I don't think I'm going to write a sequel, at least not for a while - but
here's an epilogue. Also because no one liked my sequel idea - I decided
not to use that (I agree it was stupid). Whoever suggested Kevin and Anna
have a heart to heart talk - good idea! : )!
As she pulled the maternity tank-top over her large stomach, Lucy groaned, "I am so sick of being fat!"
Anna laughed, entering the room, "you're not fat, you're pregnant."
Lucy rolled her eyes, trying to hide her smile, "you sound like your father."
Anna too rolled her eyes, "gross," she replied laughing.
"Can you believe it's almost Christmas?" Lucy asked, changing the subject.
Anna smiled mischievously, "have you decided what you're going to get me?"
Lucy laughed knowing what Anna wanted, but deciding to be oblivious, "I haven't really done any Christmas shopping yet, oh wait. how about a baby brother?" she asked rubbing her stomach.
"Oh, you're so . . . so . . ." Anna's voice trailed off as she left the room, shaking her head both with annoyance and happiness that she was a soon to be 'big sister.'
~
Lucy, Kevin, and Anna sat in front of the fireplace sipping apple cider. Though there was no snow outside the air was bitter cold and all three of them were happy to finally have a chance to relax.
Anna was sitting in between her parents all of them covered by a blanket.
After the conversation died down and the family had been sitting in peaceful silence, Lucy turned to look at Kevin, smiling.
Kevin smiled, as he pulled a small white box from behind a pillow, handing it to Anna.
Anna looked at both her parents then quickly opened the box, pulling out a key. A huge smile crossed her face as she darted out the front door. Lucy and Kevin laughed as Lucy crawled closer to him, resting her head under his chin.
A moment later Anna returned, smiling from ear to ear, "I love you!" she cried.
"We love you too," Lucy replied smiling.
"Can we go for a test drive?" Anna asked, a huge smile still covering her face.
Kevin turned to Lucy who yawned, "why don't you guys go, I'm going to head to bed."
"Are you okay?" Kevin asked.
Lucy laughed, smiling, "I'm fine, just tired."
"Was he like this when you were pregnant with me?" Anna asked.
Lucy smiled slightly trying to hide the painful memories of her first pregnancy, "he was worse," she whispered, standing up, "have a good drive, and be careful," she whispered leaving the room.
Kevin looked after her, trying to decide who needed him more, his wife or daughter. Finally he decided that Anna deserved an explanation, "let's go," he whispered, grabbing his jacket.
"Shouldn't we . . ." Anna asked.
Kevin shook his head, "she'll be okay."
~
"I'm sorry dad, I didn't mean anything."
Kevin laughed slightly as they drove down the road in Anna's new white Jetta, "it's okay, it's just your mom went through a lot when she was pregnant with you, it's hard for her to remember."
"How did you guys do it?" Anna asked, her tone serious.
"Do what?"
"Raise me, love me . . . keep me."
Kevin paused for a minute, not knowing exactly what to say, "we . . . well we . . . it was hard," he concluded.
"I'm sorry."
Kevin gently took her hand, "you have nothing to be sorry for, Anna I love you, we love you, it's over now. You're our daughter. Nothing will ever change that."
Anna smiled through misty eyes, "will everything be the same after he's born?" Anna asked, the childhood fear that she had long sense lost, returning to her voice.
Kevin smiled slightly, "there will be a lot more diapers, and your mom and I might have dark circles under our eyes, but yes other than that everything will be the same."
"You and mom will still love me, still treat me like your daughter."
Kevin turned to look at Anna, "Anna you are our daughter and no baby will ever change that . . . I'm going to tell you something my dad told me when Ben was born. He told me that, a father's love is everlasting, that it never shrinks, only grows . . . Anna he was right, there is nothing you or anyone else could do to make me stop loving you. The same goes for your mom, we will always love you, always."
Tears slid down Anna's cheeks as she pulled into the driveway, "I love you dad."
"I love you too" Kevin whispered as they walked into the house.
~
"Anna!" Lucy screamed sitting up in bed.
"What's wrong?" Anna asked walking into the room sleepily.
"It's time."
"Oh my God!" Anna screamed, "I'll call dad."
Lucy nodded laughing as Anna walked out of the room.
"Glenoak police station."
"Is Kevin Kinkirk there?" Anna asked, practically hyperventilating.
"Anna?" Roxanne asked.
