Scorched

Epilogue

“My son and daughter are beautiful,” Adriane said to anyone who would listen while he cuddled his baby girl safely against his chest.

“They sure are,” Rafe agreed.

“And little Alessandro came out a full three minutes before his sister,” Adriane made sure to tell everyone for the hundredth time.

“Oh, how wise you were to predict a son first,” Rachel teased him.

He’d been quite pleased when his son was born first, but he’d been mesmerized when Marietta emerged next. Only a month old and already she owned her father’s heart.

“I can’t help it if the Graziani line is all-powerful,” he said, teasing his wife while she cuddled Alessandro to her chest.

“I want to hold my nephew,” Rafe said as he walked into the room and purposefully approached Rachel. She smiled and nodded her head and Rafe picked up little Alessandro. “He adores me.”

“He loves anyone who smiles at him,” Rachel said, though she secretly believed that Alessandro did have a soft spot for his uncle. After all, Rafe had been the one to draw the first smile from her son, making Adriane quite unhappy. Adriane had been blessed with Marietta’s first smile, though, so he’d forgiven Rafe.

“He’s just practicing for when his baby is born,” Ari said as she sat down next to Rachel and rubbed her own belly, which was beginning to be quite noticeable. “This will be the last trip we get to make until after the baby is born, so remember your promise to be there on time.”

“I wouldn’t miss the birth of my niece for anything in this universe,” Rachel assured her.

“Nieces, darling sister. I was just kidding at the wedding, but since we both have the same due date, you may be running back and forth between our delivery rooms,” Lia said as she sat down on Rachel’s other side.

“It would be much easier if the two of you just had them in the same room,” Rachel said.

“That would be far too much screaming to listen to,” Shane said, unwisely. All three women glared at him. “I was just kidding,” he added, and he stepped away with his arms raised in defense.

“Oh, girls, I almost forgot to tell you. I finished reading the journal of your Civil War ancestor. When you come out into the world, you’ll have to read the story with me. It’s magical,” said Ari, a sigh escaping her lips.

“Why, what happened?” Lia asked as she propped her feet up.

“Their story is just heartbreaking. I refuse to tell you what happens, though. You have to come stay with Rafe and me and read it then. I’m telling you, you won’t be able to put the story down.”

“It can’t be nearly as exciting as our own lives,” Rachel said with a laugh as she looked over at Adriane. Her husband, along with Rafe and Shane, had a drink in his hand.

“Yeah, as much drama as we’ve all gone through, I understand why you’d think so, but really, their story is unbelievable,” Ari insisted.

“OK. You have me intrigued. I want to learn about our great-a-million-times-over-grandparents,” Rachel said with a giggle.

“They didn’t live that long ago. Only about a hundred and fifty years.”

“That may as well be a million years,” Lia said. “Kind of like how long this pregnancy is taking.”

“I know the feeling,” Ari said, rolling her eyes with a grin.

“Neither one of you gets to complain until you carry two of these little things inside your body,” she said, but there was no heat to her words.

“Is it possible to be any happier than this?” Ari asked as she looked across the room and her eyes connected with Rafe’s.

“I don’t think so,” Lia said, as she smiled at Shane.

“Agreed,” Rachel added, her arms aching for one of her babies. As if Adriane could read her mind, he brought over her daughter and rested her in Rachel’s arms, then leaned down and kissed his beloved wife’s lips.

They’d all gotten their fairy-tale ending, and, of course, their happily ever after.

THE END

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