Hearts On The Line

Epilogue

Two Years Later

Jackson stands in front of the mic, guitar in hand. He finds me in the audience sitting with Anna, Tara, and Mom. Him and Henry are performing in the school talent show with their band They Might Be Hamsters. Henry sits behind the drums searching the crowd for Lawson. Lawson had a band meeting and was running a few minutes behind but was close by.

Henry looks at me too. He twirls the drumstick in his hands. Jackson turns to him when the auditorium doors open. Some people look, but I don't have to, to know that Lawson is here. Henry's face lights up. He taps his sticks together, as Jackson gets set to sing.

Lawson slides into the empty seat at the end beside me.

"Hey, baby. Sorry I'm late. How are you feeling?"

I glance up and smile, as he leans in for a kiss, then reaches over resting his hand over my round — ready to pop belly. He gets a nice kick for disturbing our daughter's nap. He kisses the spot where she nearly punched a hole in my belly. Pulling away, I smile at our matching gold wedding bands, then up at him. Our eyes meet and my heart dances.

"They're far enough apart that I should be okay."

He smiles. This morning I woke up with a lot of aches and pain. I know I'm close, but I couldn't miss the show.

Henry finishes the count down and he, Jackson, their friend Gio on bass, and Kenny on keyboards, start their rendition of 'Shut up And Dance'. It's a little off tempo at first, but once Henry gets into the groove it goes well. They have been practicing all school year for this talent show and have come so far.

Lawson holds me as we watch our kids kicking some serious ass on that stage. His band is doing really well too. They are planning on a short fall tour. The summer he's set aside for us to enjoy our new bundle of joy.

The kids finish their song, and the audience gets to their feet and claps. Henry and Jackson look at each other, smiles on their faces. They've embraced being brothers and it shows, not only every day, but up on that stage.

Henry leaves his drums and comes over to bow with the rest of them. He and Jackson hug, slapping each other's backs.

We join everyone standing. I hold onto Lawson for a second as a lingering pain and tightness in my belly comes and goes. Lawson whistles as Anna squeezes by and he lifts her to get a better view. Those two have become inseparable. He loves her as fiercely as if she was his own. He loves both of my children, and I couldn't be happier.

Six months after Miles said he was getting help, he decided that he didn't want it, nor did he want to come back. He's a lost cause and it really hurt both the kids for a long time. Lawson, being the angel he is, stuck by both Jackson and Anna's sides through it all. He didn't push them to talk to him, but he let them both know he was there and that he had gone through something similar as a kid. Jackson did eventually come to him for advice and from there their bond grew even stronger.

A few months later, Lawson and I got engaged, with Jackson, Anna, and my father's permission. And nine months ago, after having a "stomach virus" for a week, I peed on a stick and when those pink lines came up, Lawson scooped me into his arms with such excitement that I almost puked on him.

It's been a ride, a journey, but we're coping the best we can. The kids know we're there for them and that we are going to try our hardest to make this work and not fall into the same patterns as we did with our previous relationships.

After the show we all wait for the kids to come out in the main lobby of the school. It's middle school now for Jackson, which is pretty terrifying for me. My stomach tightens and my feet ache with each step but it's all worth it when I see the smiles on Jackson and Henry's faces as they race towards us. Lawson takes the brunt of their hugs and I come over and join in with Anna.