"Roxy! My mom's in labor!" Anna cried to the woman she had become close to over the years.
Roxanne laughed, "well congratulations big sister."
"I'd love to chat but incase you didn't hear me my mom's about to have a baby!" Anna screamed.
"Have you ever had a baby?" Roxanne asked remembering her three labors.
"Who are you talking to?" Kevin asked sitting down next to Roxanne.
"Anna."
"Anna?"
"Lucy's in labor."
Kevin immediately ripped the phone away from Roxanne.
"Geez you're just as bad as Anna," Roxanne said laughing.
"Anna, can you drive mom to the hospital? I'll meet you there."
"Me? Really?"
"Yes, you."
"Umm, okay."
"Thanks Anna."
***
"Do you think I can go in?" Anna asked Roxanne who was sitting next to her.
Roxanne laughed, "sure, but she might be a little grumpy."
Anna smiled, quickly walking into the room. Lucy was leaning down looking at the white sheets and Kevin was sitting behind her gently massaging her lower back.
"So how long does this take?" Anna asked.
Lucy looked up and smiled at her daughter, "it took 23 hours and 27 minutes with you, but they tell me the second baby takes less time."
Anna stared at her parents, in shock, "that long? Really?"
Lucy nodded, "really."
After a moment of stunned silence, Lucy leaned back into Kevin's arms, tightly closing her eyes, as another contraction gripped her stomach.
"Just breath through it." Kevin soothed.
"What's going on?" Anna asked, panic in her voice, "Is mom okay?"
Kevin nodded, "she's having a contraction."
"What's that?"
Lucy laughed, opening her eyes, as the pain subsided, "you're sixteen years old and you don't know what a contraction is?"
"Should I?" Anna asked, getting defensive.
"I guess not," Lucy replied laughing
***
"What's wrong?" Anna asked her grandmother as they sat outside Lucy's room, "why's she screaming?"
Annie laughed, "Anna, having a baby hurts . . . a lot."
"But she'll be okay?"
"Yes, she and the baby will be fine."
"Oh, well that's good . . . not that I was worried or anything dumb like that."
Annie laughed, "of course you weren't."
A moment later, a nurse quickly walked out of the room.
"What's wrong?" Anna asked immediately.
The nurse smiled, "nothing, I'm going to get the doctor, you're going to have a little brother soon."
A smile quickly spread across Anna's face, "can I go in?" she asked.
The nurse nodded, hurrying off to find the doctor.
After Anna left, Eric and Annie turned to smile at each other, remembering all of Annie's deliveries.
When Anna entered the room, Lucy was laying on her back, her eyes closed tightly as she held tightly onto Kevin's hand, obviously in pain.
"Mom? Are you okay?" Anna asked, running up to her mother's bedside.
Lucy nodded slightly, and said through clenched teeth, "do I look fine?"
Kevin looked sympathetically at his daughter, "having a baby hurts Anna."
"Hurts doesn't even begin to describe it!" Lucy screamed as the doctor entered the room.
Anna quickly took her mother's other hand, "I'm never having kids," she whispered to Kevin who smiled.
"What are you doing to her?" Anna almost screamed as the doctor checked Lucy's cervix.
The doctor smiled, "I'm checking her cervix to make sure she's ready to deliver."
"And?" Lucy screamed again.
The doctor laughed, "and you're ready to push."
Lucy smiled slightly gripping both Anna and Kevin's hands.
"Okay, Lucy I want you to push as hard as you can."
Lucy nodded, leaning into her chest.
"You're doing great Luce, just keep going," Kevin urged.
Lucy turned to glare at him, "would you shut up!"
Anna looked at Kevin, fear in her eyes, "it's okay," he whispered.
"Okay, Lucy you're doing great, give me another good one."
"One . . Two . . Three . . Four . . Five . . Six . . Seven . . Eight . . Nine. . Ten"
Lucy leaned back, taking deep breaths.
"Is she okay?" Anna asked, looking nervously at the doctor, who nodded.
"Okay one more time."
Lucy lifted herself from the bed and pushed with all her strength, turning both Anna and Kevin's hands white in the process.
"Okay, the baby's head is out, give me a little push."
Anna and Kevin both looked down, smiling, as Lucy freed the baby.
"Looks like a healthy baby boy." The doctor said, smiling as he laid the baby on Lucy's chest.
