Epilogue
Serenity
* * *
I rest my hand on my massive belly.
“You didn’t have to go through all this trouble,” I tell Faith, who’s currently bouncing her newborn son on her hip.
Faith rolls her eyes. “Of course, I did! I can’t believe you weren’t going to have a baby shower! How are we supposed to spoil you?”
“Baby showers aren’t my thing,” I laugh. “But I appreciate the gesture regardless.”
After all, I’ve always hated being the center of attention, so I figured I wouldn’t bother having a baby shower. But when my friend found out I was pregnant, she took matters into hand and ended up convincing the owner of Harry’s to shut down for a few hours so she could throw me a baby shower within the restaurant itself. It works actually. Faith put up streamers everywhere, and there are flowers on the tables. The chrome seems to gleam especially bright, and the red vinyl booths are cheery and welcoming.
A bunch of people are milling around, enjoying the food, including sliders, mini-pizzas, and even a few specialty hot dogs. Yum, my favorite! I pop one in my mouth when suddenly, Julian comes up behind me before sliding his strong arms around my waist. I’m so pregnant that he can barely encircle my tummy, but it’s a great feeling nonetheless.
“You look beautiful, honey,” he whispers in my ear before raising his voice to speak with my friend. “This is amazing, Faith,” he says. “Thanks for organizing this.”
She grins. “You’re welcome! Enjoy yourselves and talk with all the guests. I’ll take care of everything.”
Julian kisses my cheek. “Thanks. Serenity and I really appreciate it, especially since you have a newborn on your hands. I know it wasn’t easy to find the time.”
My friend merely waves her hand in the air while bobbling her baby up and down.
“No problem! Now just have fun, you two. Once the baby comes, you won’t have any time to yourselves at all.”
I laugh as Faith wanders away, her son gurgling happily. This is such a great crowd, and you know what? My friend is right. I quite like having a party to celebrate the upcoming addition to our family. Some of Julian’s coworkers are here as well as my parents, Faith, her husband, and their three kids, plus Jackie from Hard Swallow. My bartender friend looks as sexy as always, fluffing her red hair over one shoulder while wearing tight jeans and an even tighter corset top.
But there is one person who’s missing, and my heart contracts when I look around. I wish Stewie were here to celebrate the upcoming birth of his new half-sibling. We invited him, but never heard back, and who knows? Maybe he’s on the road again for his flourishing video game career. It seems Stewie’s really in demand these days, and the dough is rolling in.
Suddenly, the front door swings open and my heart leaps. Against all odds, it’s my former boyfriend slash son-in-law. That’s a weird combination, but stranger things have happened in life, and I know we can make it work.
The boy skulks over awkwardly, his frame skinny and pale. Stewie really needs to get more sun, but I suppose when you play video games for a living, that’s not always possible. Abruptly, he steps forward while holding out a small wrapped gift.
“Here, this is for the baby,” he mutters, looking down at the ground.
I reach for it with a smile.
“Thank you. It means a lot to us that you’re here.”
Stewie lets out a long sigh.
“I can’t stay long, but I wanted to give you guys a present, and say that I’m excited to meet my little brother or sister. It’s no fun being an only child, so I’m glad they’re joining the fam.”
I smile. “That’s a very sweet welcome for your new sibling.”
The boy shrugs, looking around.
“Okay, well, I actually have a tournament today. It’s virtual, but I need to get back to the apartment to prep. Call me when the baby gets here. You seem almost ready to pop,” he says, eyeing my big belly askance.
“I am! It could be any day now, honestly.”
He nods.
“Good luck, Serenity. Best wishes to you. You too, Dad.”
“Thanks,” I say softly as Stewie leaves. Meanwhile, Julian wraps an arm around my shoulder and gives me a squeeze.
“See? My son’s coming around, like I knew he would,” he growls.
I let out a sigh.
“I know, and I’m glad because I get it. It’s not very often that your ex-girlfriend ends up dating your dad, but I’m glad Stewie’s over it. I don’t want to alienate him, and he is your son.”
Julian presses a fond kiss to my cheek.
“And your son too, in a way,” he says in a low voice. I squeal with mirth, pushing him away.
“OMG, you’re so bad!” But then, a weird feeling rolls in my tummy and I pause with my hand in mid-air.