Forever After All

I feel a hand brush over my hair, causing me to turn and look at her. “Hey, beautiful.” I smile when I see her eyes are indeed open and focused on me. They’re also shiny with tears. “Good tears?” I ask.

“The best.”

“How much of that did you hear?”

“All of it.”

I nod. “I meant every word.”

“I know you did.” She smiles as her phone rings. “Hey,” she answers, keeping her eyes locked on mine. “Yeah, I imagine girls’ night is going to be a little different.” She chuckles. “I’m good. I’m home. Well, with Rip.”

“You’re home,” I chime in.

“We’re good.” She listens and smiles. “Hold on,” she tells my sister. “Laramie wants to know if we still want to come over. There’s a change of plans. Girls’ night is now family night.”

I hold my hand out for the phone, and she playfully rolls her eyes but hands it to me. “Hey, sis.”

“Everything good? She sounds good.”

“We’re perfect.”

“Good. That’s good.”

“So, what do my wife and I need to bring to his family night?” I ask her. She squeals so loud I have to pull the phone from my ear.

“Just you and your wife,” she replies, getting choked up.

“We’ll be there,” I tell her.

“Rip?”

“Yeah?”

“Congratulations, Daddy.”

“Congratulations to you. And I’m pumped. Daddy and uncle in the same day.”

“I’m going to be a mommy and an aunt,” she says, not able to hide her emotions.

“Go snuggle with your husband so I can snuggle with my wife.”

“I love the sound of that. I love it for both of us.”

“Me too, little sister, me too.” Ending the call, I drop the phone to the bed. “Looks like it’s now family night.” I grin.

“I can’t believe we’re having babies at the same time. It’s crazy that a silly plan we had as kids is now real life.”

“Well, Mrs. Callahan, you better believe it.”

“I love you, Mr. Callahan.”

“I love you. Both of you.” I place my hand on her belly and kiss the hell out of my wife.

Epilogue

McKenna

Two years later

“No, no,” I tell my daughter. She’s sixteen months old and into everything. She grins at me and takes off, running down the hallway to where her daddy is swapping out the laundry. Not only is she into everything, she has her daddy wrapped around her little finger.

“Got ya,” Rip says as he comes out of the laundry room and scoops her up into his arms.

Gemma’s laughter fills the house and my heart. I had an easy pregnancy, even with Rip preaching that I needed to take it easy. One week after finding out we were not only pregnant but married, I got my results, and I passed the bar. I immediately started working with Gramps. At first, I was putting in some long hours, much to my husband’s dismay.

It’s not that the workload in our small Texas town is out of control. It was more me just wanting to get my feet wet. I’d busted my ass all through high school to graduate with an associate's degree and then again in law school. I was eager to start my career.

“Are you ready to go see Grammy and Pops?” Rip asks our daughter. She claps with delight at hearing their names. “Are you ready?” Rip asks me.

“Almost. I need to run upstairs and grab my earrings,” I tell him.

“Sounds good, Mommy.” He bounces Gemma on his hip. “I’m going to load this little princess up in the truck. Anything you need me to carry out?”

“No. Just the diaper bag.”

“Got it.” He leans in and kisses me before grabbing the diaper bag off the counter and heading outside.

And me? Well, I do need to run upstairs, but not for my earrings. You see, this may be a retirement party for Gramps, but I have a little surprise for my husband and the rest of our family. Grabbing what I need, I rush back downstairs, sure to lock the house up behind me.

“What’s in the bag? I thought we got them a cruise?” Rip asks.

“Oh, this is just something small,” I say, blowing him off. He shrugs like I hoped he would, and we’re off.

Gemma babbles in the back seat all the way to the restaurant. Inside, we find my grandparents, Rip’s parents, as well as Colby and Laramie, and their daughter, Dallas. We have a small party section of the restaurant reserved for us, and I’m thankful we can all sit together to share this moment with my grandfather.

“If I could have your attention,” my grandfather says after our plates have long since been cleared. “Thank you all for being here.” He stands and walks around the table, stopping behind me. “I can’t tell you how proud I am to know my granddaughter is going to be taking over the law practice. My Agnes and I have paid our dues, and it’s time for some traveling with my wife.” He chuckles. “But not too much. I have my grandbabies to spoil,” he says as he reaches for Dallas, who is crying for him. She’s not his granddaughter, but he thinks of her as if she were all the same.