EPILOGUE
Murdock stared down at the tiny bundle in his arms with wonder and amazement. In the bed Katie was sleeping, exhausted. In his arms Elizabeth Karen Murdock, barely an hour old, stirred and opened large blue eyes to stare up at her father.
He smiled feeling as if his heart would burst with love for this tiny child who he could hardly believe was his. She was just so perfect in every way, he touched the tiny fingers and they curled round his thumb. His smile widened and he held her tighter.
He knew now what he'd been missing with Megan. He'd missed this, the pregnancy, the birth, the first moment she'd opened her eyes, her first words, and her first steps. But not with Beth, he'd already decided that he was going to call her Beth and not Elizabeth, he wasn't going to miss a moment of his daughter's life, not if he could help it.
Murdock looked over at his wife and felt that everything was right. He loved her more than life and the happiest day of his life had been the day that he'd married her. At first he'd been afraid that she wouldn't want to go through with it, that even though she insisted that it didn't, their past would get in the way. That his age would get in the way and the fact that he'd known her since she was Megan's age.
But she seemed to love him more for all of those things. It had been a small and simple ceremony, only the guys and Karen present. Megan had been flower girl as he'd promised she would. Both Face and BA were the best men and Hannibal had given Katie away. He'd thought she'd looked radiant, only a slight swell of her belly betraying the fact that she was three months pregnant with their child. The child that now lay in his arms.
He looked down again at Beth who was sleeping now, her tiny fingers still curled around his thumb. It was so hard to believe that this little thing was his. He thought she looked like her mother but Katie had said that she'd seen some of her own father, Tony in the little one's face.
He stood, laid the infant in her crib and covered her with a blanket. Kissing her small forehead, he straightened and went to his wife. He pulled the covers over her and smoothed her hair.
'Love you babe.' He whispered before going to the door. It was time for Megan to meet her sister. He turned with his hand resting on the door handle to look at them both. Mother and daughter, both sleeping, the afternoon sunlight bathing them both in golden light. Yes, life was indeed better than he'd ever believed it could be.
The End
Murdock stared down at the tiny bundle in his arms with wonder and amazement. In the bed Katie was sleeping, exhausted. In his arms Elizabeth Karen Murdock, barely an hour old, stirred and opened large blue eyes to stare up at her father.
He smiled feeling as if his heart would burst with love for this tiny child who he could hardly believe was his. She was just so perfect in every way, he touched the tiny fingers and they curled round his thumb. His smile widened and he held her tighter.
He knew now what he'd been missing with Megan. He'd missed this, the pregnancy, the birth, the first moment she'd opened her eyes, her first words, and her first steps. But not with Beth, he'd already decided that he was going to call her Beth and not Elizabeth, he wasn't going to miss a moment of his daughter's life, not if he could help it.
Murdock looked over at his wife and felt that everything was right. He loved her more than life and the happiest day of his life had been the day that he'd married her. At first he'd been afraid that she wouldn't want to go through with it, that even though she insisted that it didn't, their past would get in the way. That his age would get in the way and the fact that he'd known her since she was Megan's age.
But she seemed to love him more for all of those things. It had been a small and simple ceremony, only the guys and Karen present. Megan had been flower girl as he'd promised she would. Both Face and BA were the best men and Hannibal had given Katie away. He'd thought she'd looked radiant, only a slight swell of her belly betraying the fact that she was three months pregnant with their child. The child that now lay in his arms.
He looked down again at Beth who was sleeping now, her tiny fingers still curled around his thumb. It was so hard to believe that this little thing was his. He thought she looked like her mother but Katie had said that she'd seen some of her own father, Tony in the little one's face.
He stood, laid the infant in her crib and covered her with a blanket. Kissing her small forehead, he straightened and went to his wife. He pulled the covers over her and smoothed her hair.
'Love you babe.' He whispered before going to the door. It was time for Megan to meet her sister. He turned with his hand resting on the door handle to look at them both. Mother and daughter, both sleeping, the afternoon sunlight bathing them both in golden light. Yes, life was indeed better than he'd ever believed it could be.
The End
