A year passes without fanfare it seems. For Ken it feel like things had never been different, it was like he had none forever. Kenzie grows with a blink of an eye it feels like, every time he saw he she looks a touch taller, older. The childish features slowly fade, melting into another form. Her eyes never changed though, those stormy purply grey that he grew to love so much.
When his birthday comes about his favourite gift wasn't really a gift at all, but Kenzie had handed him her new birth certificate. The long-form one, the one that says his name under parentage—Father. In every way possible, he was her father. It was finally official at least in the eyes of the law. Which helps Kenzie stop the dramatics, accepting that her parents were just happy as they were?
They got along, they were friends but they would never be more. Still, they are more than a family than either of them imagined, weekends in Toronto every other week. Sometimes driving, sometimes train where he would meet them.
Christmas, Easter, Birthdays pass, he was thinking about Christmas presents when the call came suddenly and his heart sank into a million pieces. There was no time to prepare, there was no time to truly explain.
"Bring Kenzie to Toronto, don't wait for school to end," Ken texts Rilla. "I have to leave tomorrow morning. I will explain what I can when you get here, please just come."
"What's going on?" Kenzie asks the entire drive from the front seat, finally tall enough and heavy enough for the front seat at eleven years old. She wasn't expecting to be taken out of classes today and be thrown into a car.
"I don't know Kenz," Rilla says frowning trying to concentrate on driving without her mind going a million thousand other places.
"Dad is being sent out isn't he?" Kenzie asks quietly.
"I think so," Rilla says quietly. "It will be okay," she tries to reassure her daughter. The two-hour drive feels long but the moment they pull up to his place he is waiting for them.
Kenzie attaches herself to him.
"It will be all right you'll see," Ken murmurs looking over to Rilla.
"Is it always this sudden," Rilla finds herself asking and he shakes his head.
"No, usually there is a week or two to prepare, but whatever happened they need me there now," Ken says quietly.
It's a quiet dinner of Ken cooking whatever he had in his fridge for them before settling down to watch a movie, that no one watched. Kenzie was watching him, he was watching her and her mother.
"Ken?" Rilla asks as they finally get Kenzie into bed.
"Yes?" Ken found his voice so low it almost cracked as he answered her.
"Can we be young again? Can we have a moment for ourselves and not worry about the repercussions?" She asks him.
He doesn't know how to answer her, so he just kisses her.
They are quiet as mice, but memories of twelve years ago flash in both of their minds. Clothing is carelessly tossed into the corner, they aren't hurrying but they aren't drawing it out either. More than once they stopped, listening quietly for any sound that was outside of the room that was across the hall.
Still, they relish in the moment, praying that they would have more time to figure this out down the line. There was time for that wasn't there?
He wakes up with red hair on his shoulder.
"Do you have to go already?" Rilla mumbles half asLeep.
"I do, I'm sorry," he apologies
"Just promise to come back to us," Rilla tells him sitting up in bed her hair falling over her shoulders.
"Promise not to kiss anyone else and I will," Ken murmurs.
"Hmm I don't think you have to worry about that," Rilla tells him. "We didn't…" she says as it sinks into her head.
"Look, whatever happens, happens, but if you want to get Plan B I understand," Ken tells her kissing her gently. "I'm gonna go say goodbye to Kenzie."
He creeps out of bed pulling on his clothing, watching her watch him. He tiptoes into the spare room, kneeling beside the bed he kisses her temple.
"Dad?" She mumbled in her sleepy daze.
"I have to go now, be good for your mother and look after Max for me?" He says quietly, looking at his sheepdog who was curled up on the bed with his daughters.
"You'll come back?"
"Of course, I'll send word when I'm expected." He says.
"Where's mom?" Kenzie asks looking to the other side of the bed.
"She's…" Ken starts. "She sleeping in my room," Ken admits for some crazy reason.
"Are you going to be together now when you get back?" Kenzie asks him rubbing her eyes.
"There's a good chance of it," Ken nods his head. "Don't give your mom slack for it either."
He kisses her forehead goodbye and hugs her before patting Max and tells him to be good for whoever has him.
He pulls on his uniform in the bathroom, both of them are standing there. Both of them are standing in one of his old tee shirts as they forgot to pack pyjamas in their haste.
Luggage in his hand, he hugs them one more. They have the keys and all the contact information that is needed. His parents will grab Max and look after him.
