Epilogue
“Tell me you have names picked out. I’m dying here. I have to know what you’re going to name them.” Willow wouldn’t leave Sheridan alone. She’d been harassing her for months, constantly asking if she had chosen the names for her baby girl and baby boy.
Sheridan rubbed a hand over her big belly, a serene smile on her face. She was huge, due in a month and could go into labor at any given time. This was why Jared was at Sheridan’s baby shower, keeping watch in case something happened.
He was the cutest father-to-be Aubrey had ever witnessed. He hovered. He took care of his wife by waiting on her hand and foot and was so gentle with her, shot her looks filled with so much love, his love for his wife almost took Aubrey’s breath away.
“She’s not answering me.” Willow threw Aubrey an irritated look, and it took everything Aubrey had not to laugh at her frustrated friend. “I give her the most beautiful baby shower ever, and she just smiles at me like she’s the Mona Lisa while not saying a word.”
“Oh, leave her alone,” Aubrey said as she stood. “I bet if you stopped nagging her all the time, she’d tell you the names freely.”
“In my dreams,” Willow said with a laugh as she rolled her eyes, making Sheridan laugh, as well.
“Maybe they haven’t made up their minds yet,” Aubrey suggested.
The men—including her man—were in the kitchen, gorging themselves on the leftover food. The baby-shower attendees had all left, but Aubrey had stayed behind to help clean up and also because she was Willow’s cohostess.
“Oh, we have,” Sheridan said, laughing even harder when Willow cursed low under her breath. “It’s fun torturing her, though.”
“You’re mean,” Willow tossed over her shoulder as she flounced her way into the kitchen.
“
You feeling okay?” Aubrey asked Sheridan. She was sitting in an overstuffed chair, looking slightly uncomfortable as she readjusted her position. “Want me to get Jared?”
“Please.” Sheridan smoothed a few stray hairs away from her face. “It’s exhausting, carrying two babies around all the time.”
“Babies that are going to be spoiled rotten when they decide to come on out,” Aubrey said, waving a hand at the giant stack of opened presents sitting on a nearby table.
“I have good friends.” Sheridan beamed, then made a little face and clutched her stomach. “They’re kicking extrahard today, I swear.”
“You all right, babe?” Jared appeared out of nowhere, kneeling beside Sheridan, his big hand sprawling across her belly. “Ready to get on home?”
“No. This is my party.” She leaned back against the chair and closed her eyes. “And this chair is so comfortable.”
“Everything okay?” Flynn snuck up behind Aubrey, slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her to him.
She turned in his arms, smiling up at him. “Just talking about all the great gifts Sheridan and Jared got for the babies.”
“For Sadie and Aidan,” Sheridan added.
Aubrey peeked around Flynn’s shoulder, her mouth dropping open in shock at the casual way Sheridan had just revealed her babies’ names. “Did you really just say that?”
Sheridan nodded, smiling when Jared kissed her cheek. “Those are the names. Too bad Willow isn’t in here to hear that particular announcement.”
“I heard everything!” Willow yelled as she exited the kitchen, Nick right behind her. “Oh my God, I love them both! So perfect. Sadie and Aiden Quinn. How cute is that?”
Pretty dang cute. Aubrey blinked hard, trying to fight off the tears that threatened. She was just so happy, and she couldn’t believe her life could be this good.
She had friends who loved her and a man who loved her, too. Babies on the way, babies she couldn’t wait to spoil and hold. So she could imagine herself as a mother someday. And there was a wedding to plan…the most overwhelming thing of all. But she was still in a blissful state of shock, considering Flynn had asked her to marry him only a few days ago.
Luckily enough, their families had come around to accept them as a couple. Her mom grudgingly admitted she liked Flynn when Aubrey called her a few days ago to announce their engagement. And Flynn’s dad liked her, too, though he was a tough nut to crack. Her future mother-in-law was much easier to get along with. Aubrey was thankful they had their families’ blessing. This was a happy time in their lives, and their family support meant the world to her.
They left Willow and Nick’s house a few minutes later, Flynn gathering her in his arms the minute they were alone in her car, kissing her until she felt like she was going to melt in his arms.
“I’ve missed you, Aub,” he whispered against her lips.
“We’ve been together all afternoon,” she said breathlessly, trying to recover from that deep and delicious kiss.