A/N: The long-awaited epilogue. It doesn't have a title because I couldn't think of one good enough. Enjoy!

Epilogue

Nicholas Foster

Grace hasn't stopped bouncing all day. I swear that girl's entire body is made of nothing but pent-up energy. Though where she stores it all is beyond me; she's such a tiny thing.

Currently, she's bouncing (literally) across the living room, practically singing about getting to go see Summer and meeting Jacob's grandmother and Kaitlyn. I can't get upset with her though; I'm looking forward to it just as much as she is.

I never thought I'd ever get a second chance with Jacob. Though even after I'd decided he was gone forever, I never let go of that tiny little bubble of hope that he might be out there somewhere, searching for me, or at the very least happy and safe. There's no way I'm going to let my daughter's overly excited manner get to me.

We haven't seen Jacob since last week when he came for supper and brought Summer with him. Grace was of course enchanted immediately. After some pleading and whining, she convinced him to let her hold the baby, though I could see how difficult it was for him to allow it. She sat perfectly still on the sofa, an overstuffed pillow propping up each of her little arms, and Jacob carefully set Summer in them, his hands hovering protectively the entire time.

It's still weird to think that I'm a grandfather. Clara's been teasing me about it. So far I've been a good sport about it, but I've decided that if she does it again I'm going to remind her that technically she's a grandmother now too. It would certainly take that smug smile off her face.

Actually, I don't even care. Clara can tease me all she likes. The fact of the matter is that I couldn't have dreamed of a better grandchild. She's … perfect. She never seems to cry, and she's very content with anyone holding her; she doesn't seem overly dismayed when Jacob hands her off to someone else. And to top it all off, she certainly is a pretty little girl.

Over supper last week, Jacob told us everything there was to know about his friend Kaitlyn, and Grace immediately declared she wanted to meet her. He just grinned and promised her he'd get right on that. Then yesterday he called – which I found a little odd, remembering how Anna had never even seen a telephone before we started dating, but I didn't say anything – inviting all of us to dinner at Diana's.

It's sort of strange though, knowing I'll be seeing her again for the first time in fourteen years. She was always the kind of mother I would have loved having growing up. She always seemed like so much fun.

I've written her a letter or two over the years, each time I moved, and then when I got married and when Grace was born. She usually replied with something that made it hard to write back; she never gave me any openings for conversation. It always seemed as though she wanted me to know that she appreciated my keeping in touch, but it was just too much for her to keep an ongoing correspondence. I understood it well enough; or at least I thought I did. I just figured it had a lot to do with Jacob. Now though, understanding what my son has told me about his own feelings toward his mum, I've rather changed perspective. Maybe it had nothing to do with him; maybe it had everything to do with the fact that Annabelle never kept in touch with her own mum, but I did. I'm sure that had to hurt a little.

We never discussed Jacob in our letters. Again, at the time, I assumed it had to do with grief. Now I have to wonder if she knew all along that he was alive and safe with these Weasleys. Especially considering how surprised Jacob seemed when I told him that he'd been presumed dead. If Diana had thought the same thing, he would have been expecting my reaction.

When I first thought of this explanation a few days ago, it made me furious. I was so angry I wanted to get in my car and drive down to her house and just strangle her for letting me think my son was dead all these years. But as I cooled down, and rational thought returned, I found it easier to understand. She'd lost her daughter beyond recall; I don't think she was quite ready to see me as often as she would have had I known about Jacob.

The sound of Grace screeching pulls me from my thoughts. In the front room I can hear Erin yelling at her sister, and Grace screaming back. I sigh and walk down the hall. Grace is sitting on the floor crying, holding her elbow. Erin is sitting in an armchair, one foot outstretched conspicuously, looking annoyed.

"Well I told you to stop!" she's saying now. Grace's face scrunches up angrily.

"I didn't hear you," she wails. "And I hurt my elbow!" More tears fall down her cheeks. It's then that she takes notice of me. Immediately the tears start flowing more dramatically.

