Half a Man at Best (Sequel to VALERIE)

EPILOGUE [Part One]

~READ A/N at the end~

Copyright © zylgnagnaba 2014

 

“Lucy? I thought you’d like Darcy?” Gemma looks up at me with her brows raised. Her arm is clasped around mine while her free hand hooks to the glass sill of the nursery.

“Yes, honey. What about Darcy?” Mom, who overhears our conversation, seconds without even straying her eyes away from the image of our baby on her crib. There are about fifteen babies inside the nursery but even without the label ‘Baby Styles’, I could easily identify who’s Lucy among them.

Robin and her have been cooing and making faces to entertain my daughter as if she could already recognize them as her grandparents. I shake my head, smiling to myself because of their silliness.

I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that we are finally a family. But thinking back to the times when we have been through so varied hardships and struggles, I know that we deserve this pure bliss, especially Valerie.

She always deserved to be happy. And I am glad that she’s able to share that happiness with me.

“Darcy should’ve been the name of our first baby, so it’s taken.” I tell them and Gemma, along with Mom and Robin, finally looks at me somewhat in awe but I shrug it off and continue to speak. “Valerie said that Lucy means light. She’s the light of our life.” I stare at my daughter through the glass and I feel a tear roll down my cheek so I wipe it away quickly. “We have been through so much, Valerie and I. Lucy will always be a sweet reminder that we made it through the dark. She shone the light upon us and gave us direction. Lucy is everything to us.”

I watch Mom pull away from my step-dad and proceed towards me, opening her arms to give me a hug with a smile that can only be regarded with pride and affection.

“I am so proud of you, sweetie.” She says over my shoulder as I wrap my arm around her waist. I bury my face on her shoulder as well, basking in the scent of her cologne that always comforted me. I know I am a father now but I still rely on her. You could only have one mother in the whole world – except Valerie.

Speaking of which…

“Anne, Harry!” Vivienne, Valerie’s adoptive mom, proceeds towards us with her heels clicking on the tiles, Malcolm following her from behind. I can’t believe the way the silly grin that’s etched on her face. I have only seen her so excited and jolly on the wedding. But come to think of it, she has always been fun to have around – pretty much like my wife, her daughter, Valerie.

“Oh hi, Viv.” Mom immediately turns around after pulling back from me to greet the beautiful lady with a warm hug. My mom and Valerie’s mom get along really well, much like they’re sisters. I remember the way they have prepared our church wedding. It seemed like they had telepathic minds. It was scary how they almost thought of the same things exactly.

To our pleasure, everything went well, thanks to them.

“Harry…” She breathes, giving me a one-handed hug before pulling away to hold hands with my mom. I watch them come closer to the glass and ogle at my daughter. Just like that, they are already trapped in their own world.

I hear them talk about where the baby got her eyes, her nose, lips. Gemma and I share a look as we apparently heard the same thing. She only scoffs it off, but I only shake my head at the two middle-aged women.

“Hey son, how are you?” I have to bend down a little as Malcolm reaches out for a man-hug. He taps my shoulder after that and gives me a grateful smile before he shoves his hands in his pockets.