Untaken Twin – Bonus Epilogue
Cooper – Nine years later
“I don’t think it’s much further,” I say, looking down at the trail map as I walk. I put the map away when I almost face-plant after tripping over a stone. “Just up that way and around those trees.”
Our nine-year-old twins scurry past me.
“Race you to the top, Lib!” Gracie yells.
My blood pressure spikes as I go to run behind them. Cody holds out a hand. “I’ve got them, Dad. Don’t worry.”
Serenity and I share a look. Cody’s always been careful. Adventurous like me, but not reckless in the least. At twenty-five years old, he’s living his best life, flying planes for one of the largest commercial airlines in the country. And damn if he wasn’t right about becoming the youngest captain. I look ahead at my three children knowing how blessed I am. It’s a thought I never would have had twenty years ago. Yet here I am, hiking with my beautiful wife, our amazing twins, and Cody—the best damn gift Chaz ever gave me.
Cody’s girlfriend, Claire, hangs back and walks with Ren and me. “He really does love his sisters,” she says. “He can’t talk about them enough.”
“Cody has always been a great help with them,” Ren says. “He’s going to make a great father one day.”
Claire’s cheeks flame and she chews on the nail of her thumb.
Serenity puts a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
We turn a corner to see the three of them standing at the summit, Cody tall between the girls as he takes a selfie. He waves Claire over. “Get in here.”
She trots to the trio and slips in between Cody and Gracie.
“Dad,” Cody says, holding his phone out to me then nudging the twins away. “Would you mind taking a picture of just the two of us? Actually, make it a video.”
I start filming and Libby photobombs, running in front of them while making a silly face.
Cody doesn’t scold her. He’s always been the nicest, most protective big brother to both of them. He pulls her aside and whispers something in her ear that has her face all but splitting in two. She squeals and runs to her sister, always sharing secrets with her twin before anyone else. I look to the sky, reminded of two little boys who also did the same thing.
Grace and Libby can barely contain themselves.
“Dad, start another one?” Cody asks, gesturing to his phone in my hand.
Ren comes up by my side, looking like she’s in on the same secret although nobody has whispered anything to her.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
She shrugs innocently and nods to the phone. I point it at Cody and Claire. Cody shoots me that goofy grin everyone seems to think we share, then he turns to Claire and drops to a knee.
Grace and Libby clap. Serenity grabs my arm and murmurs, “I knew it!” Claire smiles as if she knew this was coming. Still, she steeples her hands in front of her mouth, clearly caught up in the moment.
Cody looks up at her and reaches into his pocket. “I’m going to need that hand, otherwise, where will this thing go?” He holds up a ring.
Tears roll down Claire’s cheeks. My wife silently cries happy tears at my side.
“I’ll never forget the day you got assigned to my flight crew,” Cody says. “I saw you and knew right then that someday I’d be asking you to be my wife. We’ve had some great adventures, you and I, and we’re about to go on another one. That is if you’ll have me.”
Claire nods over and over. “Yes.”
He stands, slips the ring on her finger, and kisses her. Then he turns to us and swipes his hand across his forehead. “Phew,” he says. “Because I was really hoping the baby would bear my last name.” He touches Claire’s belly as they both wear shit-eating grins.
My jaw drops. I look at Ren, wondering if I heard him correctly. She’s speechless, her eyes wide and watery, so I know I did.
“What’s happening?” Gracie asks Cody. “Are you getting married?”
“Yeah, squirt, we are. And also, Claire is having a baby. You and Libby are going to be aunts.”
Grace and Libby grab each other and jump for joy, yelping and squealing.
Cody and Claire walk over. “Don’t worry,” Claire says. “This isn’t a shotgun wedding. We’ve been talking about getting engaged for years. We just didn’t know the right time.” She rubs her flat stomach. “This was a pretty good sign that time had come.”
Ren wraps Claire in a hug. “Welcome to the family.”
Libby and Grace shower the couple with questions. Will it be a boy or girl? Can they babysit? When is the baby coming? What will they name him or her?
It’s the last question that has Cody turning our way. “Claire and I have discussed it, and if it’s a boy, we’d like to name him Chaz.” He looks directly at Serenity. “Assuming that’s okay with you. Because if it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be here, you wouldn’t have given me this amazing life, and you may not have even gotten married which means the twins would have never been born. They way I see it, we kind of owe all this to him.” He waves his hand around. “Us getting engaged up here serves more than one purpose. Reaching the summit of any mountain has always been a bitter-sweet moment in this family. I wanted us to have a new memory of a new start.” He walks up next to Ren. “What do you think, Mama?”
She swallows hard and nods. “I think it would be a fitting tribute.”
He smiles. “It’s settled then.”
“What if it’s a girl?” I ask.
Cody shrugs. “We were thinking Chastity, or Chas for short.”
While the twins continue to bombard them with questions, I pull my wife aside. “Are you really okay with this?”
She looks out over the horizon. “I am. Cody is right.” She threads her arm around my elbow. “We’ve had an amazing life. One I couldn’t have imagined after Chaz died. Yet here we are, a family, on a perfect day, with a perfect proposal, in the most perfect place.” A tear trails down her cheek. “You did all of this, Cooper. It was your brave decision to accept Cody as your son, and then to love him as your own even when he turned out not to be. And you stuck by me even after years of infertility. Even when the treatments turned me into a raging bitch.”
“I made you a promise,” I say. “One I swore not to break.”
“You did. And I love you for it.” She shakes her head. “Oh my god, we’re going to be grandparents. I’m only forty-six, Coop. I’m not sure I’m ready.”
I take her hands in mine. “Sweetheart, you’re going to be the hottest grandma on the entire planet.”
She gazes into my eyes. “And you’re going to be the most handsome grandpa.”
I lean down to kiss her. After all these years, her kisses still blow my mind. They are exactly like her. Generous. Passionate. Nurturing. Serenity is not only my wife. She’s my very best friend. My most favorite person in the world. My unwavering rock.
The moment overcomes me, and I get down on a knee. “Marry me. Again.” My voice cracks with the emotion of twenty years of loving the most incredible woman I’ve ever known. “We have a pretty big anniversary coming up. Let’s renew our vows. Let me show you what a difference you make in my life every day. How your love made me whole again.”
She sinks down next to me and cups my face in her hands. “Yes. I’d marry you again every single day if I could.” She turns to the kids. “But I don’t want to steal anyone’s thunder.”
Cody is the one videotaping now. His smile is a mile wide. And his sisters faces are equally as bright. Claire is crying happy tears. I think it’s safe to say no thunder has been stolen.
I kiss my wife on the forehead. “Looks like we have two weddings to plan, Mrs. Calloway.”
* * *
I hope you enjoyed Cooper and Serenity’s story. To continue the Calloway Creek journey, you’ll want to read Hawk and Addison’s story, No Small Bet (the first of the McQuaid Brothers series). It’s a grumpy single dad romance you won’t want to miss!
