Spark in the Dark

Epilogue

"Hey, babe?" She said, getting his attention. "Relax, okay? Everything is going to be fine."

Juice was staring out the kitchen window over the sink, biting his thumbnail, something he rarely did. "I can't relax. I haven't seen her in years. And we didn't exactly get along back then."

"You've talked to your mom a dozen times since we moved in here and everything has been fine. Seeing her shouldn't be any different. Seriously, shouldn't I be the nervous one? Meeting my mother-in-law for the first time."

"You grew up with Tig. He's way scarier."

"See? You have nothing to worry about. Why don't you do something to keep yourself busy? Here. Help me."

"You're icing cupcakes," Juice pointed out.

"So what? You're too manly to put icing on a cupcake?" Shawn laughed.

"I've literally never iced a cupcake in my entire life. They'll look like shit if I do it."

"I'm not doing much better. I'm starting to feel like I should have just bought a cake from the store."

"They looked great. Besides, she's one. Ally's not going to remember what the cupcakes looked like."

Shawn smiled. "I can't believe our baby is one already."

"I know. She got so big compared to the little peanut she was when she was born," Juice agreed. "Speaking of which, have you thought at all about what we talked about a couple weeks ago."

"Yes," Shawn answered with a smirk.

"And?" He asked anxiously.

"And," she started, drawing the word out to make him wait. "I stopped taking my birth control a couple weeks ago."

Juice raised his eyebrows in surprise and smiled broadly. When he had brought up having another baby so soon, she had seemed very unsure. Hearing that she was ready excited him. He rounded the counter to stand behind her and hold onto her hips. "I am so putting a baby in you tonight."

"Only if you help me finish these cupcakes."

Just then, the kids began yelling from the next room. "I better go see what's going on, but you're doing great, babe. Keep up the good work!"

Shawn rolled her eyes as he hurried out of the kitchen. She loved him and she loved that he was such a great father, but at that moment all she wanted to do was throw a cupcake at him. Ally's first birthday party was to start soon and she wanted things to be perfect.

Along with a few friends they had made after the move, Rosita had driven their mother, Maria, to town to attend. Shawn was also excited because Fawn and her boyfriend were flying to come, too. Tig had too much stuff going on with the club, but promised to send something for Ally with Fawn.

Juice came back into the kitchen with Ally in his arms and Thomas in front of him. Thomas had been walking for months and talking here and there, too. He had started calling Juice and Shawn Momma and Dada after Ally said her first words. Abel had been bothered by it at first and tried to correct his little brother, but eventually got used to the idea. It had taken Shawn a little longer to get used to it, though she never corrected the boy. Even if she thought she could never take Tara's place, she wanted to make sure Thomas was happy. Abel was still calling them by their names, but had since dropped the Aunt and Uncle titles on his own. Shawn hoped that meant he was more comfortable with them now.

"Hey, Abel says this is what you told him to wear?" Juice asked.

Shawn looked away to see Abel wearing a pair of shorts, rain boots, and a blanket as a cape. The sight made her laugh out loud.