He gives Rilla a quick kiss before he turns to leave. How many times has he done this before?
He looks backing, before getting into his ride that waiting for him he can see the silhouettes of Rilla and Kenzie watching from the window.
He lets them know he got to wherever he was going, sometimes it's an email or a random message on the phone at a random time. But at least they know he's okay.
"You really need to stop doing this," Anne says quietly in the kitchen as she visits. "You're not eighteen anymore."
"It's not up for discussion mom," Rilla says sighing. "He told me to make a choice and I did.
"Well, mean at least you know who he is this time around," Anne says.
"Of course, at least they have the same father," Rilla said rolling her eyes. She definitely didn't expect getting pregnant from a spur of a moment thing to happen twice in a row. Still, it did and it did make her feel a little foolish for being naive about it.
"Yes, thank the heavens for that," Anne shakes her head. "Does Kenzie know yet?"
"No, but I can't hide it forever, so I'll probably have to tell her soon? Though I hoped I could tell Ken before I told her?"
"When was the last time you heard from him?" Anne asks her youngest daughter.
"We haven't heard from him in almost a month mom," Rilla says her voice cracking. "He usually sends up something? Anything to let us know he's all right but there has been nothing and his boss won't tell us anything. God, what will I do?"
"Oh dear, you always have us," Anne says. "You are always welcome home."
"I know and Ken and I spoke before he left, whatever his life insurance is it will go to Kenzie in a trust that I can manage," Rilla tells her mother. "Ken's parents offered any help as well if it is ever needed and made sure for us to know that we are always welcome."
"That is very nice of them," Anne nods.
"They are lovely people, they love Kenzie and she enjoys seeing them as well," Rilla tells her mother who nods her head.
A letter comes for them, looking worn and has Rilla's name on it and she opens it at the kitchen table.
"It's just nonsense," Rilla says frowning looking at it.
"What nonsense?" Kenzie asks looking over her mother's shoulder.
"It's just a paper about interest rates and horses." Rilla hands it to her.
"Mom, that's a code," Kenzie squeals and Rilla grimaces at the sounds. "Sorry! And sorry," she says running a hand over the small bump her mother was sporting.
"I need my book," Kenzie says running to her room. "Where is my book!"
Rilla sighs shaking her head. She wants nothing more than Ken to call, to message, anything at this point. Four months of being blind to what was happening.
"I don't get it, what if he needs help and I can't figure it out!" Kenzie cries after spending almost two hours trying to understand the hidden message.
"Bug, if he was in that much danger he would have called for backup," Rilla tries to reassure her but even that seemed too hopeful at the moment.
She turns to the doorbell being run. "That's the pizza, go grab the plates please."
Rilla opens the door while rifling through her wallet for cash. "Sorry, all I have is a 50 right now?" She says looking up….she doesn't see the pizza man. She see's a long dark coat she knows all too well. Dark hair, maybe a bit more tired than she used to and some half-healed scar down the side of his left cheek.
"Mom where is the pizz…..Dad!" Kenzie screamed and ducks under her mother and wraps herself around him.
They usher him in drinking him in like he was going to disappear on them once more.
"Grammy is really mad at you," Kenzie tells him and Rilla gives he daughter a look.
"Can I have a few minutes Kennedy?" Rilla asks using her full name so there is no debate.
"Why is your mother angry at me?" Ken frowns as they stand in the kitchen.
"She's no mad, just confused by us?" Rilla says feeling small. "It appears we did it again?"
"Did what again?" Ken asks as Rilla takes his hand and places it over the ever-growing bump that her shirt had been barely hiding from view.
"You're—?" Ken asks us all the breath sucks out of him. "Seriously? It is mine?"
"Seriously whose else would it be?" Rilla gives him a look but remembers his last experience with pregnancy that turned out not to be his. "It's not like last time, don't worry," she softens. "Though also seriously you were gone for four months Ken and not a word," Rilla counters back at him.
"I know, I got into some trouble," Ken says sighing. "I'm sorry that I worried you, and Kenzie."
"Are we going to move to Toronto now?" Kenzie says from the entryway into their small kitchen.
Rilla looks around the home she's known for so long and looked over to Ken. "We probably should figure things out before the baby comes?"
The salty air hits him as sits out on the porch of Ingleside, the youngest guest resting on his shoulder in the early hours of the morning. Little sounds and coo's greeted his ears, he knew Rilla would have to feed him soon enough but right now he was content enough.
