Epilogue, two years later

Lucien sucked in a breath of cold air. It was dark. Too dark. He tried to open his eyes only to find them forcibly pressed shut. He felt like something heavy was pressing down on him and it was hard to breathe. He could hear something rustling nearby, but the world was shut out.

"Jean?"

Silence.

"Jean?!"

"Mmm?"

"Why can't I see, Jean?"

She paused for too long a time before responding. Lucien held what little breath he could find.

"Cliffy is sitting on your head."

"What?"

Lucien reached up and removed the offending weight from his pillow and settled the now giggling child on top of his chest. He looked over at Jean, who was reading by the bed stand lamp wearing a tan cardigan against the early morning chill.

"Why didn't you move him?"

"He seemed comfortable," Jean looked smug. "Besides, he muffled the snoring."

"Snoring? He almost muffled my living! And I don't snore." Jean gave him a pointed look.

"What time is it anyway?"

"Half past five."

"Goodness me. How did he get out of his room again?"

Jean huffed and put down her book. "He's your son you tell me."

She scooped up Cliff and leaned over to plant a quick kiss on Lucien's cheek before pulling the mint green bedspread up over his chest.

"You go back to sleep. I'll get him dressed and go start breakfast."

Lucien grunted sleepily in response before rolling over.

A few hours later, Lucien came into the kitchen and cheerfully greeted Jean again. He sat down and perused the morning paper while Jean cut up small bits of egg and bread for Cliff.

"Are you going to start looking for a nanny today?"

Jean turned around and looked thoughtful. "I haven't decided."

Lucien looked up from his paper. "Jean you promised you'd think about it. It's clear we can't expect Cliffy to stay quietly in one place anymore, and you can't mind him during surgery. It would only be a few hours a week."

Jean sighed, "I just don't know. It doesn't seem right."

"Honestly Jean someone else can follow him around the house and watch him pull all the books off the shelves. They really can."

Jean laughed. Lucien leaned over and covered Jean's hand with his.

"Jean, if you really don't want to that's fine. I'll just get an assistant for the surgery."

Jean looked affronted. "That's my job!"

"Well..." Lucien shrugged.

"All right. I'll start making inquiries."

Lucien smiled. "Speaking of surgery what is my schedule like today Mrs. Blake?"

Jean grinned, as she always did when he called her that.

"Nothing until this afternoon I think."

"Excellent. Maybe after the weather warms up I can take Cliffy to the lake. What do you say, old man? Would you like to go to the lake?"

Cliff pounded on his high chair excitedly. "Ducks!"

Jean and Lucien exchanged an impressed look before Lucien smiled, patting the boy on the head before getting up.

"Ducks it is."

Lucien picked up his newspaper and tea cup and headed into his office, pausing to kiss Jean on the cheek as he passed by.