Epilogue

Zoey

Late February

I grab for my phone, wanting nothing more than to stop the incessant buzzing, but quickly pick up when I see the caller ID. “Jules?”

“It’s time,” Julian says, his voice harried.

“What?” I roll over, my arm slamming into Max, who is still passed out. “Now?”

“Well, last night technically. Her water broke around two. But the doctor says it’s almost time to try pushing again.”

Pushing again . Which means there’s already been pushing and no one called me. “You are only calling me now?”

“It takes forever for these things to happen,” Julian says calmly, something he knows because his sister had babies. “And we knew you were in town.”

I’m not sure halfway across the state means in town, but then there’s only so far away you can be in New Jersey. And it is seven in the morning on a Saturday, so we should be able to make it to Parsippany in about forty minutes. Unless... I jump out of bed and pull back the curtains. No snow. Thank god.

Max groans as the light seeps into the room, and then he flops over.

“Can you rally the troops and get your butt over here, godmother?” Julian asks, a smile evident in his tone. I wonder briefly how much coffee he’s already had.

“Yes, of course. Tell Liz I love her and to keep that baby in there until I arrive. I have dibs on seeing her first.”

“You’re going to have to fight the grandparents on that one,” he says, laughing. “But I will tell her your feelings on the matter.”

“Or”—I giggle because I must still be half asleep or completely wired—“maybe don’t unless you want to get smacked.”

Max sits up behind me and leans his head on my shoulder. “Is it go time?”

I kiss his cheek. “It’s go time.”

Less than an hour later—Max gunned it as soon as we hit the highway—we’re sitting in the hospital waiting room. No one else has arrived yet. I close my eyes, calming down for the first time since my phone rang.

“Hey, guys.”

I turn at the familiar voice. “Hey, Spence.” I stand and give him a half hug around the coffees he holds. “Guess there’s no news if you’re getting coffee?”

“The epidural slowed labor, but they gave her some meds to start it again. We’re going to try in a few more minutes. They’ll help her, if needed.”

That sounds painful.

“Well, I better get this to Julian before he falls asleep again. Liz is going to murder him if that happens.”

I laugh. “Yes, I think that would be frowned upon.”

“Nothing a woman does during labor is frowned upon,” Spencer whispers, leaning in close to me.

It’s been an interesting few months, to say the least. Spencer and Liz couldn’t quit each other, and a month after they broke up, they were back together. He hasn’t left her side since. Spencer and Julian entered into a tense truce. Though things have lightened lately as Liz and Spencer moved into a house a few towns over from Princeton and Julian met a woman—not Sheila—who he seems to be smitten with. Liz and Julian transitioned to soon-to-be co-parents fairly easily. They focus on Baby Paige and what will be best for her instead of the frustrations that come with separating their lives.

Anna arrives next with Cecilia in tow, followed by Dad and Robin then Jane and Julian’s parents. A few minutes later, Spencer’s ex-wife enters, Ryan clinging to her hand.

I walk over to them and extend my hand to Ryan, who has become quite the fixture in my life. “Hey, buddy. Want to come sit with me and Max?”

“Max is here?” he asks excitedly.

“You bet I am, little man,” Max says, coming up behind me. Without even a wave to his mom, Ryan follows Max to a row of chairs against the wall, talking a mile a minute.

“Hey, sis,” Cecilia says before pulling me into a hug. She’s dressed for work, and I wonder if she and Anna came together from their new office for Reid Real Estate.

Things between Cecilia and me aren’t perfect, but she is trying, and that’s enough for now. We talk most days, even if only a quick text, and she even came to visit me at Bellewood for family weekend with Dad. They took separate cars, but we all shared a meal, and no one screamed or cried. And for the first time ever, we had a Reid Family Christmas. The townhouse had never been so full. It was a magical night, made even more magical when Dad asked Robin to marry him.

“How’s the remodel going?” I ask. “Finally settle on a backsplash design?”

Cecilia grins. “Yes, but now I have to pick out flooring.”

I laugh. After a few months in her standard condo, Cecilia decided to remodel—well, nearly everything—but started with the kitchen. Except she’s loath to make any decision without considering ten options first. “It’ll all be done in a few years then?”

She starts to retort but stops when hurried footsteps sound behind us. I glance back to find Julian. Excitement bubbles inside me as I ask, “She’s here?”

Everyone stops talking at my excited words. Julian nods and smiles at the crowd. “She’s here—Paige Anna Madden, seven pounds, six ounces, twenty inches. Liz is asking for you, Zoey. Cee, you too.”

We follow Julian through the ward doors and down the hall, stopping outside room 612.

“You ready, Aunties?”

Liz sits on her bed, sweaty and tired, but radiant. Baby Paige is nestled against her chest. Spencer sits on the edge of the bed, staring lovingly at the both of them. Paige’s hand is wrapped around his pointer finger.

“Hi, Mama,” I say, sitting down across from Spencer.

Cecilia stands beside me and grabs Liz’s free hand. “How are you?”

“We’re good. Tired, but good.” She shifts the baby so that she’s snuggled in her arms. A sweet, perfect scrunched-up bundle of cuteness. “Someone wants to meet her aunts.”

I reach out a tentative hand, letting Paige wrap her tiny fingers around my pinky. “Hello, Paige. I’m your Aunt Zoey, and this is your Aunt Cecilia.” I reach for Cecilia’s hand and squeeze it tight. My world feels whole in a way it hasn’t for my whole life, and I let the tears come. Happy tears. Earned tears. Despite everything, we made it here. Together. “We’re going to have the most amazing adventures together, baby girl. Just you wait.”