Chapter 81 Epilogue

Chapter 81 Epilogue
Three Years Later

The laughter coming from the pool was loud enough to be heard from inside the house.

I smile brightly as I step onto the patio, a cold drink in my hand.

For once, nobody is calling me mummy.

Nobody needs me to find a missing toy, settle an argument, or answer one of the endless questions that comes with having a five-year-old.

For this weekend, I am simply Victoria.

And I can't remember the last time I felt this relaxed.

“Finally!” Hailey calls from the pool. “We thought you were never coming back.”

I laugh as I settle into the chair beside Hailey.

“I was helping Lisa.”

“You've been gone for twenty minutes,” Mo says.

“And?”

Mo lifts her sunglasses.

“You've been married too long. You've forgotten how to have fun.”

I shake my head and laugh.

“I know how to have fun.”

“Prove it,” Hailey challenges.

Around me, the girls are enjoying their summer getaway while our mothers are inside getting massages. Our husbands stayed behind with the children, giving us a much-needed weekend away.

And for two whole nights, I don’t have to worry about anything. So I decide to make the best of it and lean back and close my eyes.

…………..

The following morning, I wake to sunlight streaming through the curtains. The bed next to mine is empty.

“Where's Mo?” I ask while walking downstairs.

Lisa looks up from her phone.

“She went to the bathroom.”

A few minutes later, the door opens.

Mo steps out, looking pale, and I immediately sit up.

“Mo? Are you okay?”

Mo hesitates.

“I think I drank too much last night,” she says, going for the stairs and I follow her.

I frown at that because Mo knows how to handle her liquor.

Once we reach the bedroom, Mo locks us in and pulls something from the pocket of her robe.

A pregnancy test.

I stare at it.

“No way.”

Mo nods.

“I think I'm pregnant.”

My eyes widen looking at the positive test.

“You think?”

“I took two tests.”

“And?”

“Both positive.”

For a moment, nobody spoke.

“Did you tell him?”

Mo shakes her head and sits down.

“You're the first person to know and please don't mention it.”

I nod.

“I don't know if I'm ready.”

“What if he doesn't want it? I mean we haven't discussed kids.”

I smile softly.

“I know he wants kids– the man loves you, but the question is, do you want kids?”

Mo laughs through her tears.

“You know I always said I'm not sure, but the first thing I imagined when I saw the test was little Liam running around our house,” Mo says, wiping tears.

“Were you scared?”

“Terrified.” I tell her.

“That makes me feel better.”

“It should.”

We both laugh as I hug her.

“You're not alone, Mo. And I know Liam will be thrilled to hear that soon his wife will be swelling with his baby.” 

“He's going to make me go crazy,” she says through tears and laughter.

………….

Tonight, we are gathered outside for our final dinner.

The sun is setting, casting a warm glow over the sky. Our table is filled with all different kinds of food, prepared by our mothers.

Just after eating, Layla stands.

“Before we go home tomorrow, I want to say something.”

Everyone turns toward her.

Lisa smiles.

“Mom…”

“Let me have my moment.”

Everyone laughs.

“I was thinking today about how quickly life passes. One moment you're raising your children, and the next, you're watching them build lives of their own.”

Her eyes move toward Lisa and Mo.

“I've watched my children grow into people I'm proud of. I've watched them fall in love, make mistakes, and find their own paths.”

Her smile fades slightly.

“And I've also learned that life doesn't always give us the endings we want.”

The laughter disappears.

I feel the familiar ache in my chest and hold Mo's hand.

“Losing Lily taught me something I never wanted to learn.”

Lisa reaches for her mother's hand.

“Life is fragile. And sometimes, we don't get enough time with the people we love.”

I lower my gaze.

“But I've also learned that grief and happiness can exist in the same heart.”

Layla's voice softens.

“You can miss someone and still laugh. You can remember the past and still look forward to tomorrow. And you can love someone who isn't here anymore without stopping yourself from loving the people who are.”

My eyes fill with tears at her words.

“You girls have been my rock all these years. I learned to embrace life because of you. I may have lost one daughter, but I gained three more and now Lisa has sisters in all of you.”

“You forgot to mention that I'm her sister in love before in law,” Mo says and this makes us all laugh.

Layla looks around the table.

“So I hope you live. Really live.”

She smiles.

“Laugh loudly. Love deeply. Make memories. Chase your dreams. Have babies.”

Everyone laughs softly.

The laughter breaks some of the heaviness.

Layla smiles, and the girls and I stand to hug her.

Mum raises her glass.

“To the people we've loved, the people we still have, and everything still waiting for us.”

Everyone raises their glasses.

“To life.”

……………

The weekend ends too quickly.

By Sunday evening, I am back home.

I have barely opened the door when Lexi comes running toward me.

“Mummy!”

I drop my bag and catch my daughter.

“I missed you!”

“I missed you too.”

“How much?”

“A lot.”

I kiss her cheek.

“Did you behave for Daddy?”

Lexi nods.

“Daddy gave me ice cream.”

I look toward Hayden.

“You gave her ice cream?”

“She asked nicely,” he defends himself and I shake my head.

“She always asks nicely when she wants something.”

Hayden laughs and pulls me into his arms.

“I missed you.”

I rest my head against his chest.

“I missed you too.”

Later at night, after Lexi has gone to bed, Hayden and I sit together outside, and I tell him about the weekend.

“Mo's pregnant?”

“Oopsie! I wasn't supposed to tell you.”

“I should've known you would tell Hade the moment you got home,” s voice behind me says.

“I'm sorry, Mo. What are you doing here?”

“We switched phones, so we brought it back.”

“Oh! Didn't realise.”

Liam comes in shortly after, and the smile on his face says Mo already told him.

They look at each other for a while and just as I'm about to ask them what's wrong, Mo takes some dollars from her pocket and gives them to Liam.

“Do I want to know?” Hayden asks.

“Mo and I made a bet that Tori will tell you before the end of this night about the pregnancy,” Liam answers.

“What? And you lost, to Liam of all people?” I accuse Mo, bewildered.

“I thought sisters were before men, but turns out I'm wrong,” she says, shrugging her shoulders and we laugh.

As I laugh, I realise that life is not perfect, but I'm thankful for my family—family by blood and my chosen family. 

My family.

My friends.

My world.

The End.