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“Because even though you ‘made half of him’, you had the easy part, with zero suffering, and that’s just wrong.”
“I’ve changed every diaper today, and plan on changing many more in the future. Does that count as ‘suffering’?”
“A little. Are you planning on helping with night feedings, too?”
“I’m breast feeding,” Paige told her. “So, those will mostly be me. Unless I decide to … pump … which seems weird to me.”
“I’ll be getting up with her at every feeding, though, to keep her company,” David said.
“I think he likes to watch,” Paige whispered to Jules.
“What a pervert,” Jules whispered back.
“Jesus, I heard that,” David said. “And watching my beautiful wife breastfeed my son doesn’t make me a pervert. It makes me … a loving husband.”
“That’s what a pervert would say.”
Just then, the unmistakable smell of the baby having filled his diaper had Jules wrinkling her nose and quickly handing him off to David. “Time to change another diaper. And you’ll probably suffer through this one.”
Paige and Jules watched as David expertly changed the diaper and then re-swaddled the infant in his baby blanket in record time.
When he was done, Jules gave him a nod of approval. “You’re pretty good at that.”
“Thank you,” David said dryly. “It’s probably from changing a few of Jacob’s diapers.”
“And by a few, he really means all of them,” Paige told Jules in an aside.
“Knock, knock,” said Evan from the doorway. He’d obviously come from the bar, as he was wearing one of the work shirts he hated, with himself, his brother, and sister on it, and a pair of jeans. His reddish-brown hair was slightly messy, as usual, curling around his ears and hanging over his forehead. In one hand was a bottle of champagne, which he set down on Paige’s bedside table.
After kissing the new mom on the cheek and telling her she looked amazing, then greeting Jules with a tilt of his head and a quick, flirtatious, “Hi, Jules,” he made his way to David. “So, this is the new Little Man,” Evan said, checking out the baby. “Nice work,” he told David. “He looks just like you … except … I think he might have Cat Lady’s eyes.”
“You don’t have to say that,” Paige said with a sigh. “I’ve already resigned myself to the fact I gave birth to another one of David’s clones. Apparently the Lowe genes are very strong.”
“No, I really think the baby has your eyes,” Evan insisted, before picking up the bottle of champagne and opening it like a pro. “I heard through the grapevine that you’re breastfeeding, but unfortunately, I didn’t hear that until after I was on my way here with this, so my apologies for not having something non-alcoholic you could drink for a toast. Or glasses, for that matter.” He held the bottle up. “So, here’s to …” he trailed off, glancing between David and Paige. “What’s the rugrat’s name?”
It was David who answered. “Julian Douglas. In honor of Jules,” he said with a nod in her direction, “and Paige’s father, Douglas.”
At hearing that, Jules’s eyes widened, then got suspiciously bright while sharing a long, emotion-filled look with Paige as they both remembered that night at Brews Brothers so long ago … and a deal that had been made in jest.
“I expect you to name your first child after me.”
“What if it’s a boy? Jules isn’t unisex.”
“Okay, your first daughter, then. You can name the rest of your kids whatever you want.”
“A daughter isn’t in the cards,” Paige said softly. “And Julian was as close as we could get to ‘Jules’.”
Jules sniffled several times and wiped at her watering eyes, which were becoming a little red. “Just so you know, I’m not crying,” she told everyone, before grabbing the bottle out of Evan’s hand and raising it high in the air to finish the toast. “To Julian fucking Douglas!” she said, then put the bottle to her lips and drank.
Second Epilogue
Twelve and a half years later
Ashley took a deep breath and walked up the brick walkway to the cream colored, two-story house with black trim, shutters, and matching front door. As she ascended the five steps to the front porch, which wrapped around one side of the house, she took in the hanging swing for two, with bright floral cushions and pillows on it, and the lush, hanging ferns that gave the house a genteel charm.
From the neatly trimmed lawn, to the well-tended flower beds, this was a house that was meticulously taken care of and loved, and she felt a quick pang of envy before pushing it away.
In front of the door was a welcome mat, and as she stood on it, she hoped this wasn’t going to turn out to be one of the worst decisions of her life, before knocking.
