Epilogue

Four months later

 

Cornelius whistled as he walked down Main Street from his parking spot to stand outside the quaint office of his wife’s new work venture. Tucked between a second-life clothing shop and the hardware store that had been a staple in Fallbank for over sixty years, Magical Marketing shone with a modern chic vibe to entice customers inside. A half smile teased his mouth as Cornelius looked at the sign of a stylized frog wearing a tiara in the center of the agency’s name proudly displayed over the door. It matched the tattoo over his heart.

His wife was an instant success with the local enterprises in Fallbank. The offering of a local boutique marketing firm had business owners and entrepreneurs showing up in droves. Requests from online contacts also flowed in at a steady rate, giving Sarah a very rewarding launch of her own agency.

He watched as his gorgeous bride drew with intensity on her tablet with a stylus pen. Sarah nibbled on her lower lip as she studied the mock-ups she was creating. A crisp breeze ruffled the hair at his nape and Cornelius flipped up the collar of his jacket. Autumn was setting in and he was looking forward to cuddling with Sarah in front of the fire as the weather grew colder.

Swinging the door open, he offered a grin to his Sarie and held up a brown paper bag. “Lunch? I know you ran out the door this morning in a hurry.”

“Aw, thank you. I have the most thoughtful husband.” She lifted up on her toes to kiss his cheek above the beard she still loved.

“I do what I can.” He tossed a wink her way and began pulling out the food offerings.

Sarah snatched up the cup of carrot ginger soup with glee. After shoveling two mouthfuls in, she hummed in delight. “Just what I needed. My stomach has felt a touch off today.”

“Are you okay?” Cornelius narrowed his eyes and studied her closer. She didn’t look pale or sick, but he knew she hadn’t slept well the night before either. “Do you need to go home and rest?”

She waved him off. “No, I’m good now. The soup hit the spot.”

“If you’re sure?” With assurances and a kiss, his bride of four months sent him on his way back to the offices of TLC. Two hours later a text popped up from Sarah and he snatched up his phone in haste. Maybe she had taken a turn and decided to head home and rest. He hated the thought of her being sick.

Instead a strange picture of a white stick displayed on the screen with the question, how many lines do you see? Peering at the image, he saw a tiny square with one pale pink line and what might be a second faint line. What the hell was this?

He typed back.

 

Corey: How many are there supposed to be?

 

Sarie: That depends on what you want the answer to be. How many do you see?

 

Corey: Two??

 

Sarie: Congratulations! You’re going to be a daddy!

 

The speed with which he hit her number to call amazed him. “Are you serious?” he asked as soon as she picked up.

“I am.” She laughed. “It dawned on me when you left that I was late, and given my queasiness, I thought I’d pick up a test. I meant to wait until we were home, but you know me. I’m impatient.”

Cornelius jumped from his chair, beaming like the proud papa he would soon be. “I’m coming to get you and we’re celebrating.”

“Our special spot?”

“Our special spot, Portland, Seattle, Paris, the moon. Any place you want, Sarie. As long as I’m by your side, that’s where I’ll stay.”