The Epilogue (Trinity Academy 5)

KingsleyThere’s a happy smile resting around my lips as I watch as Mason cradles Hunter close to his chest, his eyes glued to our son.

The door opens, and Layla, Falcon, Lee, and Lake slowly enter the room. Layla and Lee quickly move to Mason’s side.

“Oh, my God. He’s perfect, guys,” Layla says as she touches Hunter’s little hand.

Lee smiles at me. “You have a beautiful, strong son.”

“Thanks, my friends.”

I turn my gaze to Falcon and Lake, who are both still standing by the door. Lake shoves Falcon forward, whispering, “You go first.”

Mason is careful when he stands up, and with a proud grin, he walks closer to his best friends. The moment Falcon and Lake lay eyes on Hunter’s face, I watch as they fall in love with my son, just like his dad did.I can’t tear my eyes away from Hunter’s heartshaped mouth as he drinks from me.

“You’re so beautiful,” I whisper, suppressing the urge to hug him tightly to me. “You’re going to be strong and brave, just like your daddy.”

The door to my private hospital room opens slightly, and Mason’s head pops in. He takes one look at me, then pulls back. “Y’all will have to wait. My son is having breakfast.”

Chuckling, I shake my head.

A couple of minutes later, Hunter releases my nipple, and I lay him down on the bed. I adjust my nightgown, then call out, “If you’re still out there, you can come in now.”

A second later, the door swings open, and Mason comes in with Julian and Jamie. Jamie hands a three-month-old Jase over to Julian, then she comes closer and coos over Hunter. “He’s precious, Kingsley.”

Mason comes to stand on the other side of the bed, and he crosses his arms over his proud chest while he waits for Julian to look at Hunter.

Julian smiles at Hunter, then he lays Jase down next to my son. Jase starts to make the cutest sounds, and then their hands knock against each other.

Mason points at the babies. “That was a solid fist bump.”

I let out a burst of laughter, but it quickly fades away as Julian says, “Look at them, guys. The future chairman and president of CRC.”

“Julian, I’ll knock you into next week,” I mutter. “My son is a day old. I don’t want to hear anything about the babies taking over the business until they’re twenty.”

The men pretend not to hear my scolding as they stare at their sons.

Jamie pats me on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. I have your back.”

“Look!” Julian exclaims excitedly as Jase grabs hold of Hunter’s hand. “They’re going to be best friends.”

I stare down at the boys, and I send up a prayer that they’ll be as close as Mason, Falcon, and Lake are.Mason“Daaaumm,” I mumble as I open Hunter’s diaper. “What did your mother feed you?”

“Don’t blame me,” Kingsley says as she comes into the room. “The top half our kid takes after me. The bottom half he got from you.”

I look at my boy’s tiny package with pride. “Yeah, he’s definitely going to fill out well when he’s older.”

“Mason, change his diaper before he pees on you again.” Her words aren’t even cold yet when Hunter starts to pee. “Fuck, he’s like a damn garden hose.”

“I told you.” Laughing at me being peed on by Hunter, Kingsley walks out of the room with the dirty laundry.

Taking hold of Hunter's feet, I begin to clean his backside while trying to keep my nose away from the stink as best I can.

After using a ton of wipes and a whole lot of powder, I finally get the diaper on right. I throw the two I accidentally tore in the trash, then pick Hunter up. Holding him in front of my face, I press a kiss to his chubby cheek. “All done. Your dad’s getting good at this.” Cradling him with my right arm, I take the small box out of my pocket and place it on Hunter’s tummy. “Now remember, just like we’ve practiced, you just have to look cute.”

I walk out of the room and take the stairs down, then call out, “Hunt, are you still in the laundry room?”

“Nope, I’m in the kitchen,” she answers.

“Here we go, buddy.” Feeling nervous, I walk into the kitchen.

“It’s time for lunch,” Kingsley sings as she walks to us, her arms out so she can take Hunter, but then she stops, and she stares at our son as if he grew a tail. “What’s that?”

“What’s what?” I ask a grin already forming around my mouth.

“The box.” She points to Hunter’s tummy.

“Oh, he must’ve gotten you something.” Kingsley’s eyes dart up to mine before they drop back to the box.

Slowly she reaches for it, and as she picks it up, she asks, “You got me a gift? Why?”

“Open it, then I’ll tell you.” Kingsley’s eyes are focused on the box as she opens it. Still holding Hunter, I get down on one knee. Her lips part with surprise as she stares at the ring. When she looks at me, she sucks in a deep breath, and then her bottom lip juts out and begins to tremble.