Spark

Epilogue: Birthdays and Happily Ever Afters

"Guess who's birthday it is?" "Jovie's." Three year old Preston responds. "And how old is she turning?" "One." "That's right!" He's three. My baby boy is three and he's talking and active. He looks so much like Eric the older he gets. "Can I give her presents now?" "No, we have to wait until everyone gets here for her birthday party." "When's that?" "Around noon. When's noon?" "Twelve in the afternoon." "There's my smart boy. Let's get you dressed."

I got him a black unicorn shirt that said "Brother of the Birthday Girl" and I put him in denim shorts. "Go put on your black and white checkered Vans." I tell him. He runs to his room and puts his shoes on.

Jovie was a blessing. We were trying for so long and we kept having complications. Eric and I were scared that we couldn't get pregnant again. But here she is a year later. Our last baby. I got dressed in a unicorn print dress just for her and I did my hair in a pink headband with a bow and put on pink lip gloss on my lips.

"And here is the birthday girl." Eric comes in with a short sleeve button up shirt that has unicorns printed all over it. Jovie reaches out for me and says. "Mama!" "Hi, princess!" "Birthday!" "Yes, it's your birthday! You're going to get presents and cake and ice cream." "Pear juice." I rolled my eyes. Ever since she discovered the taste of pears and we found juice for it she's been obsessed. "Yes, and all the pear juice you want."

I take her downstairs and Eric whispered in my ear. "You look gorgeous." "So do you Mr. Unicorn Man." "Only for her would I ever wear something this tacky." "Jovie, happy birthday!" "Bubby!" "And where are the dogs?" "Begging for food." "I'll go feed them." Eric says. We head into the kitchen where her birthday cupcake was waiting for her in her high chair. "Okay, let's sing the first Happy Birthday of the day." I record a video of us very badly singing with Preston singing the loudest. While we were singing Jovie was already eating her very pink cupcake.

Her face covered in icing she smiled and I put my phone down on the table and grabbed a napkin. I didn't want her outfit to get ruined. She was wearing a unicorn outfit with a pink tutu and her hair had a unicorn horn headband. She does look like me and Eric couldn't be more proud.

Soon people started coming and the triplets have gotten big. They hug Jovie and they started playing with Preston. Leia is a huge tomboy and plays almost every sport. Anakin is into video games and Kylo is a die hard Pokémon fan. "I can't believe she's a year old already!" Zoe says with a hug. "I know. Where's Justin?" "Getting the gifts out of the car. He doesn't want help meanwhile we got her something and the kids picked out something." "Eric, go help him." "Will do."

"Help me with the food?" "Of course. Chloe and Gia and David are on their way and I know Austin and Henley with Noah." Chloe met David at her job and it was love at first sight. He's a great guy, both eager to have kids. Since she couldn't have her own she and David adopted four year old Gia and have been happy ever since. As for Austin and Henley they got married two years ago and found out that they were pregnant three months after they came back from their honeymoon. Noah is mischievous, funny, yet kind-hearted boy and loves Jovie to pieces.

"You know you did an excellent job and the fact that all four of you is wearing unicorn print shirts and dresses shows some serious dedication. I wouldn't be caught dead in it." "That's because your daughter wears sports jerseys and tennis shoes." "I got her into a dress once." "Once and then she purposely got it dirty so she can wear her LeBron James jersey." "Hey, I can't help it that I raised a tomboy." "Are you sad that none of them are into the stuff you are?" "Well, Kylo I think is going to be heavily into anime and manga so I'm not too worried."

Everyone got here and soon we were able to get started. We started off with games like Pin The Horn on the Unicorn and did some arts and crafts. Kylo I can tell can be a pretty good drawer if he keeps it up. Soon it was time to open presents. She got toys from her favorite show Bubble Guppies and Hello Kitty stuff. Some clothes which I asked people to get her. Someone I forget who got her a unicorn pajama set that you can color and finger paint. There was more, but she pointed to the cake. "Cake and ice." She can't say "cream" yet.

We got her unicorn flavored ice cream along with her cake that was also a unicorn. We recorded everyone singing Happy Birthday and the kids were still the loudest. I had taken a group selfie with a selfie stick and then I had taken pictures of Preston and Jovie, Eric and Jovie, I had Eric take one of me and Jovie then I had Zoe take one of all four of us.

I posted them on social media with the caption: Our last little baby has turned one. She's our miracle, our joy, our happiness and the light of our lives. I can't wait for many more years of seeing her grow up into the beautiful woman that she'll become. Just not any time soon.

I posted the pictures and soon everyone was liking and commenting. Everyone had gone home and I was tired. I put on my pajamas that had french bulldogs on them and came back downstairs to find my two children asleep on the floor snuggled together. I take a picture and Eric comes behind me and hugs me. "Should we take them to bed?" "I should at least put them on the lounge chair and get them a blanket. I don't want them on the floor."

We put them in the lounge chair with a pillow and blanket where Jovie snuggled closer to her brother. "I have the baby monitor right here." I had set it next to the television just in case. "Well, can we clean in the morning?" "Yes, please." "Good let's go to bed."

We make it upstairs and Eric shuts the door. He sits on the bench at the foot of the bed and I straddle him on his lap. I looked at him and asked, "Have I ever thanked you?" "What for?" "For showing me what love truly feels like. For giving me a home. For raising me in a sense. For just being you. I sometimes feel like I don't deserve you. I mean all of the times I ran away like an immature child." "You were scared, you didn't know how else to react. But I should be thanking you." "What for?" "For being born. We're made for each other and I can't thank the heavens enough for bringing you to me." "I love you, Eric Patrick Anderson." "And I love you, Sofia Martine Anderson."

We kissed. It goes to show that they're many good guys out there. It shows that you can sweep up a good one. Everyone can find their happily ever after, and I certainly had found mine.