The Crying Bridge

Epilogue

      Del and Evan were sitting on the bed together, not speaking, just sitting. Caleb and Emma, now two and half years old, were finally asleep for the night. Caleb had weaned six weeks ago but Emma had just given up the breast a few days ago, much at Del's insistence. She'd hated to push weaning her but nursing had just become too uncomfortable. Bedtime had been difficult for Emma since her last nursing session and therefore hard for Caleb, too.

Del and Evan had planned on doing something once the kids were both soundly asleep and though the usual twenty minute bedtime routine had taken closer to an hour, they had not been deterred.

Del was marveling at the timing. She'd finished her novel eight months ago and it had been picked up by a literary agent shortly after. It was being published and released in just a few weeks. She shook her head, laughing. It was all so crazy. She and Evan had agreed that the majority of profits from the sale of the book would go towards trust funds for their children to cover college costs and anything they might need and the rest to various charities. Evan had recently taken a part-time position in administration with the youth center in the city, a paid position and even without that, income was not really a concern for them. The alarm on Evan's phone went off and they just looked at each other.

"I don't think I can look," she told him. "You do it."

"You sure?" he asked.

"Yes, you do it. Just tell me."

Evan kissed the top of her head, rose from the bed and went over to the chest of drawers. He picked something up and held it in his hand, looking at it.

"Well?" Del prompted "Evan? What does it say??"

Evan turned, smiling widely. He held it out to her. She took the stick from his hand and looked at the word in the tiny window. Just one word. "Pregnant," she said out loud, looking at the digital home pregnancy test. "Oh my god! I really am pregnant!"

"I told you," Evan said. "I knew it!"

Del had started complaining that it really hurt to breastfeed Emma about a week ago. And she had started peeing every ten minutes. She was thirsty all the time and her period was late, although with the breastfeeding, she hadn't really been regular since becoming pregnant with the twins. "Oh my god," she repeated.

Evan kneeled down front of her, taking her hands in his. "Are you happy about this?"

She nodded slowly. "Yeah," she said. "Yes. Fuck yes!" she squealed with delight. "We're gonna have a baby!"

"Maybe more than one," Evan considered.

Del laughed, "Oh, bite your tongue, Evan Drake." She took his face in her hands and kissed him, lightly at first, but then with more passion. "You realizes this means we don't have to be the least bit careful, right?"

He stood, pulled her up with him and began unbuttoning her blouse. "Oh, I'm one step ahead of you, sweetheart." With that, they undressed each other and took advantage of the fact that the twins were asleep and would be until morning. They made love slowly, feverishly and loudly, with as much passion as ever.

It turned out once was not enough and after a second bout, they snuggled into their favorite position, Del's back agains Evan's chest, his hand resting on her abdomen where their third child was actively growing.

"Who would've thought, three and half years ago, this is where we'd be," Del commented.

"What? Married, you a budding novelist, with two kids, and third on the way and madly in love?" he asked.

"Madly?" she echoed.

"Madly," he said firmly.

She nodded in agreement. "Madly."

                                                                   The End

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