"Daddy, Erin tripped me!" she screeches. "And I fell and banged my elbow on the corner of the table!"

"Let's not shout," I suggest, crouching down beside her. She lifts her elbow for inspection. It is indeed a bit red from where it hit the leg of the coffee table, but other than that there's no lasting damage. I bring her arm up and kiss it.

"Better?" I ask. She pouts, but nods obediently. I can't help but laugh slightly as I pull her into a hug.

"Don't trip your sister," I remind Erin before standing up. She rolls her eyes at me, and I take it for an affirmative answer.

Erin has to be the most resentful teenager I know. Then again, she's the only teenager I know, not including her numerous friends, though of course I don't know them beyond the half-minute conversations we have whenever they come over.

I wish I knew how to talk to her sometimes. She's just so confusing. And I often wonder if it's me she resents or the entire world. She can be particularly nasty at times; when she gets especially upset, she's wont to remind me that I'm not actually her father. It used to bother me – the first time she said it broke my heart. I've almost gotten used to it though. I can tell how much it annoys her when she can't get a reaction out of me with it.

Erin was three when I met Clara. She was almost five by the time we were married, and was already in the habit of calling me 'Daddy' which was the most amazing feeling in the world at the time. I nearly cried the first time I heard it, and after that every time she said it reminded me so much of Jacob that I could barely stand it. It rather terrified Clara for awhile.

I've met Erin's "real father", as she'll refer to him when she's trying to irk me, a few times. He works for some huge corporation doing something that apparently makes a lot of money, and he travels quite a bit. He has a fancy townhouse in London that Erin goes to one weekend each month, and she always comes home with a new trinket.

Thane only came into our lives a few years ago though. Erin was ten the first time she met him, and to this day she doesn't call him 'Dad' except when she's talking directly at him, and even then sometimes she'll call him by his name. I think he would like her to call him Dad more often, but once – before she hated me – she confided in me that it made her feel a little awkward. I was secretly glad, as I've never taken a particularly strong liking to Thane Rockland.

The only thing that I've seen that has brought Erin out of her horrible attitude lately was when she got to hold Summer. She was even more careful than Grace, and for awhile she just sat there staring at the baby. After a moment or so everyone started up their conversations again – even Jacob had joined in, not as concerned about the possibility of Summer being dropped this time – and I noticed Erin relax without everyone's eyes on her.

It was so amazing. She just started talking to Summer. Not in a cutesy baby voice, telling her how adorable and perfect she was the way Clara did – I'll admit to doing it too – but like she was one of Erin's close friends. And a minute later this totally awed look came over her face, like she was finally starting to comprehend that the little child she held in her arms was her niece. I saw her glance at Jacob in a whole different way, and I think that in that moment she started to accept and maybe (just maybe) like her older brother.

"Daddy, are we leaving soon?" Grace asks, tugging on my pant leg from her position on the floor beside my chair. I smile down at her.

"As soon as Mum gets home," I assure her. Then, as if on cue, the door opens, and Clara walks through the door. Grace cheers, and Erin mutters "finally" under her breath.

Clara smiles at the (sort of) enthusiastic response. "Shall we?" she asks, still standing in the open door. Grace jumps up and runs to her side. Erin sighs and follows them outside.

.x.

"Daddy, are we almost there?" Grace whines from the back seat. Erin groans at her and slumps against the door.

"Yes," I assure both of them as I turn down the street Jacob told me Diana's house is on. I look down the left side of the street for the big blue one. Grace sees it first.

"There it is! The blue one! Number one-forty-two! There it is, Dad!"

I laugh at her excitement. "I see it, love. Calm down." As I pull up to the curb, she's out the door before I even turn off the car and is sprinting toward the front door. Erin mumbles something sarcastic-sounding under her breath before following.

"Should I feel this nervous?" Clara asks, trying to laugh. I smile at her as best I can. I know exactly how she feels, and I tell her so. She seems to look comforted by that at least.

