Letters Back Home

Epilogue

"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" I woke to the shouting and bouncing of Evangeline on my bed. I slowly stirred away as she jumped on my bed shouting my name. Getting a smirk on my face I quickly grabbed her feet and she came crashing down right beside me. We both laughed at how shocked she was.
"I'm assuming you know what day it is?" I asked her as she curled up beside me. I looked into her eyes and she smiled back at me. I missed Nick but hope wasn't gone. They had stopped the search after a year and I remember crying but still not giving up.
"Yes!" She shouted, laughing as I played with her hair. I twirled my finger through it making curls and tracing my thumb against her hairline. It was soothing, I loved being able to just feel how gorgeous she was.
"Well then.." I said pausing for more suspense. "I suppose we should get the birthday girl some breakfast?" I asked and quickly began tickling her as she squirmed underneath me, laughing. She was ticklish everywhere which was odd because Nick wasn't ticklish and neither was I, but Evangeline could be poked and she would curl into a ball of laughter instantly.
"Okay mommy, okay!" She stuttered out in between laughs. I slowly eased up and rose from the bed. I began my walk to the kitchen and she ran in before me.
"Pancakes! Eggs! Bacon!" She yelled, clapping her hands together and jumping up and down.
"Alright sweetheart." I said laughing more as I opened the refrigerator door. I grabbed a carton of eggs and the bacon from inside and laid them on the counter. I then grabbed 2 bowls and mixed the eggs in one, setting the other one to the side.
"What else do you want to do today baby girl?" I asked as I looked over at her sitting at the table.
"Hmm." She thought and scrunched up her mouth to the side. Something Nick did whenever he thought. "A party!!" She shouted as she jumped out of her chair.
I laughed again, she always got so excited about things, clapping her hands and bouncing everywhere. She was growing up so fast.
"Alright, so we'll have to decorate then and go get a cake!" I chuckled, now I was getting just as excited. My baby girl would be 3 today. Man how the time flies.
"Yay!!" She shouted then ran into her room. I continued to cook, now almost done as I set out the plates. She came back downstairs in a backwards t-shirt and shorts.
"Oh honey, good job, I'll help you after breakfast." I beamed a smile at her as she ran back to the table and sat down in one of the chairs. I brought a plate over that held a Minnie Mouse pancake and she beamed a smile up at me.
"Thanks." She said as I poured her a glass of orange juice.
"You're welcome." I smiled and took the seat across from her. "Alright so we need a cake. What kind of party did you want to have?" Her quizzical expression made me remember she was only 3 and wasn't an adult. She was so smart for her age, sometimes it was hard to believe she was only 3. "There's princess? Disney? What do you think?" I asked as she bit into a piece of bacon.
"Hmm." The thinking expression coming back into play. "Disney." She laughed. "With Frozen and Olaf!" She smiled and I was excited even more about the birthday. This should be easy.
~*~
After breakfast we went shopping for the cake and decorations, later we came home, had lunch and began setting up for the party. I moved the table out to the back yard and put a Frozen table cloth over it. Evangeline then brought out the bowls and I smiled at her attempt.
"Thanks baby girl." I smiled and set the bowls on the table. I went in to grab the chips when I heard the doorbell ring.
"Hold on." I told her as I went to open the door.
"Hi Johanne come on in." I smiled as I opened the door to Nick's mom. She hasn't been taking the news to Nick being missing very well.
"Hello dear." She put on a sad smile but that became replaced almost instantly as Evangeline came around the corner.
"Grandma!!" Evangeline shouted as she saw Johanne.
"Oh hi sweetheart!" She smiled as she pulled her up into a hug. She then held her and looked into her eyes. "My you are getting big." She smiled as Evangeline laughed. "You look so much like your father." She smiled and a little tear escaped her eye. Evangeline nodded her head and smiled.
"Yep." She replied and I laughed at her cute bluntness. Evangeline knew exactly what Nick looked like because I raised her with his pictures. Whenever she asked where he was I didn't lie, I told her he was fighting for us and he got lost. She asks how and I just shake my head, I don't know. But every time, I reassure her that he will come home. He hasn't died, I would feel it if he did, he is apart of me.
She then set down Evangeline and she smiled. "Happy birthday darling." She told Evangeline. Evangeline then ran off to play and I led Johanne into the kitchen.
"How are you sweetheart?" She asked sympathetically as I poured chips into bowls and grabbed juices for kids.
"Good. You know this party definitely helps take your mind off of things." I smiled up at her as I cut up some hot dogs for pigs in the blanket.
