Blended Family

Epilogue - Lin

Six Months Later

Alex cackled, her face getting red as I held her upside down by her ankles. Her long, dark hair swept the floor as I swung her back and forth. I grinned as I toyed with her and her now two-year-old brother laughed from nearby.

"Me next! Me next!" he begged, jumping up and down.

I swung Alex up and landed her on the couch on her back. I told Jack to lay down and he did, already laughing. I picked the little guy up by his ankles and jiggled him around like I'd done with his sister. Alex began jumping on the couch, laughing along. These two really wore me out, but I loved them to death.

And now, they were officially ours. Pippa and I had adopted them formally, making them Alex and Jack Miranda. It made no difference to them. They'd been living with us almost a year now and nothing had changed. They were barely aware of their last names. The kids just knew they were loved and taken care of.

"Alex, come put away your toys," Pippa called from the kitchen, where she had a basket of laundry to add to the washer. Alex took a big jump off the couch, landing in a crouched position, and ran over to a pile of toys she'd been playing with. She knew that before she went to visit her grandparents we left things neat. All her toys were put away and her bed was made.

I plopped Jack down on the couch and he begged for more, but I told him I needed a break. "Are their bags all ready?" I asked my now fiance.

She smiled up at me as she shoved a load of whites into the washer. "Yep," she told me. "Oh! Actually, I forgot their toothbrushes."

I wandered down the hallway to the kids' bathroom and plucked the two little brushes out of the holder. I found their overnight bags and tucked them in safely. Pippa closed the washer door as I walked over. She was multitasking too much. My hands on her hips stilled her and she paused. She grinned at me, knowing I was trying to slow her down.

"Relax," I told her, giving her a kiss. "The world won't end if chores aren't done."

She let her arms drape around my shoulders as I rubbed at her hips. Despite my botched attempt at a proposal six months ago, she had said yes on my second try last month. After the kids had gone to bed one night, I asked her up to our building's roof where I had some stringed lantern lights set up with a thick blanket laying. We laid down and star-gazed on a clear night. It was still New York City with tons of light pollution, but it was one of the best views we'd ever gotten.

We'd spotted the Big Dipper together, then Orion's Belt when I gently grabbed her left hand and silently slipped the ring on. She gasped and then her eyes flew to mine. I don't remember what I said because I was so nervous. Beforehand, I'd asked Jasmine and Renee if they thought she was ready now for marriage. I'd gotten the green light from them to try again. She told me a tearful yes this time, and then we made out like teenagers.

As we were kissing in the kitchen, the doorbell rang and Alex ran for it. She opened it with some effort and squealed, "Grandma! Grandpa!"

The two older adults beamed and Alex was swept up by her grandfather. Soon she was getting hugs and kisses like crazy and Jack ran over.

"You ready for our weekend?" Jennifer asked her two grandchildren.

"Uh-huh," Alex said from her arms.

Luckily, we'd managed to settle with their grandparents out of court. After we'd had Alex evaluated by a professional she deemed that it would be harmful to her well-being to be carted back and forth at this point. They dropped the custody petition and we were able to sit down civilly together. We'd decided on them spending one weekend a month and most of the summer with them upstate. It gave us a nice break and they remained connected to their grandparents.

Pippa and I walked over so we could give the kids a hug and a kiss goodbye. We handed over their bags and soon they were out the door. It was always so quiet after they'd left. Pippa sighed and I pulled her into a hug, letting my head rest on top of hers. Seeing them go was always a little hard.

"They'll be back in a couple days," I reminded her gently.

"I know," she said. "But I miss them already."

"Me too," I agreed, then pulled back to give her a kiss. We let our noses nuzzle together then Pippa leaned in for more kisses. Soon, we were kissing deeply.

"Uggghh! Get a room!" Elliott complained with a playfulness. We both chuckled and pulled apart as Elliott went to the fridge. Pippa grabbed a magazine on the counter and swatted him on the butt.

"Watch it, mister," she gave him a mock warning look. He just laughed and found a soda, then popped it open. "Any plans tonight?"

He took a sip and nodded. "Joey and I are going to the movies with some friends," he reported. Elliott was now a senior and Joey was a sophomore. They were, once again, dating. As a father, I couldn't be happier with my daughter's choice for a boyfriend. Elliott was sweet and attentive. Joey had assured me he wasn't pressuring her into anything. We still had the open door rule.

Joey had spent the summer in Chicago with her mother where they'd begun to repair their relationship. Clarita had been able to admit to herself that she was a bit jealous of Pippa's relationship with Joey. She was learning to put this aside and be thankful that her daughter had a future stepmother she was close to. Joey was learning to be patient with her mother and to communicate with her more often.

My daughter walked out in jeans and a nice blouse, ready for the movie. She also went to the fridge and reached for a soda. As she reached I noticed some darkness on her inner wrist. I narrowed my eyes and tried to catch a better glimpse.

"What is that?" I asked her. She turned and I gestured to her wrist. Joey held it up and turned her wrist to show me.

"Henna," she told me. "Relax, Dad. Jeez, you think I'd get a tattoo at fifteen?"

I let out a breath of relief. I'd like to think she wouldn't, but kids did stupid things sometimes.

"I'd hope not," I chuckled, pulling her to me for a hug. I wrapped my arms around her too tightly and she started to protest. "You had me going for second."

"Daaaaad!" she wriggled out of my grasp and popped the top of her soda can. The two teenagers went to the couch to sip their sodas until it was time for their movie. I busied myself with a couple emails at the table while Pippa talked on the phone. A few minutes later, Joey got up with the two empty cans and took them towards the recycling bin under the sink. I stood up and walked over.

"Hey," I said to my daughter gently. She looked at me, waiting for me to continue. Instead, I pulled her in for a real hug. Joey had sprouted up an inch and a half over the summer and was now up to my nose. She was becoming the spitting image of her mother. Joey relaxed into my hug, squeezing me back as I rocked her back and forth gently.

"Dad, what's wrong?" she asked me. I pulled back and cradled her head in my hands.

"Nothing," I told her softly. "I'm just proud of you."

She crinkled her eyebrows, hating when I was sappy. "I know, Dad," her voice had a hint of annoyance. If my kid got annoyed that I told her I was proud of her too much, I was okay with that.

I kissed her forehead. "Good. Now go have fun with Elliott and your friends, squirt."

She rolled her eyes as she went to the door to find her shoes. Elliott worked his feet into his well-worn sneakers and Joey grabbed her purse.

"Be back by eleven!" Pippa reminded our teenagers. They both mumbled and okay and they were gone. Pippa stepped beside me, draping her arm around my waist and we both sighed. Silence. Peace. In a house of six people, it didn't happen very often.

I turned to face my fiance, resting my fingers under hers. With my thumb, I pushed her ring around on her finger a little as she looked down. She smiled and we looked up at each other, silently communicating how excited we were about our new life together. Two teenagers. Two toddlers. Two adults. I was one lucky guy.