"Early riser are you?" The elderly Dr. Gilbert Blythe sink down in another wicker chair.
"Luca demands it," Ken says.
"Luca demands a lot of things," The doctor chuckles. "As most babies tend to do."
"I am just glad that I am here," Ken admits smiling sadly. He missed so much with Kennedy and almost could have missed it with Luca as well.
"We all are," Gilbert agrees with him with a hum. "Be better when you make an honest woman out of my daughter but we'll get there eventually."
"Dad, leave him alone," Rilla says appearing still in her robe, hair roughly pulled back but on her neck is a diamond pendant that he had given her yesterday for her birthday. "I was the one who decided that I didn't want to be fat on my wedding day."
"You should be resting," Ken says to Rilla who shakes her.
"If I rest any more I'll explode," She tells him. "Come on Luca Watson Ford let's go feed you," she says as she reaches out for their son who was just only 6 weeks old. Ken helps transfer him over and Rilla settles in the old rocking chair down from them leaving them to their own conversation.
"I still can't believe you let Kenzie pick Watson for his middle name," Gilbert muses.
"Well, she was going go for James, but Rilla vetoed that because she doesn't want it to get to Jem's head," Ken replies with a small smirk which made Gilbert chuckle. "Plus it carries on the middle name tradition quite well? Watson from Sherlock homes?"
"Ahh yes, you know I was never sold on Isolde," Gilbert admits. "But it suits her, and Rilla came from Anne's Aunt who took her in when her parents died."
Ken nods his head knowingly as he hears more footsteps, sleepy light ones as Kenzie appears.
"Happy Birthday Kennedy," Gilbert says first seeing his granddaughter, standing up to give her a hug. Still shocked that his granddaughter was twelve years old already.
"Thank you, Grandpa," she says hugging him back.
"Happy Birthday Kenzie," Ken says as she hugs him without getting a chance to stand up first before she goes over to see her baby brother. "Remind me to stand up next time," He says gruffly to the old doctor with chuckles.
"You'll learn," Gilbert tells him with an amused smile, taking a drink of his coffee.
They spent the rest of the summer on the Island due to his paternal leave through the military and Rilla's own maternity leave. Making sandcastles and watching the sunset in the evening, and rise often enough because that is life with an infant.
"Do you want Daddy?" Rilla coos to their sun as she met him out in the garden and hands him over to his father. Dressed in a light blue sundress and her red hair curled and braided away from her face.
"Maybe next summer we can have your parents come out and we can get married out here?" Rilla looks at him.
"Your wish is my desire," Ken responds before kissing the downy head of his son as Kenzie comes running in a yellow-flowered sundress, her skin freckled by the sun and her long dark hair flying behind her.
"Grammy says it's time for family photos." She tells them and he notices she had touches of make-up on her face for the photoshoot courtesy of one of her aunts most likely.
Rilla smiles at him, and they all walk to the front yard. Her siblings and their families were there and after a week together, Ken got to know all of them and his new nieces and nephews. The photo takes a few minutes to set up with everyone in their spots, the children around their respected parents. Jem and Nan beside their father, Joyce, Walter and Di, two their mother. Shirley and Rilla standing behind their parents who are sitting down on a bench. The grandchildren, sitting on the grass before their grandparents, while any babies are held by their mothers.
Rilla knows exactly where this photograph will go in their house when they return to Toronto, and when they return the photo sits on the mantle of the fireplace next to all the family photos from the past year. While in the middle is a photo of them from those years before, still blurry as ever but no longer lost to each other.
The End.
This is the end for this one, much shorter but I had a lot of fun writing sweet and simple. I hope everyone enjoyed this one.
I had planned on going back to my Sunsets universe after finishing this but given the circumstances of the world. I do not wish to write about a past war when a country is seemingly falling apart from War before our very eyes. I cannot fully put into words how devastating this war is to me and the community I live and work in. But I feel it deeply for my boss and co-workers who all have family in Ukraine. To my friends in Europe who are watching this unfold in a closer way than ever imagined. Everyone had my prayers and my heart.
That said, I will begin posting the first chapters of the Flutters Sequel instead in a few weeks. It will be found under An Alluring Allegro, and most likely just on AO3 until I decide how to rate and edit it for FF.
Tina.