by Amy Daws
“Are you two having a cuddle without me? I thought we talked about that!” Frank cries, looking near tears.
“C’mon over here, Frank and Beans,” I say, opening my arms to him. He comes barreling into the closet and nuzzles up next to me, wrapping his skinny arm around my tiny belly. I still have to tell Frank and I’m already looking forward to whatever crazy reaction he’ll have.
“So, what are you guys doing?” Brody asks, leaning his tall frame against the doorway.
Finley shrugs. “Girl talk. Lots to be thankful for, ye know, babe?”
His eyes twinkle lovingly at her. “You should see it from my view.”
“Get a room!” I groan. Frank and I erupt into giggles. A lot to be thankful for is right. Things here look pretty damn bright at the moment.
***
THE EPILOGUE
“Well, who’s going to be the Godparent? If you chose Finny over me—I swear, Leslie!”
“Frank!” I scream, stepping out of the bathroom after the most painful pee of my life. “Now is so not the time!” I groan loudly, feeling another contraction slamming down on me.
“Frank, come on, mate! I need to get her back out the door. We only stopped here because Leslie demanded I grab her cheetah onesie.”
“I’ll be able to fit into it once this basketball comes out!” I cry.
Theo wraps his arm protectively around me, murmuring expletives about the fucking onesie.
“Take these, too!” Finley cries, running out from the living room with Brody close on her heels. She hands me a pair of cheetah print slippers. “I got these for you for the hospital. You know…for the pushing part.” She thrusts her fists up victoriously and smiles proudly. “Keep your feet warm!”
“Finley!” I groan. “You’re so sweet.”
“If fucking slippers get factored into the Godparent selection, I will murder someone.”
“FRANK!” We all shout simultaneously.
“Okay, we gotta go. We’ll call you as soon as I pop this baby out!” I say as Theo ushers me out the door.
“Team Girl!” Finley cries.
“Team Boy!” Frank cries.
“Good luck guys,” Brody says, and they all stand teary-eyed in front of the purple door, waving Theo and I off down the road and to the hospital.
***
“One more push should do it, Leslie!” my doctor says, grabbing some gauze and doing God knows what down there. I sure as hell ain’t looking to find out. “You ready?”
“Theo!” I cry, feeling suddenly panicky and looking up at him urgently as he clenches my fist below his chin.
“Fuck, Theo. What if we were wrong? What if we should have gotten married! What if being engaged isn’t enough? We don’t want to give this kid a complex. We shouldn’t have waited until after the birth. We should have done it before like your mother wanted us to! Winnie knows everything! Dammit! We should have listened to Winnie!”
“Leslie, it’s fine. We’ll be married before this baby even has its first birthday,” he says, dropping a kiss into my damp hair.
“And Theo! Listen! If it’s a girl,” I swallow hard, feeling tired and out of breath. “We have to treat her like a princess.”
“I know, baby.”
“I’m serious! We have to support her no matter what her dreams are, no matter how fucked up and dumb they might sound to us. Shit, she might want to join the circus, Theo! We have to tell her that sounds tits cool, right?”
“I don’t know about tits cool, but yes, something positive. Got it.”
“And if it’s a boy, we have to make sure he respects women.” Theo nods seriously at me. “Like, not just respects them because he thinks he has to or he’s trying to get into her knickers or something, but because he wants to, because he thinks women are worthy of that kind of respect. Theo, he needs to cherish them!”
“We’ll teach him, Leslie. We’ll make sure.”
“But we have to just love them too, Theo. We have to let this boy or girl be loved and adored for who they are, and not let them ever feel like we’re forcing them to be a certain way, okay?” I’m bawling uncontrollably now, a painful knot hard in my throat.
Theo presses his forehead firmly to mine and my eyes flutter—screwing closed tightly.
“We’ll get this one right, Leslie. We will.”
I open my eyes and nod up at him, tears streaking down my cheeks. I look back at the doctor. “Okay,” I say, giving her permission to continue.
“Okay, Leslie. And PUUUUUUUSH!”
***
“It’s my lot in life to be surrounded by beautiful women,” Frank says, cooing softly at the pink bundle swaddled tightly in my arms.
“Not a bad gig, eh Frank?” Finley says, smiling happily from the other side of my bed, our baby’s hand wrapped tightly around her index finger. She gets tears in her eyes every time she looks at me, but I can tell they are happy tears. Deliriously happy tears.
“Why can’t we know her name?” Brody asks, standing at the foot of my bed looking down at all of us proudly.
“We’re waiting for my parents, they just texted saying they’re on their way up,” Theo says, lying next to me, one arm wrapped behind me and the other arm holding our baby’s other hand.
A moment later, Theo’s entire family comes shuffling into our little hospital room and everyone squeezes together to get a look at our beautiful baby girl. Winnie and Richard’s eyes are both overflowing with tears and Daphney looks like a kid seeing Santa for the first time.
“Oh, baby!” Winnie says, coming close and hugging our little family in one big embrace, her soft chest mushing down on top of our little girl. She cries out loudly and Winnie pulls back, mortified. We all laugh at the sound of our baby’s sweet little voice.
“You want to hold her?” I ask and she nods eagerly, taking our already sleeping baby in her arms like an old pro, swaying her gently.
Hayden shuffles forward to get a closer look and I smile brightly at him.
“Uh, here,” he says, awkwardly handing me a wooden box. “I made this. It’s supposed to be like a keepsake box or something. I don’t know what you put in it. Baby stuff, I guess,” he says and smiles sheepishly.
