Macintyre Farm

Epilogue

SEBASTIAN POV

4 years later

My old pickup truck was still expensive to fill with gas, but there was no way around it.  We had a place to be as soon as we could get there safely.

Andy sat in the passenger side, tapping her foot while leaning forward as we headed toward the hospital.  She was taking deep breaths, excitement radiating from her being while she French braided her long auburn hair to keep it out of the way.

It was finally time.

I grabbed our daughter's car seat and clicked it into her stroller while my wife got the diaper bag as well as a backpack with a few things we needed on hand.  Walt and Ruby were already waiting for us and grinned as soon as we turned the corner into the Labor and Delivery waiting room area.

Being at the hospital made me even more glad my wife wanted to have a midwife and home birth.  It was not the right choice for everyone but worked well for us.  The sterile hallways and harsh lighting made me uneasy, especially compared to our quiet and peacefully lit bathroom with a large tub where Andy brought our baby girl into the world just 6 months ago.

"They'll take you to her, Andy," Walt said while beaming.  "Marianne is doing well but Austin is a mess, just like last time."

She took a moment to cuddle our little nephew. Michael, then kissed me before doing as instructed.

"How is our little princess?" Ruby asked, her body pivoted toward me as I lifted my daughter.

"Luna has been sleeping so well lately.  Andy is pretty sure it's thanks to how busy she has been playing with our new baby goats," I replied with a laugh while lifting our 6 month old daughter from her car seat.  "She keeps scooting all over the place whenever she's able.  Crawling will happen soon, too."

She yawned and cuddled into my arms, then perked up when she saw her Grandma and Grandpa Macintyre in front of her.  Walt chuckled as I handed their granddaughter to his wife then took a moment to give little Mikey a hug.

"Are you so excited, buddy?" I asked, grinning at how the 2 year old seemed bored in the midst of so much chaos.

He shrugged, "No.  Mama ouchie."

"Yeah, having a baby gives Mama ouchies but it means you'll have a baby brother or sister now.  You love your little cousin Luna, don't you?" I asked.

Mike nodded then looked over to our little blonde girl with a sweet smile.  "Yeah, I play now."

My daughter was never one for early mornings but when we got the call at 4 am from Austin that Mar was in labor we immediately got packed up to meet them at the hospital.  Taylor and Dylan had things handled at the farm so it was an easy choice.  

They got pregnant quickly and it was a big shift to adjust after moving into their new home.  Michael also came so fast that Mar delivered him in their front room which was a complete shock.

Good thing Andy knew what to do.  She had been watching as many midwife and baby delivery videos as she could online so she was able to help on the off chance her sister in law gave birth before they got to the hospital.  Mar insisted on getting to the hospital earlier for their next child which was a relief to Austin.  Poor guy was never more scared than when we arrived and his wife was in active labor on their living room floor.

The last 5 years have been magical.

We got married at the farmhouse after Harvest once our home was finished.  Andy had just turned 23 and we had the quiet wedding we always wanted.  Austin and Mar had a church wedding in town a few months before that point, during my second summer at the farm, though Andy and I were their attendants.