Page 110 of When Forever Falls Apart

She thought she was in labor last week, but it turned out she just needed to poop.”

“I have a strong feeling this time is different. We should probably throw on some clothes,” I suggest, glancing at the clock, the seconds ticking away with a maddening urgency.

“I read somewhere that first-time labor can drag on for twenty-four hours or more,” she tells me, a hint of nonchalance creeping into her tone.

“So, what exactly are you saying?” I ask, a mix of panic and hope swirling within me.

“I’m saying…let’s not be too hasty. Maybe we could crawl back into bed for a bit.”

A grin flickers across my lips as I catch her teasing tone. “I guess another hour won’t hurt.”

I lift Madelina into my arms as she wraps her legs around me. Just as we leave the kitchen, Madelina’s phone rings beside the bedside table. She hops out of my embrace and answers the phone to hear Eva’s shrill scream.

“GET YOUR DAMN CLOTHES ON AND GET HERE RIGHT NOW. BOTH OF YOU!”

The call ends again.

Something tells me this is thereal deal.

“Is this actually happening?” Madelina questions, her voice suddenly panicked.

“I think so.”

“Oh my God!”

We scramble to find clothes we can wear to the hospital. Margaret Anne and Douglas eye us dubiously, reminding usthey haven’t had breakfast yet. We quickly pour their kibble into their bowls, check their water, and then rush out the door with the car keys in hand.

Outside in the cold, Madelina glances over from the passenger side. “You ready to be an uncle?”

A smile graces my lips. “You ready to be an aunt?”

We pause for a moment, taking in the gravity of this life-changing occasion. The world around us fades away, leaving just the two of us, enveloped in shared joy.

“Let’s do this,” Madelina cheers. “Let’s have this baby!”

By the time we reach the hospital, Jeremiah Aston Woods has decided to enter the world.

Nine pounds, eleven ounces, and everything that all of us imagined he would be.

A miracle that just made our family slightly bigger.

As I glance around, watching my sister and Aston dote on their son, I hold Madelina tightly.

One day, and hopefully soon, it’ll be us.

And the truth is, it doesn’t scare me in the slightest.

Everything I want is here, in Cinnamon Springs, the town I so carelessly dismissed when all along…

It washome.

EPILOGUEMadelina

One Year Later

Eva delicately places the floral tiara atop my head as the flowers brush gently against my hair.

The small, round garland is a mix of blush pink cherry blossoms and baby’s breath, picked from the gardens here at the Peppermint Lake house. The intricate piece was handmade by Billie and is precisely what I envisioned for my wedding day, instead of the traditional veil worn by a bride.