In time, Eleanor Lucy Jordan Wournos grew to be the spitting image of her mother, although that came as no surprise. She was very pleasant, and she just loved hanging out with her godparents, having adventures with them.
That warmed Jordan's heart in particular, especially when she began concentrating more on being able to control her curse. Most people regarded the bartender as a pariah not to be trifled with, but all Eleanor saw in her was a woman as wonderful as her mother who loved to hold her and play with her. Eleanor could not feel anything and was also somehow immune to the Troubles, so she had no idea that Jordan was a woman people avoided.
When Jordan finally did get pregnant and Eleanor figured out what was going on, it was not uncommon when the two of them were together to see one of Elenor's hands plastered to Jordan's big belly. Most people wrote it off as cute because Eleanor didn't have a sibling (yet), but there were times when Jordan thought it was a little strange because it was as if the toddler was being pulled to her.
All that aside, today was different because not only had Eleanor turned a whopping two years old, but it was also the birthday of Jordan's daughter, and she was already four hours old.
"Hello again, beautiful girl." Jordan cooed to her daughter when Dwight eased her back into her arms. "Mama loves you so much. Yes, I do."
The newborn yawned hugely and blinked up at her parents in awe.
In her parents' eyes, she was perfect - warm pinkish skin, deep hazel eyes and head of jet black hair that was beginning to curl slightly. There was even a splash of freckles across the bridge of her nose.
"Audrey, Nathan and Ella are going to be here soon." Dwight commented. "Do you think there's a chance that any of them will notice the baby's Troubles and assure us that it's not all in our heads?"
"That's what I'm hoping for."
As delighted as Jordan and Dwight were to finally meet their daughter, they'd realized very quickly that she was exhibiting signs of Jordan's curse - it was faint, but when they touched her bare skin, they realized that she was generating a wave of pain that would no doubt grow stronger when she got older.
There was also evidence of another curse, but they couldn't put their finger on it just yet.
"Hope has led us on for the past two years, and it always will." Dwight kissed his girlfriend on the forehead, loving that he could touch her now. "Everything will work out."
"My curse manifested when I was five. What if that's what happens with the baby? I'll be able to sympathize with her, but in time, neither of us would be able to touch her! I don't want her to experience what I did!"
"Five years is a long time off yet, and it might never get that strong."
Jordan remained moot. "But she's just going to generate the pulse she has now for the rest of her life. Great."
"And we'll face it head on."
At this, Jordan had no good answer because she knew that Dwight was doing his best to cheer her up. They both knew it was just the post-birth hormones winding her up, so Jordan just let it go and began talking to the baby.
Welcoming the distraction, Dwight took a few deep breaths to steady himself. He loved Jordan Rachel McKee with everything he had, and it had been that way since they were kids. Jordan was his best friend, his soulmate, his rock. Asking her The Question would be hard, but it was now or never. He even had a ring in his pocket.
"Jordan?"
She tore her gaze away from the baby. "Hmm?"
"I love you so much, and there are never going to be enough words to say how much you mean to me."
She started getting teary-eyed because she hadn't been expecting that. "I've never doubted any of that for a minute. Why are you telling me these things?"
"Because I'm not great at speeches and I was trying to think of something wonderful and moving to say before I got to asking you a certain question."
Jordan felt her stomach do a somersault when Dwight pulled a beautiful diamond ring from his pocket and held it out to her.
"Will you marry me?"
Jordan couldn't help herself and giggled as she nodded. "Yes, Dwight, I will!"
With slightly trembling fingers, Dwight slid the ring onto Jordan's left ring finger and then leaned over and kissed his new fiancée square on the lips. They broke apart sooner than they would've liked because they didn't want to accidentally squash the baby.
"How about that, baby princess?" Jordan kissed her daughter on the nose. "Looks like mama and daddy are getting married!"
The little one just cooed contently and stretched out before curling up into the fetal position, still not used to life outside the womb just yet.
Jordan could've stayed like that forever with her, but she was brought back to reality when a knock at the door sounded into the room.
"That'll be the Wournoses." Dwight asked her. "Do you feel decent enough?"
Jordan nodded. She had recovered somewhat from the initial delivery process and as she lay in her bed now, she had her favorite cotton robe from home wrapped around her, and everything that needed to be covered was.
"Just open the door, you big worrywart." She laughed. "Ella is probably going to try to break the door down if you stand there any longer. That kid's hearing and intuition is unreal..."
Dwight laughed and opened the door so the family on the other side through. As Nathan and Audrey undid their own coats, Ella decided that they were going too slow and enlisted Dwight's help to get out of her own snow gear, giggling as her godfather made an extra effort to fluff out the tutu dress she was wearing.
"Me two!" She held up the three fingers. "Two, two, two!"
Dwight humored her by nodding. "That's a very big number, Ella. Is today your birthday?"
