Meant for Me | ✔️

Epilogue

26th November, two years later.

A D D I E

Walking between the green houses that lined the paddocks on the farm, was Maggie and Willa. Hand in hand, they giggled and ran across the dewy grass, the fall chill causing swirls of cold breath to make little clouds in their wake.

I watched on, smiling at Midge and Toto who barked, chasing them with excitement. Maggie looked precious in her knee high gumboots, a snug coat on and a beanie atop her dark brown curls. She was the spitting image of Margo, bringing me a piece of my sister each time she laughed or grinned.

"I love the new greenhouses, mom," Willa shouted, running her hand along the thick plastic covering of the round domes. Recently, my thriving indoor and outdoor house plant business had done well enough that I could expand production and even hire a couple of staff members to give me help.

Loaded with enough experience on running a business, it had been the perfect career move for me, combining what I knew and what I loved. I'd even done a couple of weddings as a horticulturist rather than a planner. There were some couples that preferred plants rather than flowers.

Lavender whinnied from her paddock and Willa looked over at her. "Can Maggie and me go for a ride?"

"Sure, you go and get the helmets," I said, starting a slow waddle across the grass so that I could collect my adventurous little daughter before she made a break for it. She was so like Margo in every way. Exploring, excited, undeterred by whatever obstacles might have been in her way.

Her cheeks were rose red, nose cold when she pushed her face against mine to give me a kiss after I'd lifted her up and perched her on the mound of my stomach. For being just thirty three weeks along, I was carrying rather large.

Zac assured me that was because we were having a little boy and he was going to be tall and built like his father. The thought made me smile, a little Zac, his golden tan skin and big brown eyes. Of course, there was every chance that our son could inherit my height, Zac assured me that would be just fine too.

Lavender was part of the family at this point, she'd matured so well, she was gentle with the girls, obedient, careful and slow when Maggie and Willa were on her back. She was still the most self aware horse that I'd ever met. Willa held Maggie's hand while I saddled her up and then we used the stepping stool so that Willa could climb on first and next followed Maggie, in the front, little fingers wrapped around the reins.

"Ride Ladder," Maggie squealed with excitement, she couldn't quite get Lavender out at the moment. But Ladder was just as cute.

"Yep," I said, double checking that her helmet was secure, Willa's too. "Ride Lavender. You say, giddy up, Lavender."

"G-up, ladder!"

Willa giggled and used the heel of her foot to give a gentle nudge in the side and Lavender walked. That was it. She knew she was only allowed to walk with the girls on her back. She didn't go far either, wide circles close enough that I could talk to Willa and she would hear me.

Willa was growing into a beautiful young girl, so self assured and sweet. After Raine and Milo's honey moon, we'd spoken to them about Will calling Raine and me mom and while Milo seemed hesitant at first, Raine was so thrilled at the idea, he couldn't say no.

It did make it a little bit difficult when we were all in the same room and Willa said 'mom' and both of us answered her. But we were making it work because that was what Willa wanted and it never ceased to amaze me that not only was I in her life, but she loved me so much, she wanted to call me mom. I never felt deserving, but I cherished it.