Living with the Karters

Epilogue

"Baby," he says, shaking me awake softly and kissing my forehead and caressing my face.

I groan and sit up slowly. I will never get tierd of him doing that. Nor will I ever get tierd of waking up next to him every morning. I pull him into a kiss, both of my hands on his cheeks to embrace it.

I'm wrapping my legs around his waist, when the baby monitor screams. He laughs and pulls back. "Tabitha's up."

I groan and laugh, walking up to her room with him right on my heel. As I pick her up, I'm only thinking one thing... "Thank you, God for giving her his eyes."

"You know what today is, don't you?" I coo at Tabby, staring into her blue-grey eyes, just like her dads. I smile and kiss her toothy smile. I had her in my last year of college. It was the hardest thing ever... Rasing a baby, handling a relationship and studying and schooling. But we did it together.

Today, everyone is getting together. Its something we do once a year. A family reunion, you might call it.

Ever since the big C took Hannah away from us, we've needed something to keep us all together, like Hannah did.

After dressing Tabby and myself, we wait for everyone to arrive. This year it's at our house. As usual, Sammie's the first one to arrive. Her and Isaac walk through the door.

I never would have thought they'd still be together. Sammie found out a month ago that she couldn't get pregnant, so we moved the reunion closer. It's hard to talk to her all the way in the UK. That's right. Sammie and Isaac love it out there. Mostly because they lived in the Karter's house when everyone moved out and it was hard for them to be in there because it reminded them of Hannah.

"Sammie," I smile at her and hand Tabby to my husband of 2 years today. I hug her. It's been almost 5 months since I've seen or talked to her.

"Jazzy," she smiles at me and half hugs me back. She's been going through a lot lately... Her smiles and hugs have been only half hearted. And the only thing that makes that better for her is Isaac.

After talking about her doctor's visit about the baby, Cameron comes in with a todler in his arm, smiling. "Aunt Jazzy," she squeals.

Trust me when I say NO ONE saw this coming. Not even me... Well, actually... ESPECIALLY me. He got a girl pregnant in his second year of college... and kept it even though the girl didn't want her. So Cameron dropped out and raised her.. Doing college online.

I take Melissa from Cameron and kiss her face, smiling. She laughs, just like Cameron. Throws her head back and crinkles her nose.

Tristan and Adrian next along with the girlfriends, Frankie and Kaytlyn. Look, if you didn't see this coming then you probably won't see that the guy I've been married to for 2 years is Jeremiah.

I take Tabby back from him as I walk over to Frankie and Tristan. They are honestly the cutest couple ever. After he 'cheated' on me, Tristan started hanging out with Frankie. They match each other so well. Compliment each other even better.

Adrian and Kaytlyn as well. They're both so quiet and, as I learned later, artists. It was Frankie and Tristan's medaling that got them together.

Derek took Hannah's death the worst and moved to Asia to get away from all of it. And also because of a job offer.

Mitch, my darling 'little brother', is always the last to show up with Mercy. Mercy has turned into the complete opposite of who we thought she was going to be. She's doing terrible in school and is getting into a whole bunch of trouble... So Mitch took her in. She's getting better and better everyday.

Jared has gone into a state of depression since Hannah died. we haven't talked to him since.

As for me, well, I went to college for journalism. Jeremiah and I never broke up. We went to the same college. We compromised, because we both knew that we were dead without each other.

We all sit in the living room after I put Tabby and Melissa down for a nap. "So how have you been?" I ask Sammie, my hand on her knee. She shrugs and Isaac squeezes her hand.

it takes me back 8 years, when I was 16. Jeremiah and I were in his car and Melissa was flirting with him and he just squeezed my hand. I start getting emotional. I don't know if because of the pregnancy or because its when I really fell in love with him.

The whole rest of the night goes by in jokes and I even see Sammie smile once. I missed this. All of us.

Everyone leaves and its just me and Jeremiah, because Tabby is sleeping over with Melissa. I lay with Jeremiah in our bed.

My head on his cheast and our fingers intertwined. He's caressing my face with his other hand because he knows I love it.

"Jere," I say softly, breaking the silence.

"Yes?" he breathes into my ear, causing me to smile and him to smile back.

I say something next that I haven't said in 6 years. "Will you sing to me?"

I can tell by the look on his face that he's surprised by my question. I laugh and kiss him softly. "You don't have to," I say against his lips.

He hasn't sang in years, so I don't know how good he'll be or if he'll suck. The one thing I do know? I miss it.

He always sang me to sleep before college. During and after he didn't though. He interupts my thought with his voice. It's amazing and so much better than before.

The best part is... he sings the song he first sang me to sleep with. " When I look into your eyes, It's like watching the night sky or a beautiful sunrise, there's so much they hold. And just like them old stars I see that you've come so far to be right where you are. How old is your soul?" he smiles at me and continues, " I won't give up on us even if the skies get rough. I'm giving you all my love, I'm still looking up."

"I'm so in love with you," I say softly, and sleeply. He laughs quietly.

"I know. And I'm so in love with you. Or else I wouldn't have married you," he laughs and I kiss him once more before he goes down and kisses my belly.

"And I love you too, Jesse," he talks to the baby boy in my tummy. I laugh and pull him up to me.

"You make me so happy," I tell him.

"Ditto," he jokes, kissing me. I am the LUCKIEST girl on earth.