PART TWELVE- Epilogue (3 years later)
Abby Carter leant back against the sunbed, her long brown hair falling about her shoulders. The sun beat down pleasantly on her skin, and she sighed happily. She'd always loved the sea, ever since she was little, and the family holidays they took every year were the best way to see that sea.
"Mum!" a shout came from the sea, and she looked towards the rolling waves. She saw a smiling face watching her, and a hand waving. She waved back, grinning at her family. Abby liked the times when the rest of the family went into the sea, and she was left looking after bags: it gave her a chance to think. This year she had some happier things to think about than the last few years. They'd been filled with worry and stress. Looking at her little family now, it was hard to believe.
"Dad, no! No, put me down," Harry's voice carried across the wind towards her. She looked up to see her husband holding their ten-year-old son in mid air, ready to drop him in the sea. She laughed, seeing the big smile on Harry's face, despite the screams.
Jess was creeping up behind them, a big grin on her face. Abby knew what she was about to do, and smiled, looking between Harry kicking in John's arms, and her daughter slowly advancing towards them. As she'd guessed, when Jess got close enough she reached out with both hands and pushed her father. He and Harry went crashing into the water, and Abby heard her daughter's sweet laugh drift through the air towards her. Harry and John soon resurfaced, and Jess started to move away from them, obviously aware of the consequences of her actions.
"Jessica!" John called, before running towards her through the waves. A scream escaped her lips as she made her way towards the beach, and then towards Abby.
"Mum, help me!" she cried, laughing between words, and hiding behind her mother's chair.
Abby smiled to herself. It was times like this that she was reminded that their decision to have a family was the right one. Despite the risks they'd taken, and the problems they'd had to face, they'd done okay. She had two wonderful children, who she couldn't imagine a day without, and a gorgeous husband who she loved with all her heart. Jess may be bipolar but, to anyone who didn't know, she was a completely normal fifteen-year-old girl. Abby was eternally grateful that Jess took her meds, and looking at her now she couldn't imagine her being any other way. It didn't matter that she was bipolar, half the time it could be forgotten anyway.
Abby suddenly realised the sun had gone in, and looked up to discover it was actually the shadow of her husband who was standing by her. She smiled at him, propping herself up on her elbows. "Enjoying yourself?" she asked.
"Yup, but I'm been told that Mum had to go in the sea." He gave her a wicked grin, and then leant down and gathered her up in his arms.
"John!" she shouted. "I thought you were coming for Jessie."
"No, my love." He bent down and kissed her on the lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and returned the kiss deeply.
"Mum! Dad! That's disgusting!" They broke apart at the sound of their son's voice, and laughed.
"Don't look then!" John shouted back, and started back towards the sea.
"John, put me down," she screamed, aware of the laughter from her children.
He promptly granted her request, dropping her into the sea. When she resurfaced she turned, making her way towards him. "John, you idiot!" she cried, reaching for him.
"I love you too, darling," he retorted, grinning.
"Sometimes I wonder why I married you, Dr. Carter," she laughed, splashing water at him.
"I seem to remember it was originally the fault of a smallpox scare, Mrs. Carter." Water splashed back at her.
"And I seem to remember you said we were going to be okay." More water splashed between them. "I don't include being thrown in the sea as okay!" Seeing that Jess was back in the water, and Harry was by her side, she called out, "everyone gets Dad!" and joined her children in splashing large amounts of water at the man she'd love for always and forever.
***The End***
(well, that's it! I hope you've enjoyed reading this, I've enjoyed writing. Maybe I'll get started on another fic soon, but that requires thinking of an idea! lol! Anyway, thank you for reading, and thanks for all the great reviews the whole way through. :) xxJoxx)
Abby Carter leant back against the sunbed, her long brown hair falling about her shoulders. The sun beat down pleasantly on her skin, and she sighed happily. She'd always loved the sea, ever since she was little, and the family holidays they took every year were the best way to see that sea.
"Mum!" a shout came from the sea, and she looked towards the rolling waves. She saw a smiling face watching her, and a hand waving. She waved back, grinning at her family. Abby liked the times when the rest of the family went into the sea, and she was left looking after bags: it gave her a chance to think. This year she had some happier things to think about than the last few years. They'd been filled with worry and stress. Looking at her little family now, it was hard to believe.
"Dad, no! No, put me down," Harry's voice carried across the wind towards her. She looked up to see her husband holding their ten-year-old son in mid air, ready to drop him in the sea. She laughed, seeing the big smile on Harry's face, despite the screams.
Jess was creeping up behind them, a big grin on her face. Abby knew what she was about to do, and smiled, looking between Harry kicking in John's arms, and her daughter slowly advancing towards them. As she'd guessed, when Jess got close enough she reached out with both hands and pushed her father. He and Harry went crashing into the water, and Abby heard her daughter's sweet laugh drift through the air towards her. Harry and John soon resurfaced, and Jess started to move away from them, obviously aware of the consequences of her actions.
"Jessica!" John called, before running towards her through the waves. A scream escaped her lips as she made her way towards the beach, and then towards Abby.
"Mum, help me!" she cried, laughing between words, and hiding behind her mother's chair.
Abby smiled to herself. It was times like this that she was reminded that their decision to have a family was the right one. Despite the risks they'd taken, and the problems they'd had to face, they'd done okay. She had two wonderful children, who she couldn't imagine a day without, and a gorgeous husband who she loved with all her heart. Jess may be bipolar but, to anyone who didn't know, she was a completely normal fifteen-year-old girl. Abby was eternally grateful that Jess took her meds, and looking at her now she couldn't imagine her being any other way. It didn't matter that she was bipolar, half the time it could be forgotten anyway.
Abby suddenly realised the sun had gone in, and looked up to discover it was actually the shadow of her husband who was standing by her. She smiled at him, propping herself up on her elbows. "Enjoying yourself?" she asked.
"Yup, but I'm been told that Mum had to go in the sea." He gave her a wicked grin, and then leant down and gathered her up in his arms.
"John!" she shouted. "I thought you were coming for Jessie."
"No, my love." He bent down and kissed her on the lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and returned the kiss deeply.
"Mum! Dad! That's disgusting!" They broke apart at the sound of their son's voice, and laughed.
"Don't look then!" John shouted back, and started back towards the sea.
"John, put me down," she screamed, aware of the laughter from her children.
He promptly granted her request, dropping her into the sea. When she resurfaced she turned, making her way towards him. "John, you idiot!" she cried, reaching for him.
"I love you too, darling," he retorted, grinning.
"Sometimes I wonder why I married you, Dr. Carter," she laughed, splashing water at him.
"I seem to remember it was originally the fault of a smallpox scare, Mrs. Carter." Water splashed back at her.
"And I seem to remember you said we were going to be okay." More water splashed between them. "I don't include being thrown in the sea as okay!" Seeing that Jess was back in the water, and Harry was by her side, she called out, "everyone gets Dad!" and joined her children in splashing large amounts of water at the man she'd love for always and forever.
***The End***
(well, that's it! I hope you've enjoyed reading this, I've enjoyed writing. Maybe I'll get started on another fic soon, but that requires thinking of an idea! lol! Anyway, thank you for reading, and thanks for all the great reviews the whole way through. :) xxJoxx)