Back-Up Plan - Book 1 - S.E.

Epilogue: More than I thought

Winnie wasn't sure why she felt such a need to cry and, if anybody asked, she'd say she was just emotional to see two of her baby sisters crying while hugging Stacey Evans, knowing that they would, most likely, never get a chance to see her again.

The three girls were standing by the bed, inside the motel room the Evans had been living in while Sam, Stevie, Winnie and Evie sat together by the front porch. Mary and Dwight were fixing the last of their things inside the car. Really, they were already finished, but they saw how emotional everyone was at the moment, so they just decided to pretend to be busy for the sake of the children.

"Don't be a stranger, okay?" Winnie spoke up, eventually, her voice sounding a bit more hoarse than she had expected, but at least she hadn't cried yet. "Text me sometimes."

"For what? For you to make fun of me?" Sam asked, his words harsh, but his tone playful.

"Oh, come on, you loved it." Winnie bumped her shoulder with his. "My teasing was the highlight of your day. I'm pretty sure that in the days I didn't mock you, you'd come home and cry over it."

"Was there a day you didn't mock me?"

"Couldn't tell you."

Sam laughed then, wrapping an arm around Stevie as the younger boy turned to look at Winnie.

"You could come and visit us someday." He offered as Winnie turned to him with a smile. "You're pretty fun."

"I'd love to come and visit sometime." She smiled, happy that the few times she had gone out with him, her sisters and Stacey at Sam's request, he had had fun. "We could all play hide and seek in your new house."

"Yes!" Stevie's eyes lit up.

"Hide and seek?" Evie asked, from her place in her sister's lap, suddenly interested in the conversation.

"Though, thinking about it, you and Stacey and Sam would have an advantage on me and the girls, since you'll know the house."

"You can play in duos." Stevie was quick to come up with a solution as Winnie chuckled. "Me, Sam and Stacey go solo and the twins go together and you can go with Evie."

"Oh, you don't know what you're signing up to, little man." Winnie playfully glared at the young boy, her tone of voice still teasing, but much more playful than the one she usually used with Sam. "Evie and I are champions of hide and seek, aren't we, E?"

Evie giggled when her sister bounced her in her lap, but nodded anyway.

"Yes!" She laughed.

"Bring it on." Stevie glared back at Winnie and, for a second, the two of them just stood there, glaring at one another right in front of Sam, but quickly, they both dissolved into fits of laughter and Sam felt his heart squeezing in his chest at the way Winnie seemed so effortless when it came to children.

"Kids!" Dwight's voice called from the car, as everyone turned to look at the man. "Sorry, but we really have to go."

"Sure." Winnie said, quickly placing Evie down on the floor beside her as she stood up and opened her arms toward Stevie. "Come here, little man. You behave yourself, okay? And listen to your brother. But only when what he says doesn't sound stupid, okay?"

"Hey!" Sam protested quietly, as he watched Stevie embracing Winnie tight as he laughed.

"I'm gonna miss you, Winnie." He said.

"Me too, little man." She said, watching as Stevie moved to hug Evie then before rushing toward her mom. Turning toward the bedroom behind her, Winnie called out for Stacey and the twins. "Girls, come on! The Evans have to go!"

And so, the three young girls came out of the bedroom, all teary eyes and pouty lips.

"Oh, my babies..." Winnie cooed gently, watching as Stacey ran over to Sam, who didn't waste a second before scooping her up in his arms. Turning to her own sisters, Winnie extended her hands toward them. "Come here."

They did, rushing over to Winnie as each of them grabbed one of her hands, while drying their eyes with the other.

"Come on, bug. Say bye to Winnie." Sam urged, as Stacey sniffled quietly before lifting her head from Sam's shoulders and wrapping her arms around Winnie.

"Oh." She gasped, surprised, but allowed Stacey to wrap her in an awkward hug, considering Callie and Frankie were still holding her hands. "I'm gonna miss you, Stacey."

"Me too." She sniffled.

"Bye, girls." Sam smiled at the youngest Archers as the three young girls waved at him, quietly. "This is not a goodbye, okay? You'll see each other again, soon."

"Yeah. We'll visit Stacey in her new house someday. Or maybe she can come to ours and we'll play dress up again, how does that sound?" Winnie asked, trying to cheer her girls up, but only sighing when she got nothing but a few smiles in return. "You'll see each other again."

"Yeah." Sam nodded, before letting his eyes fall over Winnie as he smiled a bit. "I'll see you around, then."

"Yeah, see you around." Winnie nodded at him, her eyes burning a bit. "Take care of yourself."

"You too."

And with another nod of his head, Sam had walked away, placing Stacey in her seat in the car. Taking one last look back toward Winnie, he debated coming back for her, but decided against it. That was, until Winnie let go of her sisters' hand and rushed over to him, engulfing him a hug so strong and so unexpected, it almost made Sam stumble back. Still, he laughed, squeezing her against his chest as he rubbed a hand along her back and wrapped his other in her hair.

"I'm gonna miss you and your stupid hopeless romantic ass, Evans." She whispered in his ear as he laughed more, drinking in the smell of strawberries that always seemed to come off of her.

"I'm gonna miss you, Archer." He whispered back at her. More than I thought I would.