Epilogue - Alternate Ending

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A few people said that I should make an alternate ending, so I finally gave in! Enjoy this truly happy ending :D

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Alternate Ending

Looking into Jack’s eyes, I smiled.

“I don’t care when,” I finally answered. He rolled his eyes, knowing that would have been my answer.

“Well we need to decide, the kids are getting restless,” he said, holding his hand out for me. I automatically interlaced our fingers together, then stepped out onto the patio again. Blue and pink decorations hung everywhere and throughout the trees, while children ran around the yard, laughing as they played a game. Parents were scattered around, watching their own kids, making sure they wouldn’t get hurt. Our own were grinning happily, playing nicely, just like we’d asked them to.

“Momma,” Ben said, walking up to me. He was the youngest, only three and half years old.

“Yes, baby?” I asked as I picked him up and straddled him on my hip, careful to keep him away from my stomach.

“I’m hungry,” he moaned, rubbing his belly in circles. His light brown hair shone softly in the sunlight as he laid his head on my shoulder. I looked over at Jack, whose hand had made its way from my hand to the small of my back protectively.

“I’ll go get the cake,” he said, giving me a smile. He disappeared back into our home, and I looked into Ben’s big blue eyes.

“Cake?” he asked excitedly, his eyes lighting up. I nodded at my little boy. “Down! Down!” Laughing quietly, I set him back on his feet, allowing him to go play with the other guests and his siblings.

I leaned against the side of the house, my feet killing me and swollen. I looked around happily, putting my long hair into a ponytail as I read the ‘Happy sixth birthday!’ sign for the hundredth time. The triplets - Finn, Felicity, and Faith - were all trying to lead a Simon Says game. Ben was trying to follow them, but he couldn’t concentrate on just one of his siblings. I frowned, worried that he would grow quickly angered. He was the one to throw the most tantrums out of the four.

Lilly was on the opposite side of the lawn, trying to tell Madelyn how her own daughter, Alice, had to be fed. Alice had lots of allergies, and Madelyn was one of her favorite people, so Lilly was trying to teach Maddie how her daughter needed to be taken care of so she could eventually babysit. Maddie was almost twenty, and had grown up so quickly. She herself was engaged, and I couldn’t have been happier for her.

AJ was grilling hot dogs for all of the kids, his wife was helping to set up all of the tables we had gotten out, with the help of a few other parents. There were about thirty kids at the party, since each of my own children had invited several of their own friends.

I looked down next to me, seeing all of the wrapped presents on the table for gifts. We had a tradition that everything the kids got for their birthday from friends would be donated to the less fortunate, to remind the kids that not everyone had easy lives, and their friends had a blast picking out things that would be donated.

Feeling a sharp pain in my abdomen, I held back the urge to double over just as Jack walked back outside. He saw the pained look on my face, and quickly set the big birthday cake on one of the tables, then rushed to my side.

“Did you feel another kick?” my wonderful husband asked, his hand resting on my back again as his worried eyes searched my face underneath the fringe of his golden locks. I numbly nodded, one hand on my swollen stomach, the other on my hip. I was thirty five weeks pregnant, due in just a little over a month. Since we already had two boys and two girls, we’d decided that the gender of this baby would be a surprise. After all, we hadn’t been expecting the baby, but when I fell pregnant once more it was a nice surprise. We’d already picked out names for either a boy or girl; Andrew, after my brother, or Gracie, after Jack’s mother.

“I’ll be fine,” I said, trying to wave off Jack. He eyed me suspiciously, but helped me walk over to a table and sit down. The cake sat in front of me, and the sight of food nearly made me retch up the contents of my stomach. I stayed strong; after all, I’d been pregnant twice before, and one time was with triplets. I could do this.

“Just remember, after this we don’t have to have anymore kids,” Jack said, worry thick in his voice. I knew he loved myself and our kids a thousand times more than anything else and he would love more kids if I had them, but he hated to see me in pain during the pregnancies.

“I’ll definitely be done after this,” I pledged. I loved our kids to death as well, but five was enough for me. Jack’s brown eyes smiled at me, more passionately than his lips ever could. His love for me was easily seen in them, and always would be. “Now, go round up the kids.”

Jack quickly obeyed me, announcing to all the children and parents that we would eat lunch and then have cake. All of my children sat in chairs around me, eating happily while their father began helping my brother with serving them all. Ten minutes later, Jack was kissing my cheek as he pulled up a chair between me and Felicity, who pouted at the idea of not being close to her mother.

“Lissie, it’s okay,” I said, smiling at her. The six-year-old immediately grinned back at me, her dimples popping out. Both my girls reminded me so much of Madelyn at their age in their appearance, though they both had Jack’s brown eyes.

I waited patiently as everyone ate their food, not wanting any for myself. I still had to fight the urge to become sick, with the baby wanting to either press against my bladder or my stomach at all times. Once it was time for cake I carefully stood up, all the kids circling around my own children as I lit the candles on the cake and everyone sang happy birthday.

Jack sliced the cake into what seemed like a billion pieces, causing me to run inside the house as I finally threw up. I made it all the way into the bathroom, but I only got as far as the sink, so I quickly cleaned it, washed my hands, and went back outside. The dress I wore made it much easier to move. Every time I wore jeans by the time I was in my third trimester, I always felt like I looked like a whale, and jeans seemed to restrict my movements.

When I returned to my family and all our guests, Jack lit up as he saw me. “I missed you,” he said, kissing my forehead lovingly. “Are you feeling better?”

“Yes, thank you,” I said, smiling. “The food just made me sick.”

“I’m sorry,” he frowned. I could tell he was wishing fervently that he could’ve helped me somehow.

“It’s fine. In five weeks, this will all be over,” I said. “Then all we’ll have to deal with is a crying baby who can’t sleep through the night, which will most likely result in our other four children waking up and throwing tantrums. We’ll just be a happy little family,” I joked.

“It’s been fourteen years, and you have yet to lose your sense of humor,” Jack said as he kissed my temple. I felt blood rush to my face, just like every time he showed affection towards me.

“Who says I ever will?” I retorted, almost forgetting completely to reply. My husband rolled his eyes playfully. We went back to join the party, watching our kids run off the energy they got from the sugary cake. Sure, having four kids - soon to be five - was tough, but I received the privilege of raising them with the most amazing man in the world, so why would I need to worry? With my children and my husband at my side, I could get through anything. They were my world, after all.

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Author's Note: Don't forget to check out the spin-off! Though, of course, there will only be three kids in that book - the triplets - but Kaylyn will be in it. :)

<3 you guys!! Thanks for reading!!!!

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