I Like Your Shoes | ✓

e p i l o g u e

[Ambrosia Bellemore, Three Years Later]

I walked up the stairs to our room, rubbing my neck to ease the knots there. Work as a senior Editor kills you excruciatingly slowly.

Sipping my coffee, I unlock my phone to see if there are any texts or calls from Calum. He's gone off to Tokyo for some writer's convention, since his last book was among the top ten best selling novels of the year. Still the same work driven man I'd fallen in love with four years ago.

I smile. Everything's going good. We were still wonderfully in love. We did have our fights and differences, but at the end of the night, he's the one who has to come and say sorry.

Caecelia gave birth to twin girls, Imogene and Taylor, immensely strong despite their early delivery, and is expecting another baby. Neave has a little baby boy of two, Kevin, and I'm ninety percent sure he's going to be a football player. Freida adopted three kids, and is off on a vacation to the Caribbean.

My mom, after her plans were sadly thrashed, attended my wedding. Last I heard, she was partying with her depressed in their forties, single friends.

I stop in my tracks when I hear giggling coming from the room. It's closed.

I start hyperventilating.

Is my biggest fear turning real? If I open this door, will I find my husband with another woman?

No, nope. Not Calum. No way.

Pushing back my shoulders, I turn the knob and open the door. Calum Achorn is laughing, and on his back, a little boy of eleven. When the boy's little eyes fall on me, he smiles. There's something familiar about him.

"Ambrosia!" Calum says, smiling. He slightly detaches the hand of the little boy off of his back and gently puts him in the wheelchair next to our bed. He leans in and whispers in his ear. The little boy giggles and looks at me again. Suddenly, it clicks.

"Albus!" I shout.

"Hi," He waves at me shyly.

"What? I don't understand!"

"Surprise?" Calum says, shrugging.

"Albus?" I look for confirmation. Calum nods. I remember Calum asking me if we could adopt one of the kids from the hospital, and I'd said yes. But I didn't know it would be soon; now.

I give a shrill cry of delight and move to hug the little boy. The doorbell rings somewhere far away, and Calum runs off to answer it, but I don't let go of Albus.

"Miss Bellemore?" Albus laughs, patting my head.

"Mom," I whisper, tears rolling down my cheek.

"Huh?" I push off of him and smile.

"Call me mom, Albus." I say, he smiles back radiantly.

"Ambrosia?" Calum runs into the room with a little white envelope in his hand. He sounds urgent.

I turn around and we look at him curiously.

"Your results," He waves the letter in front of his face. My pregnancy test reports. I stare back at him, my heart in my throat with excitement. My pregnancy test reports

"Positive," He confirms, smiling.

I turn around to look at Albus in the eye.

"How do you feel about a little baby brother or sister of your own?" I ask him, grinning.

~•~

Proceed to the author's note, now!