"Yep!"
"Do you know who else's birthday it is?"
"No." She answered innocently.
"It's also Ladybug's birthday."
Ella looked around in excitement; Ladybug was the nickname she'd bestowed on the Hendrickson-McKee baby the minute she'd been aware of her.
"Where La'ybug?"
"She's up on the bed with Auntie Jordan. Do you want to see her?"
Nod.
"Okay, but you have to be really good and quiet because she's brand new and very little."
Ella gave another solemn nod, accepting Dwight's terms and letting him lift her up. Audrey and Nathan watched as Ella cozied up to Jordan and then speak softly to the baby.
"Hi-hi, La'ybug! Love you!"
Ella kissed her own fingertips and touched them to the baby's hand. Then a curious thing happened - Ella recoiled in pain. What made the whole thing as curious as it was was that it had been long ago discovered that the little girl didn't have a normal concept of pain, and for a reason that nobody seemed to understand, Ella seemed to be both unfeeling and immune to the Troubles at the time same time. Nobody could figure out exactly why this was, and as far as the adults knew, this was the first time Ella had ever truly experienced pain.
Audrey moved to her side the fastest. "Eleanor, are you okay?"
The two-year-old seemed stunned and then when her father joined them, putting a hand on her shoulder, she almost jumped out of her skin because she hadn't even felt him. Upset, Ella burrowed back into Jordan's side, mumbling a grumpy "Go 'way!" to her parents, both of whom were looking at Jordan and Dwight with surprise.
"What was that?" Nathan asked.
"Really?" Dwight raised his eyebrows. "You can't feel anything, your wife is immune to the Troubles and your daughter has inherited both of your guys' curses, but you're going to ask us what just happened with the kids just now?"
"Fair enough."
"Actually," Audrey said suddenly. "Nathan can only feel Ella and me. Maybe the baby inherited Jordan's curse and Ella can only feel h- sweet girl, what's the matter now?"
Audrey had gotten distracted when she saw that Ella was now struggling to remove her hand from the baby, who had Ella's fingertip clenched tightly in her own fingers.
"Great." Dwight hung his head. "Of course my daughter would be magnetic and have a profound affect on Ella."
The girl in question all but snarled at her parents when they tried to help her out, but she cooperated fully with Jordan and when she was freed, she looked up at her godmother.
"Wha's her name?"
"Audrey Alexandra."
Ella nodded and yawned hugely, as it was nap time, and made a show of snuggling up with Jordan again. Her hand found its way to Little Audrey's back, but minus the magnetic pull this time.
"Love my Ojjie."
"I love her, too." Jordan told Ella. "Are you going to be buddies with her?"
She nodded again, and with one final yawn and stretch, she was out like a light. The baby wasn't too far behind her.
"Okay, I'll take that." Jordan switched her attention from the two now snoozing kids in her arms back to Dwight, Audrey and Nathan. "I think that the kids are bonded for life now, and Audrey?"
"Yes?"
"We named her after you, and also because we love that Audrey means noble strength."
Audrey was deeply touched and held her arms out. "May I hold her? Please?"
"Of course!"
Little Audrey fussed in her sleep when she realized she was being moved, but the second she made contact with her namesake and adjusted to being in her embrace, she simmered right down. She even sank into a deeper, more blissful sleep when Audrey and Nathan started talking quietly to her, moving towards the window and describing the snow-covered landscape to her.
The way that Nathan had an arm wrapped around his wife's waist, almost protectively, caused the wheels in Jordan's brain to turn and make her quiet. Dwight followed his new fiancée's gaze.
"What are you thinking about?"
"How Nathan is holding his wife. Do you think Ella's got a sibling on the way?"
"If she does, I'm sure her parents will tell us in due time, but for now, it looks like Ella needs your attention."
Indeed - the little one had started tossing and turning in her sleep, so without a second thought, Dwight eased Ella's shoes off her feet and then Jordan pulled her on top of her, readjusting the blanket so that Ella was covered. It took a minute, but Ella finally relaxed and slept on.
Jordan glanced down at her engagement ring, remembering it was there. "Should we tell Audrey and Nathan about this?"
Dwight sat next to her, pulling her into his embrace, just as he had two years ago on the night they'd looked after a newborn Ella.
"Let's just let them be for a little bit."
"Sounds good to me."
"Are you happy, Jordan?"
She nodded and rested her head on his chest. "I've never been so happy in my entire life, although - are you happy?"
"One hundred percent, and I know it's taken awhile, but it looks like we finally got the happy ending that both of us have always wanted."
"We really did."
"Now I finally understand what 'happily ever after' means."
"Shhh." Jordan shushed him. "Let's not jinx it."
"Let's just be happy?"
"Exactly."
And so they were, until the end of their days.
Done
Drop a line and let me know what you think, but that's the end of this story, so there won't be anymore updates after this one ;)