Bitter Sweet

Epilogue

"By Fall, for sure," Stephanie sat at her desk with her laptop in front of her as the grainy screen showed her sister looking back at her. "Well, I think, it all depends if they accept Julio's request."

Ashley rolled her eyes. "Can't you come without him?"

"You crazy? No way."

Ashley laughed. "How are you liking Japan?"

"It's great!" Stephanie replied as her eyes lit up. "Tokyo is so out of this world! You would like it here."

"Sure, give me some money and I'll come visit you. I wish you could have been there for my graduation." Ashely added quietly.

Stephanie nodded weakly. Ashley graduated from high school in May and she had missed it. "I'll come see you before you go off to college, though."

"You're coming to Phoenix?"

"Sure, I love Phoenix," she replied with genuine glee. The anger she felt towards the city that ate her alive once, disappeared when she saw Tokyo had so much more to offer.

"How's business going?" Ashley asked referring to the dessert shop she worked at, it sold very unique desserts, it challenged her creativity every day and she loved it.

"Great! Even though my condition won't allow me to do much."

"You're not that bad."

"I'm not?" Stephanie pushed her chair away and held her bump. "I'm seven months in, and I feel like I'm gonna pop."

Ashley laughed. "I still can't believe you got pregnant so quickly."

"Well," Stephanie replied as she got back in front of her laptop. "We weren't exactly avoiding it."

"Avoid what?" asked Julio appearing in the doorway after a long shower.

"This," Stephanie replied holding her belly.

"Why would we want to avoid that?" he knelt behind her wrapping his arms around her and kissed her neck making her giggle.

"Hello?"

"Oh hi, Ashley, I didn't see you there," he said holding his laugh.

"Hi. Well, I gotta go get ready for school. Do you want to talk to mom?"

"Not really."

Ashley gave her a look. "Come on, you're not still angry with her, are you? It's been months."

"Ashley, the only reason why we are even getting along is that I'm halfway across the world."

Julio stepped away and pretended to do something in the kitchen, but Stephanie could tell he was still listening.

"Okay, fine. I'll talk to you later, then?"

"Sure thing." Stephanie shut her laptop and turned her chair towards her husband. "What?"

Julio shrugged. "It's not good to hold on to grudges for so long. Especially not for Junior."

"His name is Jonathan."

Julio returned to kneel before her. "You'll try to get along with her when we get to Arizona in October, won't you?"

Stephanie looked at him puzzled. "What do you mean when we go to Arizona? Did they accept your request?"

Julio nodded.

Stephanie let out a loud shriek as she jumped into his arms making him fall on the floor and pulling her down with him. Stephanie laughed as he cringed, she must weigh a ton, she realized. She kissed him taking in the smell of his aftershave.

"No offense, but I can't breathe," he said when she pulled away. Stephanie laughed as she pushed herself to the side suddenly out of breath. Julio sat up. "Are you alright?"

She took a deep breath. "Yeah, he's just excited, I think." She held her belly when her eyes widened. "He's kicking." She grabbed his hand and held it against her bump before the baby stopped moving.

Julio watched her deep in thought and smiled. He had felt him kicking plenty times before, Stephanie knew he liked to kick, but every single time, Julio was enchanted by it. Stephanie smiled, what a wonderful little family they were going to make.