An Echo in the Mafia (Echo Reid, Reid Family Book #1)

Epilogue

"I look ridiculous." Luke said with a frown as he stood in front of the mirror. 

"I'm sure you don't... oh my." Echo said, bursting out into laughter as soon as she caught a glimpse of him. "I'm sorry... I'm..."

Luke rolled his eyes, walking back to his side of the closet. 

"That's it, I'm changing." He said but Echo ran over to him, grabbing on to his arm. 

"No, the deal was you wear that." She said, "Remember?"

Luke stared down at her, angry at the little woman he adored, but also wanting to please her. She had said this would make her happy- how could he refuse?

"Besides, if anyone looks ridiculous... it's me." She said, turning back to the mirror and trying not to vomit at how very sweet and very dumb she looked.

"You do not look ridiculous." He said, wrapping his arms around her and placing his hands on the belly that had finally decided to swell. Echo had taken her time getting pregnant, and she'd taken her time before showing too. 

"Why don't they make any maternity clothes that don't make you look like a pastry?" She said, making him laugh.

"My sexy little cupcake." He said, earning an elbow to the ribs. "Oww..."

Two years. They'd been married for two amazing, glorious, wonderful years and just now, they were expecting their first child. He couldn't look at her without feeling so immensely proud. There couldn't be anything better in the world than to know that Echo was carrying his baby.

Well, maybe if she'd at least let them find out if it was a boy or a girl. Not much had changed between Luke and Echo, they were still very much in love but they were still always arguing about something. Any time Luke tried to be bossy, Echo would set her foot down and put him in his place. Nowadays, anything that Echo said was law. There was no way around it. He just couldn't say no to her- not when she was six months pregnant and waddling around like a penguin. It was hilarious. 

But when she'd insisted they should wait until the baby was born to know the gender... it drove him crazy. Still, there was no way he was going to start a fight over it. There was nothing scarier than Echo angry, hungry, and pregnant. 

"So... are you gonna help me?" She said as he watched her trying, and failing, at getting her shoes on. 

"I'm going." he said, scowling as he saw himself in the mirror. "Oh come on, Echo, really? Do I really have to wear this?" 

"You can't be santa in your black suit." She said firmly. 

"I don't see why I have to be Santa." Luke said, "You're pushing me too far"

"You're Santa because the Santa we hired cancelled last minute and it will do you good to do this." She said with a nod, taking a seat on the bench. "Put yourself out there, do something that makes you uncomfortable."

She almost laughed as she repeated the words that had been said to her so often before. 

"Adelia is going to love it." Echo said and Luke grunted as he helped her with her shoes. 

"That brat. She gets worse all the time. Do you realize how many calls I got about her this year?" He asked. Adelia had become particularly rebellious, sneaking out of school and breaking curfew. She was 17 and already hard to control, he had no idea what he would do when she turned 18. 

"She's still teenager. I'm sure she'll grow out of it." She replied. "Besides, her grades are really good and I think she wants to go to State University next year."