The Girl Who Read The Dating Manual

epilogue

"Ave, she can't look like you. It's not even your baby," I informed her as we made our way through the door of our home.

Will, who was already rushing around heating bottles and making sure everything was baby-proofed, released a rueful chuckle from the kitchen.

"Don't listen to Mommy," Ava cooed, gently rocking the beautiful baby, who was currently swaddled in approximately a thousand layers of cotton. "She doesn't know what she's talking about. You look just like me. Yes, you do!"

I rolled my eyes and giggled, exhausted. The last five days since giving birth had been a whirlwind of feeding and throwing up (let's just say birthing the poor kid hadn't been the easiest thing in the world), and I was glad to be back in the place Will and I could now call home.

After both of us had agreed that raising a baby in a sky rise apartment in the middle of London probably wouldn't be the best idea, we'd scooped together the last of our funds to rent out a cute little cottage place in a nice neighborhood with a small backyard. It wasn't anything perfect, but it was good enough for us—especially since we'd both agreed.

It was safe to say the last seven months since the wedding had been bliss. After honeymooning in Europe, we'd come back to London excited for the baby and ready to get down to business of buying for the baby and preparing for her arrival. And now she was here. Our beautiful Charlotte Ava Winchester.

Once we'd come home, Jamie had told us of his plans to move back to America, but Ava had decided to stay to support me in the pregnancy and help with the little one. She'd picked up a job as a curator in a museum (I guess her degree paid off, after all), and buying a shoebox apartment for herself and Luke, it seemed she'd found her own corner of paradise in London herself.

Luke and Ava were now the happy couple as well, even though they still wouldn't call themselves any label directly correlated to love. They were happy doing their own thing, and how could we get in the way of that? They had their own beautiful, unique relationship, and as long as they were happy, we were more than happy to let them do their own thing.

"I have the bottle!" Will called, jogging into the living room as Ava and I sat down. Ava nursed the baby in the crook of her arm.

"You wanna feed?" Ava asked, raising an eyebrow at me. Practically since the baby had been born she'd refused to part with it. She loved her as if she were her own, and we couldn't have asked for a better godmother for our daughter.

"I know how much you love feeding her, so go ahead," I replied, waving it away. I was just happy to have a moment of peace and quiet to stretch out by myself.

"Can I get you anything?" Will asked, like the doting dad he was now going to become. "Water? Something to eat? A comfortable pillow? You must be exhausted."

"Babe," I said, laughing and reaching out to caress him reassuringly. "I gave birth. I didn't have triple bypass surgery. I'm fine."

"I know," he replied. "But I just want you to be comfortable. You accomplished something pretty great, you know that? I mean, look at her! She's gorgeous!"

"Aw, you're too kind!" Ava replied, batting her eyelashes prettily.

"I meant the kid," Will replied, rolling his eyes. "But you're beautiful, too, Ava."

"This one's a keeper," Ava told me, winking as she adjusted her position and continued to feed the baby,

"I hope so," I replied as he took a seat beside me and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. He drew me closer and kissed my hairline. "Because we're kinda married and I kinda just had his baby, so..."