birthday girl is going to be a big sister.”

“This one?” he asks, pointing at Ada. “This birthday girl?”

“Yeah, I mean, she’s wearing the shirt, right?” I’m trying really hard not to laugh. It’s the hope I see in his eyes that helps me keep it at bay.

“This is our daughter.”

This time I do laugh. “Yep. Last I checked.”

“That means we’re having a baby.”

“We are.” I smile as tears fill my eyes. The look on his face, it’s priceless and one that I’ll always remember.

Ada squirms to get down, so he places her on her feet as he moves in closer to me. His hands cup my cheeks. “We’re having a baby?”

“Baby number two.” Tears well in my eyes.

I don’t know what I expected, but it’s not Maverick dropping to his knees, kissing my belly over my shirt. “I love you so much, baby. You, your mommy, and your big sister.” He stands and pulls me into a hug. “How?” he asks.

“Um, babe, that’s not a conversation for little ears.”

He chuckles. “That’s not what I meant. I know how. What I don’t know is how I can love something so much when I’ve just learned of its existence?”

My heart melts, as do the hearts of every woman in the room. “Maverick Kincaid, you’re one in a million.”

“We’re having a baby!” he shouts. Everyone cheers. They’ve watched it all go down but remained silent until Maverick yells it loud enough that I’m certain all of Willow River now knows our news.

He kisses me. Not just any kiss. It’s slow and deep and definitely not appropriate for our two-year-old daughter’s birthday party, but that doesn’t stop me from kissing him back with everything I’ve got. “Mav, we should move out of the way of little eyes.” I finally manage to find my bearings and remember exactly where we are.

“We should stay here in this spot. Let them see what love looks like. They have lots of examples, but ours, it’s one for the books, Stel.”