"Good. Glad to hear it." She smiled sadly at me and I saw a tear roll down her cheek. I wiped my hands on my apron and embraced her in a hug. I began to pull away when there was another knock on the door.
"Just a second." I shouted back as Johanne wiped her tears away. I opened the door to Jesse and Katy and their one year old little girl Macie.
"Hey you guys." I said to them as I knelt beside Macie. "Hey little girl." I smiled at her as she clutched onto Katy's fingers to walk.
I smiled then lifted back up to their height. "Come on in, there are chairs in the back." I smiled and gave them each a hug as they came through the door.
"Where should I put this?" Jesse asked as he showed a box wrapped with a bow.
"Oh um." I chuckled. "You can go ahead and put it on my bed." And he nodded, smiling as he made his way over to the bed.
"How are you?" I asked Katy as she walked behind Macie. She smiled back at me and nodded.
"Doing better, Macie is learning how to walk and she's almost got it completely down. In the house she holds on the things and today she was brave enough to let go of the sofa a bit to walk to the other side of the room." She beamed up at me.
"That's wonderful!" I smiled back at her and made my way back to the kitchen. I began cutting the hot dogs and rolling them into the dough. Evangeline was now entertaining Macie by the sound of her laughs and I could hear everyone else talking outside.
"I'm just coming in girl." I heard Summer shout into the house. I peaked around the corner and smiled as I saw Adilynn walking in beside her.
"Alright." I smiled. "Hey Adi! How are you?" I asked her as she smiled up at me.
"Aunt Sammy!" She laughed and ran to give me a hug. I dropped the pigs in a blanket I was rolling and wiped my hands on my apron before picking her up.
"Hey." I laughed as she smiled away from our hug.
"Hi." I then put her back down.
"Evangeline is in the back with Macie." I smiled down at her as her expression lit up.
"Okay!" She then ran to the backyard and I could hear Evangeline shout when Adilynn came through.
Summer and I both laughed and smiled at each other. "Kids." She said and I began rolling again. I chuckled to myself and nodded.
"Need any help?" She asked as I put the food into the oven.
"Not anymore," I began standing up. "Actually." I began once I stood. "Would you mind keeping an eye on those, I still have to change." I smiled at her and she nodded her head.
"Of course."
"Great, thanks." I then untied my apron and hung it in the kitchen. I made my way to the bedroom and moved the presents out of the way. I grabbed the one I had in my closet along with wrapping paper and bows. I quickly wrapped the LeapPad I had gotten Evangeline for her birthday and set it down on the bed beside the other presents.
I walked back out and remembered I had forgotten to change. I quickly walked back into the room and grabbed a pair of nice fitting pants and a casual t-shirt. Pulling my hair back into a bun, I made my way back into the kitchen. I pulled out the food and brought it all outside on plates, setting it down on the table.
I then found a seat and relaxed. We watched as the kids played around the yard and we adults chatted amongst ourselves. I looked back into the crowd of kids and couldn't find Evangeline. I panicked a little but just politely excused myself from the group. I walked inside to find the door open.
I saw a black car pulling away from the curb and brought my hands to my mouth.
"Daddy!" Evangeline yelled and ran into the arms of a familiar man.
"Oh my god!" I whispered to myself. I saw Evangeline being spun around and around until finally being set down. Our eyes met and she ran back to me.
"Hey there Sammy." He smiled at me.
I ran to him and he caught me and twirled me around once. His embrace warming me at the touch and my tears falling onto his uniform.
"Nicky." I whispered then he set me down to were our foreheads touched.
"It's me baby doll." He touched my face with his hand and caressed my cheek. "I'm home." I smiled and he kissed me passionately, I didn't want this moment to end but then I heard yelling from behind us.
"Nicholas?!" I heard Johanne yell from the doorway. I saw tears running down her face and I moved away so she could hug him too. He hugged her tightly and they separated slightly as she wept on his uniform.
"It's me mom." He chuckled and held her tightly.
When they separated he grabbed my hand and Evangeline ran in before us to play again. We sat in the chairs after everyone had a greeting again.
~*~
"She is so beautiful." He whispered as I laid in his lap on the couch. She slept in a sleeping bag on the floor with her friends.
"Yes she is." I smiled and he traced my hairline like I did this morning with Evangeline.
"I missed you both so much." He mumbled and he held me tighter in his arms.
"I missed you too." I smiled and we both watched Evangeline sleep. Our baby girl, until eventually we both slept too.