“It’s beautiful, Hayden,” I say, running my hands over the intricate design etched into the wood. “I didn’t know you made stuff too!”
He shrugs, “Nothing as cool as Theo’s stuff.”
“Not true,” Theo says. “Hayden’s got a really delicate touch that I’ve never been able to master.”
Hayden smiles, looking embarrassed. “She’s beautiful, guys. Let’s hope she has Leslie’s smile,” Hayden says, half grinning at me.
“Well,” Winnie says, interrupting my quiet moment with Hayden. “The time is now. You’ve kept us all in the dark for long enough. Let’s hear it. What’s our little angel’s name?”
Theo’s eyes turn to mine I give him a small nod of approval. He clears his throat nervously.
“Her name is…Marisa. Winifred. Clarke.”
Theo’s mom’s breath stutters, and her eyes well and dump tears down her face. “Marisa?” she cries, completely losing it, shaking the baby slightly with her quiet sobs. Theo’s Dad, Richard, wraps his arms around her, enclosing Winnie and Marisa in a steadying embrace.
“It’s a fine name. It’ll feel good saying it more often again,” he says, his eyes shining with tears too. He leans over, dropping a soft kiss on Marisa’s pink hat-covered head.
“Here, love, you take her back before I really lose it,” Winnie says, weepily passing our sweet Marisa back to me.
“Bloody beautiful name,” Frank croaks and my eyes grow wide as I see tears flowing freely down his face.
“Not you too!” I say, looking at a crying Finley in Brody’s arms.
“Oh piss off, Lez…this is the best day ever,” she says with a wobble.
“Best day ever,” Theo whispers into my hair, dropping a kiss on my head.
I look down, adoringly, stroking Maris
a’s soft pink cheeks, feeling a bit overcome myself. How is this kind of instant love possible? We’ve only just met! I gaze up into Theo’s twinkling eyes. This man somehow loved me from the beginning—issues and all. And now he’s looking at me with even more adoration than I ever thought possible. I didn’t know I could love him anymore, but bloody hell, I do! I love him so much more.
This baby gave me that. Our little Marisa. Theo chased me and opened my heart up in ways I never thought I could ever open it up to any man. He brought me out of my darkness and I brought him out of his. And now we have this beautiful beam of light nestled safely between us in this hospital bed. This life I’ve got in store for me looks pretty bright indeed.
Best. Day. Ever.
THE END
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THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Man, it’s hard to believe this is my fourth book already! In some ways it feels like I’ve been writing forever, and in other ways it’s like I’ve just begun! My one-year writing anniversary is coming up and it makes me feel grateful for how much my world has grown.
For starters, I’ve gained so many new friends across the pond! Visiting the UK for the first time in April was a serious full circle moment for me. I think I must be psychic because I just knew I was going to love it there and it did not disappoint. You lovely Brits welcomed me with open arms. You not only loved my books, but you loved me…obnoxious American and all. I can’t thank you enough for making London truly the most magical place on Earth.
Big fat thanks to my creative sounding boards…my editor, Heather Banta, my author bestie, Sarah J Pepper, and my sister, Abby Wheeler. You three talk to me about my characters like they are real people. You are tough on me when you need to be and you help push me past those points where I want to bash my head against the wall. Drinks are on me next time…as soon as my concussion heals.
To my beta readers and proofers: It takes a lot of people to get a book to print. You need a lot of eyeballs to catch things that you’re too close to see anymore. You all helped make this release one of my smoothest! Thanks for being gentle with me and handling all of my writer insecurities with patience.
To book bloggers and my London Lovers…Just, thank you! Thank you for making this fun. Thank you for being eager to share. Eager to read. Eager to cheer. It’s just so damn awesome.
Thanks to Rock Star PR & Lit for working hard with me on this release!
A special thanks to Stephanie Rose for opening up to me about a very sensitive subject matter that she’s dedicated her life to helping others fight through. Your candid and very personal insight helped me shed honest light on a deeply tragic journey that so many people suffer through.
I always have to thank my husband. Man, my husband. He puts up with a lot from me. I’ve accepted the fact that I cannot estimate the length of time “book stuff” takes me. So when I say I’m going to be home in an hour, and I’m still gone two-to-three hours later, the fact that he still loves me regardless is a beautiful thing. He’s adjusted to this new world of mine and even though it’s incredibly hard, he’s with me through it all.
My daughter, Lolo. She changes with every book release and I love documenting something about her in the acknowledgments. Right now, she loves to tell me I’m her best friend. That fills me with such immense joy and love that I could burst on the spot. She was my first dream come true and these books are my second. Not many people can have two dreams come true. I hope we’re always best friends, you little miracle! But even if we’re not, I will always love you. And I will always hug you until it hurts…just a little.
My angels. My six sky-babies. My six precious beings that weren’t here long enough for me to read to. I love you all more than words can say. When I see you in heaven someday, I will read you books until you can’t take them anymore. I will tell you I love you until you can’t believe I still have a voice. I will sing songs to you until you fall asleep in my arms...the one place that I’ve yet to hold you. For now though, I will continue holding you in my heart and thanking you every day for the inspiration to follow my dreams.
With love always, your mommy.
FOR MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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Check out more novels in the London Lovers Series
#1 Becoming Us Finley’s Story Part 1…College Style
#2 A Broken Us Finley’s Story Part 2…London Style
#3 London Bound Leslie’s Story
#4 Not The One coming soon
Also, a Memoir by Amy Daws
Chasing Hope
A mother’s story of loss, heartbreak, and the miracle of hope.
