"I could've lost my little brother today," Cory said as he walked out of the hospital, hand-in-hand with Topanga.
"I know," she replied, looking him in the eye. "But I think he's going to be fine. Josh knows that we all love him, and we want him to get better."
Cory nodded his agreement. "But I can't stop thinking about all we would've missed out on if he didn't make it. We wouldn't get to see him grow up and become best friends with a kid like Shawn, or watch him fall in love with a girl like you." He kissed her. "Well, he probably won't find anyone like you, because there is no one like you, Topanga."
Topanga laughed. She knew he was still thinking of her back then. Her little twelve-year-old self had been strange. "I'm not that little girl anymore, and I can't make all your problems go away."
"I know," Cory said with a sigh. "It's just that back then, we had so many people around to protect us from all the bad stuff. I had my mom and dad. And Eric. And of course Mr. Feeny next door. Now we're grown-ups. It's funny, I used to think grown-ups had all the answers. But they didn't. They were just doing the best they could."
"Yeah, they were. But your parents did a great job. Josh is going to be a lucky kid."
"I know. I've got the best parents. All of us turned out OK, I guess. Even Eric." He shrugged.
"It seems like times like this make a family grow closer. I'm glad Shawn knows where he belongs now." Their friend had gone through a rough time, but seeing little Josh seemed to have confirmed for him what was important.
Cory smiled. Being here without Shawn had been strange. It felt like part of him was missing. "Me, too. I think we're all a little more grateful now."
They walked on a bit more in silence. They were heading to their car to go back home, but neither was in any hurry. Then Cory spoke again. "I wonder what it'll be like for Josh, growing up. Wonder if he'll go to John Adams and see the places where we kissed. I wonder if Feeny will be there to teach him. He probably will, because he can't die until he's finished teaching all the Matthews kids."
"Cory, nothing's a guarantee. Remember Shawn's dad?" Chet Hunter had died suddenly of a heart attack not too long ago. His passing had stirred up a lot of emotions for both Shawn and Jack, but especially for Shawn.
"You're right," Cory said. He stopped once again to kiss her. "Whether Feeny's there to teach him or not, he'll still be just fine. Because he'll always someone around to help him whenever he's got a problem."
"Who's that?" Topanga asked, looking at him quizzically.
"Me. I'm gonna be his big brother, Topanga. I get to be the one to give advice. It'll be good practice for me, you know." He grinned at her. He and Topanga weren't married yet, but he had made it clear that he was anxious for their honeymoon to begin. He'd waited all his life to love Topanga.
Topanga put her arms around his neck, kissing him for a long moment. "You're going to be a great dad someday, Cory."
"You're going to be a great mom, too," Cory said as the kiss ended. "Who else is going to teach our children about being true to their inner selves?"
Topanga sighed, realizing once again the level of comfort she and Cory had. One of the benefits of being together for so long was that they knew each other inside and out, having seen each other through all sorts of challenges over the years. She remembered that moment in the hospital, when she'd put lipstick on her face, recreating an interpretive dance she'd shown him years ago. "I've been this way for so long, but you brought me back to who I used to be. I had forgotten how to be that little girl. But I think it's important, because even though we can't stay in the past, we can't let it go, either. We're about to start our lives together. But we've already built ourselves a strong foundation. So that no matter what happens to us in the future, we'll be OK. I used to talk all the time about what I wanted to do when I grew up. But now that that time is almost here, it's sort of scary."
Cory nodded. "I know what you mean. I'm gonna level with you, Topanga. I don't think my plan to play for the Phillies is going to work out." He grinned, remembering his childhood dream.
Topanga smiled back at him. "The future is a scary thing. We've been protected here for so long, and soon we have to go out into the world. But every time I look at you, I feel a little less afraid. Because when I look in your eyes, I see you as a little boy, and I remember our foundation."
"I like that," Cory said, nodding. "And don't forget Josh. We have to make sure he has a good foundation, too."
Topanga turned around. She could barely see the window of the NICU, where he remained, fighting for his life. She knew that Amy and Alan Matthews had been there for hours, and they would stay there until the doctors said that little Josh was ready to go home. "I think he's already got one," she said with a smile. She grabbed his hand, taking a moment to kiss his fingers. "Let's go home," she said.
The End