Epilogue
Ten years later.
Tobias' POV
"Savanah, honey, what are you doing?" I ask my five year old daughter.
"Milo threw my ball up into the tree house, daddy," she says as she expertly climbs it. When I first saw her climbing a tree when she was three and a half years old I almost had a heart attack watching her. Tris grabbed my hand and told me to relax. I remember I looked at her incredulous as she cradled our newborn son to her chest to calm him down. She told me to let Savanah do it, but stay close in case she would fall. Reluctantly, I did as she asked. I knew that Savanah, being her mother's daughter, would eventually find a way to climb it even without me or Tris there. It was better to make sure she learned how to do it properly and more importantly safely while I watched over her. Thankfully, she didn't fall and is now very good at it. I barely panic anymore. Barely.
"Did not," Milo says right next to me.
"Did to," Savanah replies as she drops her ball to the ground.
"I guess we'll have another soccer player in the family," Tris says as she joins us in our backyard.
"You look beautiful," I tell her and walk to her, embracing her and kissing her softly. We don't want to get too carried away.
"You don't look so bad yourself," she says. "Excited to see all your high school friends again?" she asks teasingly.
My true friends remained my friends over the years, regardless of where we ended up to live. But now that she asked I do feel a little anxious.
I see Zeke often. He started working part time at a real estate agency when we started college and a couple of years ago opened up his own. He is very successful and he has some of the highest ratings in town as well as some awesome reviews in real estate orientated magazines. Shauna decided to study architecture. She was always very smart and creative and is now a junior partner in one of the best firms in the country. Thankfully, she didn't have to move away and six years ago she and Zeke got married. They have a three year old daughter, named Ava and Milo seems to have a crush on her or whatever the toddler equivalent for that is.
Caleb studied medicine and is now a doctor in New York. We don't see my brother in law as often as we liked, but we talk over the phone often or via Skype. He is now engaged and will get married next summer to one of his colleagues.
Uriah moved to San Francisco. He actually followed Marlene who became a literary agent. They had a strange on again off again relationship, but in the end they surprised us when they eloped two years ago and told us over Thanksgiving when Tris and I invited everybody over for dinner.
Lynn became a mountaineer and is now organizing all kinds of expeditions, from simple hiking trips to really rough climbs. She is happy and that's all that matters.
Will and Christina broke up for a while, when she went to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career, but she soon got bored and decided to study interior design. She often works together either with Zeke or Shauna and she loves it. Will, who works at a bank, proposed to her after they rekindled their relationship three years ago. They got married the following year and are now expecting their first child.
Matt and Tori got married eight years ago and moved to Salt Lake City. They stay in touch with us on the phone or via Skype, just like Caleb, but it's not the same. Over the years I really started caring a lot for both of them and I'm happy whenever they come to town. They have twin boys, Mike and Josh, who just turned six last month.
Scott sometimes drops by, usually unannounced. I still hate it sometimes that he hangs with my wife, but I love and trust her and despite his flirtatious way he never once hit on her. Two years ago he got married and now he and his wife expect their first child.
Amar and George finally got married three years ago and adopted a Chinese girl, Lin. She is two years old and both my kids love her. We have to watch them because those three, despite being so young, are already troublemakers.
Rose is a teenager and a real pain for my parents. She started dating when she was fourteen, which dad didn't like. I told him that she is a young lady now but he only said my daughter's name and I shut up. The sole thought of my little girl dating upsets my stomach. Mom has her own difficulties with Rose. They are both stubborn and both very verbal about their opinions. Dad often had to play referee between them or had to call me. Sometimes Rose would come over after a fight she had with mom. Mom was upset at first but I told her better keep her with me, Tris and the kids, than her hanging with some dubious characters we don't know about. Rose is a good kid and mom and dad did a great job teaching her, teaching us both, right from wrong, but as a brother I want her safe; I understand her, I was in her shoes once, but now, that I'm married and have my own kids I get where mom and dad are coming from. They often told me that I'll see what it means to be a parent once I become a dad. I basically started worrying from the moment Tris told me about Savanah. Haven't stopped since.
"Mommy, when we going to grandpa?" Milo, our youngest, asks.
"In a minute. Savanah, come down this instant. Mommy and daddy need to go and grandma and grandpa are waiting for you," Tris says. Savanah immediately climbs down and it still amazes me how natural it comes to her. Like mother, like daughter I guess. Our kids might look more like me on the outside, but they are definitely just like Tris on the inside: brave, adventurous, curious, carefree. I love them, them and their beautiful mother who gave them to me.
The drive to my in laws isn't too long. We found a beautiful house, thanks to Zeke, in a quite area, where the kids can play outside without us worrying too much. It's close to the big city, but it offers us privacy and a lot more security than an apartment ever could.
We drop them off, but unfortunately we can't hang around much, since we have to go to my high school reunion. Mom and dad dropped by to see the kids, since Rose went to a friend's house for a sleepover. Neither of the grandparents can get enough of the youngest members of our family and I'm happy the kids enjoy spending time with them, otherwise I don't think I would ever get any alone time with my wife.
"Nervous, Mrs. Eaton?" I ask Tris.
"Why would I be nervous?" she asks with a chuckle. "It's your reunion not mine. I'm just coming for moral support," she adds.
"No. You're coming so that I can flaunt my beautiful, sexy as hell, smart, funny and loving wife. I always enjoy rubbing it in some schmucks' faces that I got the hottest girl in school."
