𝐦𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐡𝐥𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐢 ; 𝐚 𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐮𝐥𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲

• epilogue •

8 years later
Danielle

The wind rushed around me sending my hair into a frenzy as I sipped my hot coffee. The scene before me was so serene that I never got used to waking up to it. The waves crashing against the shore, washing the sand away..

"Momma!" A shrill scream from inside cut into my peaceful moment. Sighing, I opened the patio door walking inside my home.

"What's wrong, Macy?" I called out to my five year old, sitting my coffee mug on the counter.

Her beautiful, tear-streaked face appeared from around the corner. She had her thumb in her mouth and her little chest was heaving.

"Marion won't let me in her bedroom." My daughter cried, as I tucked some of her brown fly-aways behind her ear.

"Marion is just getting big, baby. Sometimes she wants to play by herself." I picked her up and sat her on the edge of the kitchen table.

"But I wanna play wif her." Her bottom lip poked out as more tears welled up in her eyes.

"Mommy will play with you, but I bet she'll want to play with us when we tell her we're going to the beach." I smiled, rubbing my thumb across her red cheek.

Skeet and I had Macy three years after Marion was born. I was in labor for 18 hours before she finally graced us with her presence on November 25th. Skeet was so great and he didn't flinch a bit when I fractured his hand from squeezing it too hard. For the first month of Macy's life he had a cast on, but he still managed to be super helpful.

"Is daddy gonna be home soon?" Macy asked, her face lighting up at the thought of him coming home.

"He sure is, his plane just landed so he'll be home anytime now." I smiled, lifting her up into my arms. "Now, let's go get Marion."

I ran up the stairs as fast I could making Macy giggle and squeal as she held tight to my neck.

"Marion, we're going to go take a walk on the beach. Get some shoes and your jacket because it's a little chilly still." I said, opening my oldest daughter's bedroom door.

She quickly threw all her dolls in her toy bin and grabbed her jacket.

"When's Skeet gonna be home?" She asked, following us outside.

"I was just telling your sissy that he should be home any minute." I smiled, excited to see him.

"Good, he promised to help me fly my kite as soon as he got home." She jumped excitedly making me chuckle.

Skeet had been gone for a month, working on a new project in Florida. We had missed him like crazy and couldn't wait for him to be home.

"Mommy, can I invite daddy to my party?" Marion asked, picking up a seashell from the sand.

"I already did. He's going to be arriving tomorrow. He'll pick you up and you can spend the morning together before your birthday party." I answered, dipping my toes in the cold ocean water.

Jacob and I were able to put aside our differences and do a pretty good job of co-parenting Marion. She lived with us, but he was allowed to come see her whenever he wanted. He has learned to be okay with Skeet, and I even had to accept his new wife. It took some adjusting but we got through it.

"Marion, come feel how cold the water is!" Macy yelled, splashing in the waves.

I got comfortable, laying down on a towel on the sand, and propping my head up on my hand so I could watch the girls play. I laughed as they chased each other around with seaweed that they claimed was "gross". But right before Marion caught Macy they both stopped as my youngest daughter yelled.