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EXTENDED EPILOGUE

FAITH

Five Years Later

T hank God Ford and I work at the same place because it makes ‘ bring your child to work day’ much easier when you have twins. The plan was we’d each take one girl and then switch at lunchtime, but we really should’ve known better. The girls know they can cause chaos way better when they’re together, and they have no plans of being separated.

“Felicity, please stop drawing on your sister with pink highlighter!” I shake my head at my daughter even though I can’t contain my smile. My daughter looks up at me with bright blue eyes and a pout on her pink lips.

“What about the green one?” she asks sassily, picking up a green highlighter and aiming it at her sister’s arm.

“I know exactly where she got her sass from,” Ford pipes up as he walks in with two coffees, holding one out for me. I laugh, rolling my eyes at him.

“If she’s got my sass, Freya got your stubbornness,” I say, watching as our other daughter demands her sister draw a green butterfly on her hand instead of the flower she started.

“Always knew your kids would be mini forces to reckon with,” our coworker says, grinning widely at our children as they play. “They’re such a mix of the two of you!”

“They keep us on our toes.” Ford laughs, watching as Felicity pretends to take a phone call. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Me neither,” I agree.

“I’ll call you back in five minutes!” Felicity declares to the pretend caller as Freya grabs my keyboard and pretends to type.

“What are you working on, Freya?” I ask, curious and thoroughly enjoying watching them make a mess out of my desk.

“I’m emailing Finance!” she declares, making Ford, me, and everyone else in earshot burst into fits of laughter.

“Daddy, I want to email her back!” Felicity shouts out, hopping up from my desk chair and rushing over to leap into her daddy’s arms. Both our girls have Ford wrapped around their little fingers, just like I do, and watching him be a father is truly the most amazing thing.

I was shocked when, five years ago, we discovered we were expecting not one but two baby girls. But, with Ford by my side, I knew we’d manage every challenge that could come our way. We threw ourselves into renovating the spare room into their nursery, and Ford was so hands-on, researching and learning all he could, and so excited to be a dad. He’s truly everything I could ever wish for in a husband, though even seven years later, I still love to wind him up just as much as ever.

I take a sip of coffee, leaning into Ford’s side as one of my team members, an older lady named Claire, offers the girls cupcakes and gives them a jigsaw puzzle she brought in for the kids. Claire is like the mom of our team and has grandkids around the girls’ age, and I trust her implicitly to watch over them as she sets up the jigsaw and the girls get frosting all over their faces.

“God help their coworkers when they’re older,” I joke to Ford as we take a minute to enjoy our hot coffees, thanks to Claire. “They’re gonna run their offices.”

Ford grins, kissing the top of my head. “Maybe they’ll meet their matches there, too,” he suggests. “Someone who can handle all their sass, just like how you found me.”

I elbow him playfully. “Depends if their head of Finance knows how to set decent budgets,” I tease back, laughing when he tickles my side in retaliation.

As I stand there, my husband’s arm wrapped around me and the sound of our daughters’ laughter echoing through the office, I can’t help but be grateful for the version of me all those years ago who mis-sent that text.

Because there’s nowhere else I’d rather be and nobody else I’d rather be here with.

The End

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