"You're crazy," she says with a laugh.
"Crazy about you, my love," I say and lift her left hand to my mouth. I kiss her ring finger with her wedding band on it and then place it on my thigh. It often calms me when I can feel her touch. The first few years of our relationship it only turned me on. I often had to stop the car in a parking lot and we ended up making out; or more. But the day Savanah was born I drove us to the hospital and freaked out completely. Tris kept talking to me, but I zoned even her out in my panic. I only snapped out when she put her hand on my thigh and I glanced at her. She smiled at me and I just knew everything would be alright. Not twelve hours later we were parents.
The party is extremely boring; other than for a few people, I wasn't really looking forward to this. But thankfully my friends are all here and more importantly the love of my life is holding my hand tightly in hers. But somehow I can tell she isn't really present. She seems far away. I wonder if she is thinking of climbing again.
It has been years since she climbed. We still go hiking, even with the kids and we even went climbing, but nothing too high. Tris finished her Seven Summits by the time she turned twenty and I'm extremely proud of her, but after the last one she told me she wouldn't go as often anymore. I never told her not to but I was relieved when she decided to stay back home. After that we got married and Savanah came quickly.
It was a surprise. Tris took her pill but she got sick and for a while she had to take some antibiotics. The meds countered the contraceptive effect of the pill and three months later we looked very stunned at the positive pregnancy test. But we couldn't have been happier. Sure it was rough at times, still is, but we manage it. We are both fighters and we live each day we have to the fullest and just enjoy our time together.
My accident ten years ago taught us both to live the moment, because you never know when it'll be your last.
"Didn't I tell you will show me cute pictures of your adorable babies at our high school reunion?" Shauna asks. I laugh. I remember it.
"What can I say? They are adorable," I say with a chuckle as I put my wallet away. "But your little one is a cutie, too. She'll break many hearts," I tell my friends.
"She'll also break some bones. I'll teach her not to let boys come near her," Zeke says serious.
"You will do no such thing," Shauna scolds.
"Babe, my sweet little angel won't date any boy until she's thirty," he says.
"Be realistic, Zeke. She already has admirers. Four's son has his little eye on our Ava," Shauna says and I laugh, but Zeke glares at me.
"I might love the little man, but he better not try to date my daughter," Zeke threatens.
"Zeke, they are practically babies. Calm down," I say still laughing.
"You calm down. What if it were Savanah?" Zeke asks and my laughter immediately subsides.
"Guys, they are kids. None of them can even use the toilet. Will you stop worrying already," Tris says a little exasperated. Okay, something is definitely up with her. We make some small talk and then we dance a little. I always enjoyed dancing with my wife. I hold her close to me and breathe in her scent.
"I'm late," she says.
"What?" I ask her confused but don't let go of her.
"I'm late. I don't know how it happened, but I think I'm pregnant," she says and I stop to move. I still keep her close to me, but I'm unable to move.
"Are you sure?"I ask.
"No. I'm just late. I was so busy these past two months with the kids, them being sick or just meeting up with my agent to talk about the book deal that it just slipped my mind to buy tampons. And when I looked over my grocery list again and saw tampons written down it just dawned on me that I hadn't used them in two months."
"Let's go," I say and pull her towards our table.
"Where?" she asks before we get there.
"Home, but we stop at a drug store first to buy a home pregnancy test," I say. We say goodbye to our friends and promise them to meet up some other time. They just smirk, figuring we want to take advantage of the empty house, which isn't entirely far-fetched.
I drive swiftly, but safely toward the nearest drug store after Tris checked on her phone which one was still open and we both entered it anxiously. Tris grabbed several boxes and also bought some flu medicine for the kids, just in case. She is such a great mom.
The drive home is quiet, but tense. The moment we are at home I unzip her dress and we both walk into our en-suite. She opens all the boxes and prepares herself to pee on the sticks. We aren't really ashamed or anything; besides, we went through this two other times. No matter what, I love her now and forever and if we have another bundle of joy I'm more than happy about it.
The five minutes we are supposed to wait are excruciatingly long. Tris paces around in her black lace lingerie she wore under her dress, while I'm still in my dress pants and white shirt, but I got rid of the tie and unbuttoned the shirt a little. As the clock ticks down I pull my wife into my arms and hold her tightly to me.
"No matter what those tests say, I love you more than anything in the world. But if we have another little mischief on its way that's fine too," I say trying to reassure her. She chuckles and wraps her arms tighter around me. As the timer goes off I let go of her and walk toward the sink where I look over all the sticks.
"And?"
"Well, we have a soccer player and a mountain climber. I wonder what this one will be," I say and turn around. Tris' expression changes from worried to excited and then she lets out a squeal before launching herself in my arms.
"We're having another baby," she says excited. I nod enthusiastically and kiss her passionately.
I carry her into our bedroom and lay her down gently before following her. I crawl up her body, kissing her every now and then until I reach her still flat stomach. I kiss it softly and whisper to my baby how much I already love him or her. I take a moment to admire my beautiful wife. I am so lucky to have her, to have met her and to have fallen in love with her and her with me. The love I feel for her is like a never ending high mountain that I continue to climb for the rest of my days. She is my highest summit.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed the story and will visit my profile for more FourTris stories. Right now Divergent Guardian is a major multi-chapter project, but I'm also working on a new AU story that I hope will be ready soon. Until next time...
Kisses and hugs,
Yours truly,
CloakSeeker.