All in the Game

Epilogue

𝐀𝐛𝐛𝐲

Time is a mysterious thing. You want it to slow down it speeds up; you want it to speed up and it slows down. I used to think people were joking when they said you could get lost in time...you get swept up day after day of conversations, and plans without even caring about making memories while they last. You can try but you always get pulled back into the endless hours of work that needs to be done. 

My phone rings I ignore it. I don't have time to be making calls I'm nine months pregnant and still need to get renovations done before opening night. "Abby your phone is ringing." Whitney reminds me holding my phone out to me. Grabbing the phone from her the name reads; Nathan (husband). It'll be a year come next month and still seeing the word husband pop up my phone still surprises me.

 I answer immediately because it could be an emergency. "I'm at the grocery store do we need any milk?" Rolling my eyes because of course, Nathan would call about something like this. "You didn't check before you left?" He hesitates longer than he should. "I meant to but between two five year olds, and Benny things got a little out of hand." 

Which I understand more than anything but right now is just not the time to be making these calls. I feel like a horrible mother, and wife. Most of my days are spent here making sure this place opens up in time while Nathan stays home with our boys and golden retriever. He does most of the cooking and cleaning, I get the easy way out. 

Not that I'm not excited about finally getting my dream. I just thought I'd still be able to do the whole mom thing, and be a loving wife. Turns out it's hard to do those things when you spend all day looking over plans on a computer screen. "While I'm here what do you think of Elsie?" This catches me completely off guard what does this have to do with grocery shopping? "What?" 

"Like the name of the cow on the milk carton...for our baby?" Oh, the thought never occurred to me. It's a pretty name I'm just not sure if it's my style. "We don't even know the gender of our baby yet." 

"I know I'm just thinking of options since you always seem to be denying my ideas." That's because his idea of the perfect name is naming our child after a cow on a milk carton, or my personal favorite was wanting to name our child Tuesday. Yes, after the day of the week. He said the Adams family already took Wednesday and that two's were our number so it went better. "Oh, what about Lemon?"

"We don't need any this week and I thought you hated lemon flavored things?"

"No like for our child." Oh my God could he be more frustrating? "Bye Nathan." I hang up before he even gets the chance to respond. Time is of the essence and we will have plenty of time to name our child. Looking at the framed picture of our family sitting on my desk excites me. I can't wait to take all the pictures of my babies together. The boys are happy too they've wanted a little sister or brother since the day me and Nate got married, and Nathan reminds me every day to call as soon as I'm in labor he refuses to miss the birth of this child. 

I think part of him still regrets missing out on so much of Ace and Baxters life that he can't wait to make it up with this new baby. "Hey, Abby could you come here for a minute?" Ryan Talon-Hardings calls from the other room. Here we go my day has officially begun get ready for another day of not answering the phone, and eating leftovers that Nathan cooked. 

They started while I was finishing up my hair. Little pangs in my stomach that feel as if my whole body is going to crumble to the ground. Not today especially not right right now! Today is the opening night of my bakery/coffee shop (Gail's). Tomorrow or any other day can be baby day. Pain shoots through me again, and I grip my stomach. 

"You good?" Nathan is staring at me and the hand carefully placed on my too big belly. "Yeah, baby is just kicking extra hard tonight." I say putting a smile on my face so he believes. If Nathan even thinks for a second that this baby is coming right now, he'll tell me to postpone the opening. We've already postponed once I'll be damned if I do it again. 

The night goes as planned talking to people and putting on my biggest smile despite wanting to curl up in a corner and die. Baby really isn't making this easy for me.

I'm serving treats and goodies that will be on the menu. So far people have said nothing but good things and everyone seems to be loving the peanut butter fudge cookies that were a last-minute addition to the menu. 

As the night dies down, I move to the front to say a few things. Tapping a spoon to the side of my coffee mug, everyone's head turn to look at me. "Thank you all for coming out here tonight, and for even making this possible..." pausing abruptly my hand moves to my stomach and it's then I realize there is no putting it off this baby is coming today. "I hope everyone enjoys the free food and drinks, and don't forget to take a goodie box before you go."

Nathan moves to my side instantly knowing something's up. "The baby is coming," I say and he moves into action grabbing my hand, and the truck keys. "What about the boys and my parents?" I ask halfway to the truck. "We'll call them on the way." He replies frantically opening my door and helping me inside. 

For what feels like a lifetime later we welcome our third baby into the world. "It's a boy," Nathan whispers squeezing my hand. I know he wanted a little girl but I know for a fact he's just as happy to have a son. As the nurses and doctor check to make sure everything is ok, Nathan goes to tell our family the happy news. When he comes back, I'm holding our son in my arms. It's still too early to tell but he's already the perfect mix of us both. 

"Now...what should we name him?" 

"About that," I laugh nervously. "The reason I kept turning down all your baby names was because I sort of already had a boy, and girl name picked out." He chuckles kissing my forehead. "Of course, you did. Ok what did you have in mind?" 

"I thought we could name him Mason Wyatt Scott." His face goes from emotionless to happy as he realizes I'm being serious about this. A smile fills his face which makes me happy. "After my grandfather?" I nod once, "I love it!" 

Later as our family take turns meeting baby Mason. Me and Nathan stare at each other, and it dawns on me that there is nothing better than this. And that despite Nathan's pleas to have a billion kids after we got married, I'm loving the idea more and more of just these four. My boys. 

𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷

The perfect ending to Abby and Nate's love story. 😊 Scroll down for a sneak peak of book two in the series. 

𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷

My entire life for as long as I can remember, mother has taught me and my siblings to except the what ifs in life. What she never thought to teach us was what if something bad happened, what if they never came home, what if we were left orphan's?

 - 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐮𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐚 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐧.

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