By the time we get to door, the girls have disappeared inside already, and Jacob is standing in the doorway waiting for us, smiling in amusement. As I climb the steps to the porch, I can hear Grace's excited chatter.

"Hey," is all he says when we finally get to him. Clara smiles warmly and squeezes his arm as she slips past him into the house, looking for our daughters.

"Hey," I say back. He grins, and I can't help it. I pull him into a hug. He sort of freezes for a moment before hugging me back, and while it puzzles me, I don't comment when he pulls away.

"Come on in," he invites, turning and disappearing into the house as well.

Stepping into the little entry, I see a small sitting room off to the left. Grace is sitting on the settee in there, talking animatedly with a girl with short brown hair who is holding Summer. Erin is sitting at the other end of the sofa with her arms and legs crossed, looking uncomfortable. Looking to the right, I see Clara leaning against a breakfast bar counter, smiling and talking with an older, more stressed-looking version of Diana Parks.

She looks up when I step into the dining room, and for just a moment a spasm of pain shoots across her face, but it's gone so quickly that I'm sure no one else notices. Instantly a smile takes its place, and it seems so genuine that I almost forget that awful look.

"Nicholas Foster," she says warmly, coming around the counter. I'd forgotten how short she is, but I hug her anyway, and she holds on a moment longer than I do before releasing me.

"Haven't changed a bit," she says fondly, and I have to smile.

"I can see you've already met Clara," I say, and both women beam at me.

"But you haven't met me," a voice says. I turn to see the young woman I saw holding Summer standing there, striking a pose in the doorway, grinning. Diana laughs.

"Clara, Nick, this is Kaitlyn. She works with Jake," Diana introduces. Kaitlyn comes forward, smiling, her hand outstretched.

"It's so nice to finally meet you," she says enthusiastically, shaking first my hand then Clara's. "I've heard all about you," she adds, laughing. I find myself liking this girl, and I'm suddenly grateful that my son has a friend like this.

x.x

Jake

I wasn't sure what to expect from Gran and Kate, but they both behaved wonderfully, and the dinner went off without any problems at all. Grace warmed up to Kaitlyn instantly – of course – and Clara and Gran seemed to really hit it off. Nick spent most of his time talking to Kate, and he seemed to really like her as well. Even Erin talked a little, with a little prompting, which surprised me; she'd been so antisocial the two times I saw here before.

Now, sitting on the sofa with Kaitlyn and Summer, I find myself truly content. The world seems to have become a brighter place.

Kate smiles at me. "I really like your family," she informs me. Her tone suggests she wouldn't mind seeing them again – soon. I have to laugh.

"I think they liked you as well," I assure her. She beams. Then she sighs and stands. I follow suit, and she reluctantly surrenders my daughter.

"I'll see you at work Monday?" she questions as we walk to the door. I nod at her.

"Yep. Bright and early," I say, trying to sound enthusiastic. She notices my tone and gives me a knowing look.

"I'm looking forward to it just as much as you are," she assures me, opening the door and stepping into the cool night.

"Thanks, Kate," I murmur. Her expression softens immediately.

"You're my best friend," she reminds me gently, touching my arm. I manage a smile at that.

"You too," I assure her, hugging her quickly. She squeezes my arm, kisses Summer, and starts off toward her car. I watch her go, wondering what on earth I did to deserve a friend like her.

Maybe life won't be so bad from now on after all.

A/N: Aw, now it's really over. Sad. BUT! I have a surprise for you coming soon. All I can say is that you should add me to your author alerts if you're curious. I don't want to give it away yet. It should be coming in the next few weeks. No, it's not FT4 millions of months early. But it's almost as good. Trust me! You'll all love it.

Also, I've completely revamped my profile, and I have a new website! There's info about it on my profile. AND I have a new poll up! You should definitely check it out.

Please review! Thanks again for everything. It's because of you that this story has kept going as long as it has. You're all wonderful.

Sincerely,
Megan