After the Business Trip

Epilogue

A/N:  Here is the final chapter.  It is also short, but I hope you enjoy it.  

Ae POV

I finish setting up the baby monitor next to the crib and I step back. Not much longer and our son will be here with us.

I glance around the room and I smile. This is finally happening. We are starting a family. It has taken longer than what I had originally thought, but slower is better than none.

Pete walks in the room. "I can't believe that it is finally happening. Our son will be here soon."

"I know. We had a bumpy road, but we are finally here. I'm so glad that your mother was able to find a surrogate after our adoption fell through."

Pete comes over to me and wraps his arms around my waist with a frown on his face. "Don't remind me. I got all excited and then the mother changed her mind. I was so devastated."

I wrap my arm around his shoulders and kiss his cheek. "Me too, but there is no way that that can happen this time. You are the biological father, and I can't wait to see our son."

Pete nods his head. "Oh, did mother tell you that she has already found another surrogate and we can use your DNA this time. Then our family will be perfect."

"Mom didn't say anything to me yet. Did she already go ahead with our second child?"

Pete lays his head on my shoulder and hums, "Yes, but she doesn't know if it worked yet. We should find out in a few weeks. Oh, have you seen anything about your parents?"

"No. Why are you bringing them up now? It is only ruining my happy mood."

Pete chuckles. "I don't mean to ruin your mood, but my mother had sent me an article about them. It appears that after losing everything five years ago that they have started up another company. I don't know who is helping them, but they clearly have someone investing to get the company to the point that it is now."

I shake my head. After what they did and not even apologizing to me about it, I don't care if they establish 10 companies. I'm not going to include them in my life. They made their decision and they have to live with the rest of their lives with the outcome of that decision.

I would have thought about trying settle things and try to rebuild our relationship, but they took it too far. They wanted me to apologize for ruining their plans and they even demanded that Pete's family provide the money to save their company. Well, I wasn't going to allow them to treat Pete or his family like that. Pete's mother wasn't going to allow it either. She made it very clear that my parents were self-centered and bad parents. They should have never put their company and money ahead of my wellbeing.

She not only verbally scolded them, but she also financially thought them a lesson. It was only at that point that my parents realized exactly who Pete's mother was, but it was too late. They had already secured their own demise. Pete's mother effectively blacklisted them, and no companies would work with them. Not even their friends' companies because Pete's family has more powerful.

I couldn't help but to laugh to myself. They got what they deserved.

I mumble, "Well, their company is their baby, and they can't let their baby down."

Ring....ring.....ring...

Pete releases his hold on me and pulls his phone out of his pocket. His eyebrows perk up when he sees who is calling. "Hello."

I watch him as a smile pops onto to his face and he shouts, "We will be there soon!"

As soon as he ends the call, I ask, "What happened?"

He bounces with excitement and chimes, "It is time."

I ask, "Time?"

Pete's smile spreads from ear to ear. "Yes. It is time for our son to be born."

WHAT! OUR SON!!

He grabs my arm and pulls me out of the room. "They are at the hospital right now and they don't think it will be long before our son is born. We have to leave right now."

I break into a full sprint and run through the house with Pete at my side. I want to get there as soon as possible. I want to be one of the first things that our son sees, and I want to hold him. I already plan on making a promise to him to always put him first and never money or a business. I have made the same promise to myself, but I want to tell him the promise too.

***

I look down at the little bundle of joy in my arms. I can't believe that he is finally here. Our son is finally here. It has been a month since we brought him home from the hospital and I still can't believe that he is finally here.

Each day, I marvel at how cute and adorable he is. If I could, I think I would hold him all day long. However, Pete won't allow me. He says that I'm spoiling our son and that I will regret it later. How could I regret it?

With a smile on his face, Pete sits down next to me on the couch. "Ae, you are spoiling him again. He will get used to you holding him all the time and what is he going to be like when we go back to work. We only took two months off to be with him to help him settle in, but we both have jobs to return to."

I sigh. "I know, but I want to cherish this time as best as I can."

Pete slides up next to me and wraps his arm around my shoulders. "What are you going to do when our next child is born? Are you going to hold two babies all the time?"

"Maybe."

Pete gently caresses our son's cheek. "Well, you better figure it out soon. Mother called me this afternoon and told me that the second surrogate was successful. We will be having another child in about eight months."

I turned my head towards Pete. "Really?"

"Yes. I'm hoping for a girl this time."

Oh, I don't care if it is a girl or a boy. I just want a healthy baby to add onto our family. I lean towards Pete and kiss his cheek. "I don't care. I'm happy with either or boy or girl, but I think we better get the ready for the new addition."

Pete nods. "Mother is already shopping for new baby furniture. Oh, she also said that she has narrowed down the pool of candidates for the nanny position. We have to hire someone soon so they can get familiar with everything before we go back to work. They can also help us setup the room for our next child."

"Will your mother be helping with the interview process. I really don't know what to ask, since this is our first child."

Pete nods. "Yes. Mother has even said that if we don't find a suitable candidate that she will be over everyday to be the nanny. However, I remind her that she has a company to run too."

I raise an eyebrow. "Maybe this is her subtle hint to you to take over the company so she can stay home with the kids. You know that she has been wanting you to take your position there. She has made it quite clear that she doesn't want to work the rest of her life. I think she even mentioned something about taking a vacation."

Pete sighs. "I know. I have actually thinking about it. It is getting harder and harder for my current employer to actually look at me as Pete and not the heir of huge conglomerate. Maybe it is time."

I smile. "You know that I'll support you no matter what, but the decision is up to you. The only thing that I ask you to think about is what is best for our family."

Pete smiles and leans towards me. He cups my cheeks with his hands and kisses me. With his face only inches in front of me, he chimes, "I love you, Ae."

I smile back. "I love you, too."

Posted November 7, 2019