Wronged

Epilogue

QOC: Are you going to read Can I Have Your Attention Please?

•••
- Anna's POV -
(Six years later)

"Happy birthday to youuuu!" Everyone sings in unison as Mason blows out six candles on the ginormous ice cream cake.

"And solo for me!" I turn around and see Nico standing on a stool, wobbling a little right next to the counter where we all surround Mason.

Nico holds both arms out and then bellows, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! TODAY YOU TURN SIIIIII-IIX! BUT YOU LOOK FIFTY-TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO—"

His disturbing and cracky voice is suddenly cut off when Mason stands on the counter, a huge chunk of cake on his hand, shoving it into Nico's screeching mouth. Mason laughs loudly as Nico stares at nothing, completely bewildered.

Everyone that we'd invited to the party laughed along too, and I had to stifle laughter through the palm of my hand. At the sound of me snickering, Mason looks at me, crooked teeth visible through an amused smile. He holds his arms out for me and bends his knees a little, gesturing for me to hold him.

I do as he's asking and step forward once to scoop him into my arms. He's still as light as a feather, but that may be because I go to the gym four times a week and run three times a week. He goes to the gym with me sometimes, trying to figure out how to use the equipment and all. Actually, he weighs just perfectly for his age, so he's not hard to lift.

I notice people beginning to dig into the cake as Nico wipes the deliciousness from his face with the help of his wife (who is a month more pregnant than I am). Hayley laughs when he licks above his upper lip, trying to get the frosting underneath his nose. Then she swipes some off of his chin and scrubs it along his forehead. I swear I see the word "Simba" leave her lips before they tumble into a fit of childish laughter. I chuckle a little to myself.

Mason wraps his arms around me and lays his jet black-haired head on my right shoulder, playing with my hair that cascades down my back. I smile and kiss the top of his head.

He doesn't talk much, but you can tell that he's intelligent. We put him in pre-school when he was five, and the teachers and principal told us that he was definitely above average. They suspected that he could skip three grades right now, but Aiden and I decided that, as his legal parents, we should wait until he's a bit older before he skips. We'll allow him to just after fourth grade. That way he'll be in ninth grade and can ride out the entire high school experience even though he's really young. For now, he's just doing advanced-level work in the grade he's supposed to be in.

I just took his brain as a sign that maybe this boy really was supposed to be my son. Aiden and I's son. He would inherit it from me. I glance at my stomach. I know our little growing girl in there would be just as smart too.

Suddenly I hear Mason gasp in my ear. He grins and pulls away, looking at something behind me.

"Lily!" He exclaims, wiggling out of my arms to run over to the thirteen-year-old girl. She opens up her arms and bends down to reach his height, eyes lighting up.

"Hey, Mase!" She says. "How ya doing?"

"Good. I'm six now," He says happily.

She smiles. "I know. Do you feel older?"

He shrugs. "Not really."