I do not own The Selection.

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pls tell me if this chapter makes sense

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(as promised, when you see this, the sequel should be posted!)

TW: birth

The Epilogue

Five Years Later

The piercing cry of a baby cut through the silent room.

Dr. Ashlar held up a tiny baby.

The little thing was covered in a gooey substance, squirming and crying in the doctor's arms. America squeezed my hand, falling back onto the pillow as one nurse began to clean her lower half.

"It's a boy," Dr. Ashlar announced, beaming. "A baby boy. Congratulations, Your Majesties."

I let out a noise somewhere between a laugh and a sob. I had another son. Another little boy that was the product of America and I's love. Another Illéan prince for the world to meet.

"Well, Dad, would you like to cut the cord?" he asked.

I nodded and took a pair of silver scissors from him, which I used to cut the umbilical cord connecting America to our son. The baby was whisked away to be cleaned up and checked out, so I sat back by America and held her hand as she cried.

"A boy," she sobbed. "We have a little boy, Maxon."

"Your Majesty? Here he is," Dr. Ashlar said, immediately placing the baby on America's bare chest.

Her crying intensified as he let out the cutest little sigh. With the OK from Dr. Ashlar, I crawled into the huge bed beside America and let her lay her head on my shoulder as we watched our minute-old son. The nurses seemed to have diapered and swaddled him already, and he had this adorable little beanie on his head.

"He's beautiful," she whispered, gently touching his cheek.

I choked back a sob. "Of course he is. He's your son, Ames."

Dr. Ashlar went outside to make the announcement to our friends and family, who were waiting patiently for America to give birth. I heard whoops and hollers and cheers.

"Your Majesties? He appears to be in perfect health, but we'll need to run a more extensive test later."

"Alright," I said, nodding.

Once the doctor left, America turned to me the best she could. She was smiling through the continuously falling tears.

"Ellison," she said. "I want to name him Ellison."

"Prince Ellison Schreave," I muttered.

"We could call him Ellis. But we need a middle name, don't we?"

"Henry?"

She looked back at the baby. "Prince Ellison Henry Schreave. Maxon, that's a perfect name for him."

When Dr. Ashlar asked if we needed anything, we asked about the birth certificate, and he brought it to us. We wrote down Ellison Henry Schreave. In minutes, this would be all over the news in the nation. The birth of a prince.

The first hour passed quickly.

When America handed me Ellis, I was suddenly crying and laughing at the same time. He was so beautiful. I'd been through this before, but there was something special about holding your child for the first time.

He scrunched his little nose as he yawned, his tiny tongue stiffly going out and back into his mouth. When I kissed his tiny nose, he sighed softly.

"You are the definition of perfect, Ellison." I whispered, kissing his nose again.

The door creaked open and in came Estelle, Avery, and Roman.

The twins—now seven years old—immediately darted to our sides, incredibly eager to see their new baby brother. Estelle—now eighteen—burst into tears as she saw Ellison's little face. I couldn't blame her. He was insanely perfect.

"Oh," Avery said, tears falling from her brown eyes. "That's our brother?"

"This is your brother, Aves." America laughed.

Estelle grinned. "What's his name?"

"Ellison," I told her. "Ellison Henry Schreave."

The three looked amazed when the baby in my arms opened his eyes for the first time, looking directly up at me. My heart took off. I lowered my face to his and kissed his forehead, making him squirm in his blankets.

"Daddy?" Roman asked. "Why are you crying?"

I laughed. "Happy tears, Rome."

After a few minutes, Ellis was passed to Estelle, who was sobbing as much as America and I were. She bounced him gently in her arms and spoke to him.

"You're so beautiful," she cooed. "I love you so much, Ellis. Avery and Rome and Noah and Beau and I are going to teach you everything and take you to the gardens.."

That reminded me.

"Stelle? Where are Beau and Noah?" I asked.

Beau was our fourth child. He was a little under five years old, whereas Noah—our fifth child—was a little under three years old. She'd probably been the most excited to have another playmate.

Estelle kissed Ellis again. "They're with Gramma in the waiting room. Aunt Kenna wanted to see their reaction to the baby."

"Of course she did," America laughed.

After about an hour of drooling over their brother, Estelle and the twins went to get a snack from the kitchen as a reward for waiting all day in the hospital wing. Next up was Kenna, James, Magda, May, Peyton, Beau, and Noah.

"Beau?" America asked. "You want to hold him?"

"I want to!" Noah squealed, clapping her hands.

I handed Ellis over to Magda, who helped Noah hold him the proper way after sitting her down in a chair. Tears fell from her eyes and she sniffed as she kissed his tiny nose.

