The One That Got Away!

Epilogue Book 1

5 years later~

The shops here in Cape May, New Jersey; it was popping, banging up sales. It was like a dream that came true, right out of a fairy tale.
When I moved here 5 years ago, I had found the perfect shop down the street from my cute little apartment. It was big enough for me and one little person.
Yes, I said little person. I kept my daughter and named her after the one that helped me get away. Cynthia Rose. Rose was my mother's middle name and it fits perfectly together.
I thought it long and hard before I had her. I wasn't gonna keep her at all, I was gonna give her away. I was gonna wrap her up in a small blanket, go to a church and place her on the stairs once she was born and I got out the hospital. I figured the priests or nuns would find her and find her a good home.
But once I had her, that changed everything. The way she looked up me and smiled that gummy smile at me, I just melted. I couldn't go through what I wanted to do. And I knew it was wrong of me to do that.
I never told Mark or even Cynthia either. I was to scared to tell them. But I told my family and my friends about her. Everyone was shocked that was pregnant and never told them. They asked who the father was and was I still with the father. Of course I told them no I wasn't with the father nor was I gonna tell them who the father was since he was out of the picture.
They've asked me was it Mark's and I just tell them no, that it was a one night stand with a guy once I got here. I got chewed out by my parents telling that was wrong of me but they forgave me.
So these long stressful, hard working, balancing work and motherhood alone these 5 years, made me realize that I should have told him that he had a daughter. He didn't know where I was nor his wife either. The straining order is up, it only lasted a year. That was enough time to figure out what I wanted and how I was gonna do this. To get out of that town and well it worked for the best.
When my baby girl came home from kindergarten, I had sat her down at the table for dinner and asked her a few things.

"Rose, how was school?"
"It was great mommy. They've asked for our parents to come and see our play that's gonna happen in a few weeks. But I only have you." She said.

When she said that it broke my heart and I knew it was time for her to know the truth and to finally meet her father.

"Honey, would you like to know who your father is?" I asked her.
"Oh mommy yes. I wanna know who my daddy is." She jumped for joy.
"One thing, he doesn't know anything about you. I left him long before I had you or knew about you. But this weekend we'll head back to my home town and you can get to meet him and see your grandparents as well." I told her.

She was so excited when I told her that. It was like Christmas all over again.
But just seeing my baby girl all happy and excited, made me happy to see her happy. That's all that counted for me was to see her happy.
As the week passed, it was finally the weekend. I went to my shops that were in town, to let my managers and employees know what was up. That I was going out of town for the weekend. Once that was all cleared up, we packed a few to go bags and hit the road that friday night after Rose got out of school.
She fallen asleep in the car after an hour being on the road. But I'm glad she's sleeping now, least she wouldn't beg me; "Are we there yet?" It would been annoying the whole ride. But once we made it to my house, home sweet home, beautiful as ever. I had woken her up. It was dark a little after 8pm.
When she saw the big house, she was amazed at how big it was, just like I did when I first saw it when her father bought it for me.

"Pretty, mommy."
"Yes it is. Your father bought it for me 5 years ago until he did what he did."
"Mommy, why did you leave him?"
"Long story baby. Let's just say, daddy lied to mommy and had another family of his own."
"Wait, I have brothers and sisters?"
"Yes and no." I said when I showed her the room she's gonna be staying in.

Once I got her settled for the night, I went down to the kitchen to make me some tea. As I was making it, I thought of the times Mark and I had here in this place. It took me back to when we first met to the day he asked me to be his girlfriend to the day he took me to Paris and asked me to marry him.
As I think back to it, I took my tea and went to the front porch and sat on the swing and thought of everything. As it all hurt me all at the same time. But as I think of it, he gave me her. My sweet little Rose.
As I snapped back, I took out my phone and texted Mark. The one thing I never got to delete. I figured I would need it one day and this is the day.

"Hey Mark, its Carrie. No long no talk, I kinda need a favor. If you can meet me tomorrow where the place it all begun, you'll see why I asked you there." I texted them put my phone away.

As I put my phone away, I heard a car door and someone walking up the stairs. When I looked to see who it was, I dropped my cup and it shattered on the porch making the person look at me.
It was Mark. The one person, I didn't expected to come here.

"Carrie?" He said. "Wh-what are you doing here?"
"Its my house, I came to visit. What are you doing here?"
"The silent alarm went off. I had it put in after you left so no one can mess with the house." Mark said.

Just as I went to speak, the front door opened and my sweet little Rose came out.

"Mommy, I can't sleep." She said as she looked at both me and Mark.

Fück, I thought.

"Okay baby, I'll be up in a few. Mommy is talking to a friend of mine."I told her.
"Okay, mommy." She said then closed the door.

After a few moments passed he looked back at me then back at the door.

"Mommy?"
"Yes, I had a child after we went our ways."
"How old is she? She don't look no more than 5 years old." He said then looked back at me. "Carrie, please tell me she's mine?" He pleaded.
I looked down at my hands and nodded. "She's yours. Her name is Cynthia Rose."
"You know Cynthia is my wife's name, right?"
"Yes I do. I named her after her for helping me get out of this town."
"Then why are you back?"
"So my daughter can know who her father is. She asked me about him a week ago. And I think its right that you and her have a real relationship as father and daughter." I told him.
"Why now, why tell me this now. Why didn't you tell me when she was born!?"
"Because I didn't want nothing to do with you because what you done to me."
"Does she know?"
"A little. Just enough that you hurt me." I said as I went to the door.
"Carrie, bring Cynthia to the house so she can meet her siblings." Mark told me as he wrote something down on a card then handed it to me.

I took it and looked at it. It was an address. I nodded then went inside.
The next day came and I went to Mark's place as asked. When I knocked on the door and it was Cynthia that opened the door. Her eyes were all big then looked down at Rose.

"Carrie," she said.
"Hello Cynthia." I said.
"Hi mommy." My daughter said.
"No, not you Cynthia. Her name is Cynthia as well."
"Oh, well hello." Rose had said.
"Is Mark here? He told me to come by so Rose can meet her siblings."
"You saw Mark last night?"
"Yea, he came by the house. I think its right that Rose here meets her father."

Cynthia nodded and let us in. As well walked in, Mark was coming down the stairs. He looked at Rose and I nodded.

"Rose, honey. This is your father."
"The man from last night?" She asked.
"Yes. And this is his wife Cynthia. I named you after her since she helped me."
"Carrie, you shouldn't have." Cynthia said.
"I know but I did."

After being here all day, she got to meet her older brother and sister and they were happy that they got a younger sibling. Little Rose was happy as well.
In all the 5 years being scared that they would not except her as one of them. But they did. Mark was happy as well and Cynthia Rose well, she was glad to have met her father and told him everything about her life. Told him about their school play in a few weeks and he said he and Cynthia and her siblings would be there for her.
As they were having their time, Cynthia and I was just watching away, laughing at them. It was like a big ole family now.
Just seeing this, after this school year I was gonna move back here so she can close to her father. No one knows yet but everyone was gonna be surprised when that happens.
I may been wrong how I did this, keeping them away from each other. She needs her father in her life even if he has another family. It just got a lot bigger than before.

The End!!!!

Y'all think this is the end!? Well guess again, putting in a book 2 to this in the same ole book. Hope y'all will like it....