Red Alert/Red Notice (The "Super Jerk" Prequel)

Epilogue - I'll Set You Free

^^Above, chapter title credit: Song by the Bangles.^^

{Geoffrey}

One year later.

I never thought I'd say this, but it's my daughter's first birthday today. She looks so much like Raina, her hair curly and fair, and her eyes the exact same blue-green, except for a brown splotch in the corner of one. Our doctor told us that was heterochromia, but it wouldn't affect her health or her vision. So we just left it. Besides, it gives her character.

When I get home that day, our housekeeper Mila greets me with a hug. I return it with a certain amount of confusion, pulling back to look at her.

"What's going on, Mila?"

"The baby, Mr. Geoffrey."

I follow her into the living room, seeing the furniture's been pushed back to make a clear area in the center. Raina's standing with Ettie's hands in hers, and she looks up when I come in, smiling at me.

"Raina? What's going on?" I set my briefcase down.

"I'll show you." Then she bends down, and to Ettie, she says, "Can you go to Dada now?"

Ettie waves her hands in response. Raina gently guides her forward, until she reaches the coffee table. Then Ettie grabs hold of that and takes a few shaky steps, stops, and then keeps going. When she reaches the end, with me only a few inches away, she seems to hesitate. After a second, though, she lets go, teeters, and there it is — the first step.

"Look at you, little Miss Ettie," I grin and catch her in my arms as she suddenly tips forward. "You're cruising."

"She didn't want to do it at first," Raina says, joining me and sliding an arm around my middle. "But I think she prefers you, honestly."

"You think so?" I switch Ettie to my other arm, and put my other one around Raina. I still can't believe that after all these months, that she's my wife. It took a long time after Ettie was born for us to get where we are — mostly because I was too busy with Dad's will and his assets and Raina was trying to figure out everything with the baby — but I'm glad we found it. "I don't know. You saw her this morning."

Raina sticks her finger out, and Ettie grabs it, shaking her entire arm. "I think it's because she doesn't understand why Dada's leaving every day."

"I wish I didn't have to." I kiss Raina's hair.

"I wish you didn't either." She drops her head to my shoulder. "But you know...have to make a living somehow, right?"

I sigh, and Ettie touches my lips. "Yeah."

"Hey, so I invited some friends over for dinner," Raina says, sliding out of my grasp and taking Ettie back in one movement. "You know...just for old time's sake. And to see Ettie, obviously."

"Really? Who?"

"Well...Matt and El, of course, and Hugo, Aisha, Jake if he can get away. And Hank too."

"Hank?" I furrow my brow. "Who's that?"

"El's friend. He's a super too," she tacks on when she notices my expression. "Don't worry. I haven't told anyone else."

"That's not what I'm worried about, it's..." I think of the piece of paper burning a hole in my briefcase. "You think you could have Mila take Ets for a second? There's something I want to show you."

"Sure." Raina's brow furrows with concern, and while she's gone, I rummage through my briefcase and pull it out. It's written on yellow legal pad paper, and isn't signed, but I know the handwriting well enough.