She whispered, "Daddy kisses my nose and I likes it. You likes it?"

Ellis made a gurgling noise and squirmed. Noah beamed and kissed his nose again, repeating her own actions. She carefully gave him to Beau, who already knew how to hold a baby. He burst into tears too.

James came over to hug America. "You guys need to stop making such perfect babies."

"Ah, Ellis is probably our last," I said, and every head turned. I smiled. "His name is Ellison. Well, Ellison Henry Schreave. We'll probably call him Ellis."

Beau looked down at Ellis with teary eyes. "I love you, Ellis."

The baby stuck his tongue out, and stiffly raised his arms above his head, happily wiggling. With a look of confusion, Beau looked up at all of us.

"Dis isn't my brother," he said.

"He is, sweetheart," Magda laughed, rubbing his shoulder. "Why do you think that?"

"He's too perfect."

The girls awed as Beau kissed his brother's cheek, just before handing him off to his eager grandmother. Magda's tears were instant. She held Ellis securely in her arms, talking in a high voice to him and examining his tiny fingers.

"Absolutely perfect," she decided.

Beside me, America pulled the blanket tighter to her bare chest and leaned into my touch. I knew she was exhausted, but she wouldn't go to sleep right now even if I begged her.

She was most definitely the toughest person I knew.

After a long ten hours of labor, she'd brought Ellis into this world. She had given him life. That was quite impressive.

Ellis began to cry, and it must've been a collective realization that he was hungry. Magda carefully handed him back to America, and he opened his mouth. Definitely hungry.

"Alrighty, guys," May said to Beau and Noah. "Why don't you guys go play with Maddox up in his room?"

"But Ellis—" Noah frowned.

Kenna ruffled her blonde hair. "You can come see him after dinner. Your mother needs to rest, okay?"

Beau took Noah's hand. "C'mon, Noah."

The two darted from the room, leaving us alone with the adults.

Magda hugged America gently. "We'll keep an eye on them for you. Rest, sweetheart. Take care of my grandson."

"I will, Mom," America smiled.

Everyone said their goodbyes, hugged us both, and reluctantly left. I knew May wanted to stay and hold Ellis, but he needed to eat, and America surely didn't want that many people watching her feed him.

She dropped the blanket from her chest and guided his little mouth to her breast. He was having his first meal within seconds.

"I'm so glad he isn't as stubborn as Noah was," she sighed. "It took her hours to learn to drink."

I chuckled at the memory. "Stubborn just like her mother."

America laughed softly and let her head fall back into the pillow. I gently rubbed Ellison's side, hoping it would help him drink like it had with Beau.

Before dinner, America had taken a nap, and then we'd both been brought delicious meals.

America had apparently been starving, which made sense now that I had remembered she'd missed lunch due to the pain from the contractions. Ellison was sound asleep in my arms, his tiny arms tucked safely under his blanket.

The door creaked open and Noah crept in, a purple robe wrapped around her.

I handed Ellis over to America, who happily took him into her arms.

Noah stared at her feet as I crouched in front of her.

"Noah? Why aren't you in bed?"

She sniffled. "I.. I wanted to.."

"Did you come back to see your little brother, Noah?" I asked.

Tears fell from her eyes, and I sat down on the floor of the room, pulling her into my lap. She let the tears flow freely. I kissed her forehead and let her have a moment. Something was most definitely bothering her.

"Honey, are you alright?"

"I's worried 'bout Ellis," she whispered. "Mommy hurt. I's done want him to hurt, Daddy."

My heart broke a little.

I kissed her nose. "Mommy wasn't hurt, my love. Remember when we told you that your brother was growing in her belly until he was big enough to move out?"

She nodded and sniffled.

"Well, Ellis was big enough to move out today," I said, tucking a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. "And when he moved out, Mommy had to help him. She wasn't hurt, darling. She was just working very hard to help him join us. Do you understand?"

"I's got it."

I held her to me, kissing her shoulder once and then twice. She sniffled again.

"I loves you, Daddy."

"I love you too, munchkin." I said, and then climbed to my feet before picking her up gently. "Now, how about we go see your brother?"

"Yes, pwease!"

I gently wiped her tears away as we walked over to America and Ellis. Carefully, I climbed onto the bed and got close enough so she could see and touch him.

"Hey, Ellis," she whispered. "I's glad you's okay. Daddy said movin' was 'ard. You's be much better out 'ere."

As Noah spoke to Ellis in low tones, America's eyes fluttered shut and her breathing became even and deep. I smiled and took Ellis from her limp arms; we didn't need him to get hurt. Carefully, I stood from the bed to set him down in his bassinet.

"Rest up, my love," I said quietly. "You've got an entire nation to greet tomorrow."