EPILOGUE

ONE YEAR LATER

Cherish watched Darbi chase her year-old son around the living room with a disposable diaper in her hand. Christian Crawford Fitzgerald was a ball of energy and had just mastered walking.

He giggled as his mother finally caught up with him. His little chubby honey-beige cheeks were red from the chase. Darbi quickly changed his diaper and dressed him in his birthday outfit. The minute she fastened the last button on his baby Gap shirt, he took off again.

Darbi let out a tired breath and plopped on the sofa. “Just wait, Cherish. You’ll soon be doing this too. Chris wasn’t this active before Curry and I left for Ireland. Now it’s like he wants me to chase him all over the house.”

Cherish rubbed her stomach. At 41, she was finally going to be a mother. She’d married Darius ten months earlier on New Year’s Day and she was eight weeks pregnant. She and Darius had had a dose of instant parenting for the two weeks Darbi and Curry were in Ireland.

“Darbi, I swear, he wasn’t like this when you guys were gone. It was like he knew that I wouldn’t play with him like that. He was quite a handful, though. I don’t think he went to bed on time once, thanks to Darius.” She smiled at the memory of Darius falling asleep with Christian lying on top of him.

Otis walked into the room, dressed in a sweatshirt and sweat pants, with the nurse discreetly behind. He sat on the couch, by his daughter. “Darbi, why is Christian beating on your back door?”

Darbi rose, walking toward the kitchen. “He’s waiting for Curry to come back. He and Darius went to the store to get Chris’s cake.”

Cherish laughed, watching her sister-in-law disappear to the back of the house. “I still can’t believe that Darbi is back to her pre-pregnancy weight. I hope I have the same luck.”

Otis laughed. “If your baby’s anything like Chris, you’ll have no problem. That boy never stops moving.”

Cherish reflected over the last year after Chris made his entrance into the world two months early. Darbi and Curry had blossomed under the new addition to their family and were more in love now than ever.

Darius and Curry had both received promotions at work. Darius was now a full partner and Curry had Darius’s old job as marketing vice-president. Darbi was getting ready to return to college after her stint as a stay-at-home mom. Cherish had offered to baby sit while she was in class. And though he’d had occasional lapses, all in all Otis was doing reasonably well. Being surrounded by happy people seemed to be a magical elixir.

“How many times have I told you not to hit the door?” Darbi entered the room with her son on her hip. She smothered his chubby face with kisses. “You are as stubborn as your father.”

Christian smiled as his mother scolded him, grabbing her earring. “Oh no, you don’t.” Darbi tapped his little hand.

She heard the back door open and Chris scrambled to get down. Darbi let him down and he took off again for the kitchen.

“I see what you mean, Dad.” Cherish laughed, rising to meet Darius as he and Curry came in with the cake.

She met him as they entered the dining room. Her hormones had been giving her fits the last few days. Today was no exception. She kissed him as he placed the cake on the table.

“What’s that for?” He put his arm around her, guiding her to the living room.

“I just missed you.”

“Hey, you gave me a workout last night. Not that I mind, but I’m worried about you.” He kissed her. “I want you to rest and do nothing, okay? You’re carrying a Crawford, you must be careful.” He kissed her again.

Cherish sighed. Knowing that Darius, Curry, and Darbi wouldn’t let her help with anything, she sat on the couch beside Otis.

“Dad, are you sure you feel okay?”

Otis smiled. “Yes, Cherish, I feel good. It’s my grandson’s first birthday, I got another grandbaby on the way and my children are here with me today. The world never looked brighter. Baby girl looks like she’s in seventh heaven with Curry doting on her all the time. She deserves that. Not to mention I gained another daughter when Darius married you.”

Cherish couldn’t help the tears that sprang to her eyes as she hugged Otis. After losing her mother, after all the dark days of grief and guilt, she’d been welcomed into this wonderful, loving family. She glanced over Otis’s shoulder to see Darius smiling at her, his eyes aglow with love for her. As always, her heart skipped a beat. The arrival of their child would complete everything she’d ever wanted. She wished her mother could know all this. Even as the wish came, she sensed that maybe she did.