Anna, Kevin, and Lucy smiled down at the tiny baby, all three of them had tears rolling down their cheeks.
"Maybe I will have kids after all." Anna whispered.
As she pulled the maternity tank-top over her large stomach, Lucy groaned, "I am so sick of being fat!"
Anna laughed, entering the room, "you're not fat, you're pregnant."
Lucy rolled her eyes, trying to hide her smile, "you sound like your father."
Anna too rolled her eyes, "gross," she replied laughing.
"Can you believe it's almost Christmas?" Lucy asked, changing the subject.
Anna smiled mischievously, "have you decided what you're going to get me?"
Lucy laughed knowing what Anna wanted, but deciding to be oblivious, "I haven't really done any Christmas shopping yet, oh wait. how about a baby brother?" she asked rubbing her stomach.
"Oh, you're so . . . so . . ." Anna's voice trailed off as she left the room, shaking her head both with annoyance and happiness that she was a soon to be 'big sister.'
~
Lucy, Kevin, and Anna sat in front of the fireplace sipping apple cider. Though there was no snow outside the air was bitter cold and all three of them were happy to finally have a chance to relax.
Anna was sitting in between her parents all of them covered by a blanket.
After the conversation died down and the family had been sitting in peaceful silence, Lucy turned to look at Kevin, smiling.
Kevin smiled, as he pulled a small white box from behind a pillow, handing it to Anna.
Anna looked at both her parents then quickly opened the box, pulling out a key. A huge smile crossed her face as she darted out the front door. Lucy and Kevin laughed as Lucy crawled closer to him, resting her head under his chin.
A moment later Anna returned, smiling from ear to ear, "I love you!" she cried.
"We love you too," Lucy replied smiling.
"Can we go for a test drive?" Anna asked, a huge smile still covering her face.
Kevin turned to Lucy who yawned, "why don't you guys go, I'm going to head to bed."
"Are you okay?" Kevin asked.
Lucy laughed, smiling, "I'm fine, just tired."
"Was he like this when you were pregnant with me?" Anna asked.
Lucy smiled slightly trying to hide the painful memories of her first pregnancy, "he was worse," she whispered, standing up, "have a good drive, and be careful," she whispered leaving the room.
Kevin looked after her, trying to decide who needed him more, his wife or daughter. Finally he decided that Anna deserved an explanation, "let's go," he whispered, grabbing his jacket.
"Shouldn't we . . ." Anna asked.
Kevin shook his head, "she'll be okay."
~
"I'm sorry dad, I didn't mean anything."
Kevin laughed slightly as they drove down the road in Anna's new white Jetta, "it's okay, it's just your mom went through a lot when she was pregnant with you, it's hard for her to remember."
"How did you guys do it?" Anna asked, her tone serious.
"Do what?"
"Raise me, love me . . . keep me."
Kevin paused for a minute, not knowing exactly what to say, "we . . . well we . . . it was hard," he concluded.
"I'm sorry."
Kevin gently took her hand, "you have nothing to be sorry for, Anna I love you, we love you, it's over now. You're our daughter. Nothing will ever change that."
Anna smiled through misty eyes, "will everything be the same after he's born?" Anna asked, the childhood fear that she had long sense lost, returning to her voice.
Kevin smiled slightly, "there will be a lot more diapers, and your mom and I might have dark circles under our eyes, but yes other than that everything will be the same."
"You and mom will still love me, still treat me like your daughter."
Kevin turned to look at Anna, "Anna you are our daughter and no baby will ever change that . . . I'm going to tell you something my dad told me when Ben was born. He told me that, a father's love is everlasting, that it never shrinks, only grows . . . Anna he was right, there is nothing you or anyone else could do to make me stop loving you. The same goes for your mom, we will always love you, always."
Tears slid down Anna's cheeks as she pulled into the driveway, "I love you dad."
"I love you too" Kevin whispered as they walked into the house.
~
"Anna!" Lucy screamed sitting up in bed.
"What's wrong?" Anna asked walking into the room sleepily.
"It's time."
"Oh my God!" Anna screamed, "I'll call dad."
Lucy nodded laughing as Anna walked out of the room.
"Glenoak police station."
"Is Kevin Kinkirk there?" Anna asked, practically hyperventilating.
"Anna?" Roxanne asked.
"Roxy! My mom's in labor!" Anna cried to the woman she had become close to over the years.
Roxanne laughed, "well congratulations big sister."
