Epilogue: 2 Years Later, Part I
"You've reached Sam Winchester, leave your name and number and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks, bye."
"Hey, Sam, it's me. Listen, man, I know this is kind of out of the blue and everything… but Lisa and the kids and I are having a pretty good spread over here on Christmas day and we'd love to have you over. Haven't seen you in a while and… well, yeah. Let me know."
The fitted red sweater she'd chosen for the event showed off her newly acquired baby bump in just the right way. A giddy future mom, Ryan ran her hand over her bulging belly as often as she could, hoping for any kicks or twitches. They hadn't felt the first kick yet, but the doctor had told them that it would be any day now. Christmas day marked the end of her eighteenth week, and the glow of pregnancy was radiating off of her. She was completely beautiful in her sweater and maternity jeans, but it wasn't just the pregnancy that was brightening her skin and softening her hazel eyes. It was love. She was in deep, desperate love with a good, kindhearted man. She was happy.
And that was an emotion she thought she'd never feel again.
Her fingers laced tightly with Sam's as they walked up the steps of Dean's front porch. Ten years ago, if she had seen this scene, she would have laughed at the backwardness of it. Never in a million years would she have predicted herself to be holding hands with Sam Winchester while she walked up to Dean Winchester's front door, awaiting his wife to greet them. Yeah, she definitely would have laughed.
But the thing was, at that moment, on that cold, rainy Christmas day in Indiana, she was okay with the situation. The security and warmth that she felt holding Sam's hand embodied everything that she loved about him. From the moment Dean had shattered her into a million pieces, Sam had been carefully and quietly piecing her back together. As she fought the torrential battle against her own broken heart, Sam was holding her up, pushing her to get through each day and slowly opening her eyes to the idea that Dean wasn't the only man in the world that would ever love her.
Sam glanced at her, a smile full of admiration spread on his lips. He rang the door bell, completely comfortable with the fact that Dean and Ryan were about to see each other for the first time since they'd separated for good. He had faith in the relationship that he had with Ryan, and he knew her well enough to know that she would never put herself in a position to be hurt the way Dean had hurt her before. Honestly, they both knew she wouldn't be able to survive something like that again.
As they both expected, Lisa opened the door. Her hair was shorter, cut to her shoulders and framing her face. It suited her, considering she was now a mother of two that drove a minivan and went to PTA meetings. Ryan and Sam both smiled as she took in the sight of them. Holding hands, baby bump, everything. Sam hadn't told Dean that Ryan was coming. Sam hadn't told Dean that he and Ryan were together. Sam hadn't told Dean that Ryan was pregnant. "Sam… Ryan… wow! Come in, come in, get out of the cold!" The puzzled expression that contorted her face had been washed away with a smile as she ushered them into the house, the same house that they'd killed multiple djinns in nearly two years before.
"Lisa, your home is beautiful," Ryan complimented as she shrugged off her jacket and handed it to Lisa, who was taking Sam's as well.
"Well, thank you. Believe me, this is the cleanest its been in months. A sixteen year old, a two year old and Dean Winchester don't exactly allow this place to be spic and span very often," she said with a laugh, obviously nervous and hesitant of the fact that her husband's long-term ex-girlfriend was standing in her home.
As if on cue, Dean walked out of the kitchen and into the foyer. He was in jeans and a polo, looking like the epitome of a soccer dad. Well, a soccer dad whose goofy grin twisted into the same face of confusion as soon as he laid eyes on them.
"Whoa…" he muttered under his breath.
Ryan just smiled, her grip on Sam's hand tightening. Dean's expression changed as his eyes shifted over the scene, the hands, the baby bump, the pregnancy glow…
The look of disbelief on his face was making everybody uncomfortable, but there weren't exactly words that could be said to break the ice. Sam had thrown him in with the sharks on this one by not telling him ahead of time, and now they were all paying the price with an extremely awkward moment.
"Are you two…?" His pointer finger danced between them, and then he motioned with his hand to his belly, signifying the bulge that was pressing against her red sweater.
"Yes. We're together. And we're having a baby," Ryan replied, leaning into Sam with a grin.
"Huh…" Dean huffed, licking his bottom lip.
"Isn't that nice, Dean? Sam and Ryan are having a baby!" Lisa urged, obviously trying to break through whatever thoughts were going through Dean's head. He turned to look at her and stared blankly for a few seconds, but then caught on, as if he'd been in a daze and had just been woken up.
"What? Oh, right. Yeah, very nice. I'm very happy for the two of you," he said, and plastered an obviously fake grin onto his face.
"I'm just gonna go… check on the turkey…" he trailed off as he walked back into the kitchen, keeping his eyes glued on the two them until he turned the corner.
Although Lisa was obviously concerned for the state of her husband, she turned to Ryan and Sam and smiled. "Can I get you two a drink?" "Yes," they replied simultaneously.