Wherever You're Going

Epilogue

October 2024

"Dad, when is Mom going to be home?"

"Soon, buddy. Hey, you calling mommy, 'Mom', now?"

"Yeah, I decided since I'm going to be nine soon I should stop saying mommy."

I just smiled at my 8-year-old son. "That's not until almost next summer, but if you want to say 'Mom' instead of Mommy, I think that will be okay."

Our brilliant and handsome son was born in May 2016. He had my blonde hair and Rory's amazing blue eyes. He did have my smile but I contributed his looks to my beautiful wife. Rory and I had been so completely captivated with the pregnancy. She'd had bad morning sickness for several weeks. About month four everything settled down and the rest of the pregnancy went well. We had been awed with each step along the way—ultrasound pictures with our baby sucking his thumb and his rambunctious kicks in his mommy's belly. Rory had handled it all well, except during labor when she was cussing like a sailor at me. My Ace had looked amazing through the whole pregnancy and I couldn't keep my hands off of her.

Just then female voices could be heard coming into the house. Running up to him, an exact miniature of Rory caught him around the legs. "Daddy, Daddy, look at my pretty dress that Mommy bought me."

"Oh, you are going to be the prettiest girl at the party—just like a princess."

She squealed, "yes, just like Cinderella. See, it's blue and I can say 'bibbidi bobbidi boo' just like in the movie."

I smiled at Rory as I gave her a kiss on the cheek. "So much like her mother."

After much persuasion Rory had convinced me to give our son my name so we decided on Logan Ellis and we called him Ellis. And she decided that our beautiful daughter would have her name, Lorelai Emma. We called her Emma and she was a bubbly 5-year-old beauty with as much love for books as her mother. Ace had gotten some notion in her head that she wanted our children to have the same initials as mine.

"Hey, Mommy, Ellis has decided that he should call you, Mom, now because he's going to be nine soon and thinks saying 'Mommy' is for babies."

"Well, that's just fine with me Ellis. He is getting really big Daddy. Now you two kiddo's get your toys that you're taking to the city because we have to leave soon."

About two hours later we had all checked into The Plaza. "Hey, listen guys, I want you to lay down and rest for a little while."

"Mom,"Ellis pouted, "I'm too big to have to take a nap."

"Now, sweetie, I just want you to rest. It's going to be a late night. Since you're such a big boy you need to lead the way so Emma will lay down, too. You can do that for Mom, can't you?"

"Yes, Mom, sure."

"Okay, you two go on back to the bedroom now."

Logan and I sat down to enjoy a few minutes of quiet and a cup of coffee. "So this suite looks familiar, Logan." Smiling at him I leaned in to give him a quick kiss.

"It should, Ace. It's where you seduced me almost ten years ago."

"What? I think you've got that all wrong Huntzberger. It was your hands running up my legs that started all that, if I remember correctly."

"And what lovely legs they are. Just look where my roaming hands got you, baby. A wonderful life of luxury," Logan smirked as he tackled me on the sofa for some playful kisses.