Accept Me As I Am

Epilogue

Two years later

Jaylin sat and watched Shanelle get their one year old daughter Jaziah dressed for her big brothers fifth birthday party. As Jaylin smiled and made silly faces at her he couldn't help but thank God for gifting him with such a beautiful family. When Shanelle smiled over at him it took everything in him not to say to hell with everything and just be with his wife and children. All he wanted to do was hold her in his arms and profess his love for her over and over again. It was their wedding anniversary after all. Just thinking about their anniversary had Jaylin thinking back to almost two years before to their wedding day, a day that he would always remember.

Shanelle paced around her hotel suite in her underwear and slippers wringing her hands. As she began to freak out, Gia followed her every move rolling her eyes and more than ready to throw something at her.

"Shanelle, will you please sit down! I promise it's not that serious," she snapped. Shanelle stopped long enough to glare at Gia before she started her pacing once again.

Nicole grinned over at Gia before she looked down at her watch. "Time's almost up, sis," she said to Shanelle.

Jai and Christy were placing bets and snickering and grinning in a corner while Gabrielle was just sitting around watching everything in amusement when there was a knock at the door.
Gabrielle got up to open it. When she opened the door, Debra was there smiling as big as day.

Debra and Gabrielle embraced before Gabrielle stepped aside to let her in.

"Where is Shanelle?" Debra asked.

"Freaking out," Gabrielle replied grinning.

Debra frowned at her daughter and went in search of her Shanelle. As soon as she walked into the little waiting area of the room she saw Shanelle pacing back and forth.

"Sweetheart, what's the matter? Are you nervous? If you are, don't be. Jaylin lo-"

"Ma, that's not it. Shan might be pregnant. Can you believe that?" Gia asked.

Debra rolled her eyes. "Shut up Gia," Debra replied as she dismissed Gia completely. "That's great news, sweetie. When do you find out?" Debra asked as she hugged Shanelle.

"Now," Nicole replied, getting up from the couch she was sitting on and walked into the bathroom and picked up the home pregnancy test. When she walked out, everyone was sitting around with expectant looks on their faces. "Well. You're, uh-"

"Well what?" Gabrielle asked impatiently.

Shanelle's face said everything that she couldn't. "I'm not pregnant am I?" she asked, as her face fell with disappointment.

Nicole looked around the room at all of her friends as a slow smile spread across her face. "You're pregnant!" she yelled happily.

A look of total shock filled Shanelle's face as she plopped down on the nearest seat, completely speechless. She never thought she would have been able to give birth to her own child, a child that she desperately wanted to conceive with the man she was about to marry. Every time she'd go to a specialist, they'd tell her the same thing, she was unable to have children. When she'd started having pregnancy symptoms, she refused to acknowledge them. She just knew it was going to be another let down. She couldn't bear to be told that she wasn't pregnant again. She especially didn't want to get Jaylin's hopes up only for them to come crashing back down. Luckily Christy knew otherwise and bought her the pregnancy test from the gift shop. If Christy hadn't she would still be writing her symptoms off a just pre-wedding jitters.