Change My Mind

Epilogue

Tom was trying desperately to make breakfast and keep his daughter quiet. Difficult, but he could do it. If he didn't, Anita, who was still asleep, would have his blood. And he was quite enjoying his life at the moment.

He had more than he had ever had. There was Anita, the woman he loved and the woman who loved him back. He couldn't understand why she did, but she did, and that was enough for him. He didn't want to question it; he didn't need to question it. They were happy, and that was all that mattered. And it wasn't only Anita. It was their daughter as well. He'd never thought that he would be a good father; he'd never imagined he'd even have the chance.

When Anita had waltzed back into his life, telling him she was pregnant, Tom had never felt so scared or confused. But slowly, those feelings had fallen away, leaving him feeling excited, happy, and wanting to be a part of Anita's life, of the baby's life. And then he had made mistakes; he had been stupid enough to risk losing them both forever. He had been too irresponsible, Anita had been too hasty, and they had nearly cost themselves their happiness. But slowly, slowly and surely, they had recovered from it.

They were happier than they had ever been. It all seemed so normal, Tom thought incredulously. Such a normal family, it sometimes seemed as though he had no place there at all. A mother, a father, and a baby, how could he be a part of something so conventional?  And yet, it didn't seem normal. Normal meant regular, mundane, boring even. And nothing about this was boring. Each day he was falling further and further in love with Anita, each day the two of them were discovering more that they loved about each other, their little girl was growing into more and more of a person, and their perfect family was complete.

Anita had been right; their relationship was complicated. But it was theirs, and, unconventional as it was, they were managing. More than managing. Tom sometimes felt as though he was skating over thin ice, as though the happy life might crack underneath him at any point. Because it was so unusual for him to feel happy. But, after nearly two years, he had come to realise that it was more secure than that. That didn't stop him being afraid that one day something would go wrong, but it had stopped him from mentally preparing himself for it. He was starting to accept that maybe, maybe, this was how it would be from now on. Maybe he had got something right for once; maybe he'd finally got a happy ending. And he was going to make damn sure that he didn't mess it up.

He placed a hand into his pocket to ensure that the ring box was still there.

*~*~*

Ric was placing the key in the lock, entering his house. He'd been on a night shift, and was tired. More than that, he wanted to get home to Diane. He didn't like leaving her alone, and he knew that she felt the same.

They had got there eventually. After years of tiptoeing around one another, denying their feelings, being afraid, it had taken some hints from Zubin, some plain talking from Ed and Anita, and plenty of courage and emotion, but they had made it. They had made it, she had given a different answer to a question he had asked her once before, and they were going to be together forever.

He could barely think of a time when he had not been in love with her. It seemed to him as though his life had begun on that summer evening when she had come crying to him, finally admitting to her longing, finally allowing him to be happy. And that day… well, he associated that with the end of all his problems.

In reality, he had made it through a lot of the obstacles without her; he had beaten his gambling addiction with only Zubin's help, he had had no assistance in building bridges with Leo, except for a few conversations with Jess and Zubin. But of all those problems, it had been his feelings for Diane that he had found the hardest to bear, when he believed that she did not feel the same – and yet now, now that they had their future stretching out in front of them, he felt that it was all worth it.

It was even worth how he had hurt her when he had been with Anita. When Diane had told him how that had made her feel, Ric had felt guilty, guilty for using one friend to hurt another. And he had felt guiltier still when, after speaking to Tom, he had found out how much it had hurt him. One simple act of mistaken kindness had nearly ruined the happiness of so many people. And yet, it hadn't. They, all of them, friendships, relationships, love, it had all managed to withstand Ric's careless question, and Anita's even more careless answer. It had been silly, stupid, and Ric accepted that. But it had given him Diane.

The early morning sun shone light onto the gold band on his finger, as he pushed the door open to go and see his wife.

*~*~*

Diane was curled up in bed, and smiling as she heard the door open, feeling relieved that Ric was finally home. She couldn't help but worry when he arrived late – it was ridiculous, she knew, but she always imagined terrible things that might have happened to him. He might have been in a car crash, he might have fallen down the stairs, he might have been taken suddenly ill, there might have been an epidemic at the hospital… endless catastrophes that might have robbed her of the one man she had ever loved. They never happened, of course. They were the products of an over-active imagination, a woman who had had very little sleep, unable to drift into the isolated world of her nightmares without the man of her dreams by her side.

He was the man of her dreams, she reflected sleepily. She had loved him… forever, it seemed. Since she had been very much younger, an innocent, naïve young girl, believing that with love came security and happily-ever-after endings. She had been disillusioned quickly. But now, she knew, she was in danger of forgetting that she had ever been disillusioned. Because, with the love she had now, she had security, and she was living her happily-ever-after ending. It could very well have been a fairy-tale.

She loved him, real love, the sort she had only thought happened in movies, it didn't happen to people like her, not to ordinary people. But it had happened, and it was almost overwhelming to think about. She had fallen head over heels in love with him, twice, once when she was young, and again, more recently. And this one – this time, it would last. Sometimes, the depth of her feelings scared her. For so long, she had cut herself off from the world, from people, not allowing her heart to rule herself, not being impulsive, not letting herself grow close to people, not allowing herself to be hurt. But, as Anita had said, that was ridiculous. So, she was letting herself fall in love. It had been so sudden, so unexpected, two or three weeks that had forced her to realise what she felt. But, she thought happily, she had the rest of her life, her life and his life, to enjoy the consequences.

She had so many dreams for the future, dreams that she knew he shared. She'd never really dreamed before – or if she had, she'd always rationalised her fantasies. But now, she was realising that she didn't need to. That, with him, her dreams could come true. Two of them already had.

She heard his footsteps on the stairs, and sat up in bed to greet him. She placed a hand on her slightly rounded stomach, and smiled.

*~*~*

Anita was sleeping peacefully, oblivious to it all.

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And that's the end!