"I'd love to chat but incase you didn't hear me my mom's about to have a baby!" Anna screamed.
"Have you ever had a baby?" Roxanne asked remembering her three labors.
"Who are you talking to?" Kevin asked sitting down next to Roxanne.
"Anna."
"Anna?"
"Lucy's in labor."
Kevin immediately ripped the phone away from Roxanne.
"Geez you're just as bad as Anna," Roxanne said laughing.
"Anna, can you drive mom to the hospital? I'll meet you there."
"Me? Really?"
"Yes, you."
"Umm, okay."
"Thanks Anna."
***
"Do you think I can go in?" Anna asked Roxanne who was sitting next to her.
Roxanne laughed, "sure, but she might be a little grumpy."
Anna smiled, quickly walking into the room. Lucy was leaning down looking at the white sheets and Kevin was sitting behind her gently massaging her lower back.
"So how long does this take?" Anna asked.
Lucy looked up and smiled at her daughter, "it took 23 hours and 27 minutes with you, but they tell me the second baby takes less time."
Anna stared at her parents, in shock, "that long? Really?"
Lucy nodded, "really."
After a moment of stunned silence, Lucy leaned back into Kevin's arms, tightly closing her eyes, as another contraction gripped her stomach.
"Just breath through it." Kevin soothed.
"What's going on?" Anna asked, panic in her voice, "Is mom okay?"
Kevin nodded, "she's having a contraction."
"What's that?"
Lucy laughed, opening her eyes, as the pain subsided, "you're sixteen years old and you don't know what a contraction is?"
"Should I?" Anna asked, getting defensive.
"I guess not," Lucy replied laughing
***
"What's wrong?" Anna asked her grandmother as they sat outside Lucy's room, "why's she screaming?"
Annie laughed, "Anna, having a baby hurts . . . a lot."
"But she'll be okay?"
"Yes, she and the baby will be fine."
"Oh, well that's good . . . not that I was worried or anything dumb like that."
Annie laughed, "of course you weren't."
A moment later, a nurse quickly walked out of the room.
"What's wrong?" Anna asked immediately.
The nurse smiled, "nothing, I'm going to get the doctor, you're going to have a little brother soon."
A smile quickly spread across Anna's face, "can I go in?" she asked.
The nurse nodded, hurrying off to find the doctor.
After Anna left, Eric and Annie turned to smile at each other, remembering all of Annie's deliveries.
When Anna entered the room, Lucy was laying on her back, her eyes closed tightly as she held tightly onto Kevin's hand, obviously in pain.
"Mom? Are you okay?" Anna asked, running up to her mother's bedside.
Lucy nodded slightly, and said through clenched teeth, "do I look fine?"
Kevin looked sympathetically at his daughter, "having a baby hurts Anna."
"Hurts doesn't even begin to describe it!" Lucy screamed as the doctor entered the room.
Anna quickly took her mother's other hand, "I'm never having kids," she whispered to Kevin who smiled.
"What are you doing to her?" Anna almost screamed as the doctor checked Lucy's cervix.
The doctor smiled, "I'm checking her cervix to make sure she's ready to deliver."
"And?" Lucy screamed again.
The doctor laughed, "and you're ready to push."
Lucy smiled slightly gripping both Anna and Kevin's hands.
"Okay, Lucy I want you to push as hard as you can."
Lucy nodded, leaning into her chest.
"You're doing great Luce, just keep going," Kevin urged.
Lucy turned to glare at him, "would you shut up!"
Anna looked at Kevin, fear in her eyes, "it's okay," he whispered.
"Okay, Lucy you're doing great, give me another good one."
"One . . Two . . Three . . Four . . Five . . Six . . Seven . . Eight . . Nine. . Ten"
Lucy leaned back, taking deep breaths.
"Is she okay?" Anna asked, looking nervously at the doctor, who nodded.
"Okay one more time."
Lucy lifted herself from the bed and pushed with all her strength, turning both Anna and Kevin's hands white in the process.
"Okay, the baby's head is out, give me a little push."
Anna and Kevin both looked down, smiling, as Lucy freed the baby.
"Looks like a healthy baby boy." The doctor said, smiling as he laid the baby on Lucy's chest.
Anna, Kevin, and Lucy smiled down at the tiny baby, all three of them had tears rolling down their cheeks.
"Maybe I will have kids after all." Anna whispered.