Always Loved, Never Forgotten - Alternate Version

Epilogue

Well, here we are. It has been two years today since I posted the first chapter of this over on ffnet. 19 years ago today, the world changed. Our lives changed forever. So, please take today to hug your loved extra hard, and remember that tomorrow is not always promised.

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*2 months – February 2002

*Rivers Residence*

"The Birthday"

"It's my birfday! It's my birfday! Iiiiiiittttssssss myyy biiiiirrrrfff... daaaaaaay!"

3-year-old George Michael soon-to-be Rivers dances around his living room while his Mommy and older sisters hang decorations — Batman-themed, of course — and his daddy uses a special air tank to blow up blue and black balloons.

Ellie giggles as her brother runs around in his pullup and nothing else.

This is as close to his "Birthday Suit" as Hanna is allowing him to be, and he is taking advantage of every moment of it.

"It is your birthday, Georgie," Harri says. "How old are you?"

"I'm free years old, Sissy Harri! I am a big boy. Mommy, do I getta go school wif Finn now?"

He asks because after learning how to write his name, and tracing letters and shapes and numbers while with Ezra and Aria during the week, the couple offered to homeschool Georgie, instead of Hanna and Caleb sending him to preschool in August.

"Yes, you do. Daddy and I have spoken with each other, and we decided that you can go to school with Finn. You will even get to learn about the same things he does."

Because Finn is not turning five until August, the two boys would only have about a 6-month difference between their knowledge, maybe less, since Georgie is learning things so quickly.

"Yay! I getta go school wif Finn!" Georgie runs around, cheering.

He then asks to call Aria and Ezra. They let him speak to Finn and soon have two young boys squealing and cheering and yelling,

"We getta go to school together!"

Later, after a snack, and when Hanna and Caleb begin doing the outside decorations for their backyard, Georgie runs over them.

"Daddy, Mommy! Guess what day it is!"

Hanna and Caleb play along.

"Is it Tuesday?" Caleb asks knowing this will confuse the toddler because it is Tuesday but that is not the answer the little boy was wanting.

"No!" George says back immediately before pausing. "Um... wait, what?" and then "Daddy! Dat isn't the right answer!"

Caleb chuckles as he grabs him up and tickles him.

"Happy Birthday, George Michael Almost Rivers," Caleb says hugging him and making him giggle with his new name.

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3 months later – May 2002

*Cavanaugh Residence*

"The Birth*

It's the middle of the night when it happens.

Spencer is up in the bathroom because the baby just won't settle down. She does her business and begins to pull up her pajama pants when a gush of water stops her.