Epilogue
Hanna steps out of the shower into a foggy bathroom, and wraps herself up in a towel. She walks over to the mirror and wipes a hole big enough to see into. She goes about her nightly routine moisturizing her face, conditioning her hair and pulling it up into a messy bun and brushing her teeth. When she is finished, she takes a deep breath she opens the cabinets under the sink and grabs a paper bag; pulling a pink EPT box out of the bag she flips it over and over in her nervous hands.
A loud commotion in the bedroom makes her stop as she leans up next to the door to hear more. Unable to hear, she cracks the door just a little knowing that if she opens it too much, he will notice.
"Stop it daddy! Stop!" he giggles
"Stop what Cam? I'm not doing anything..."
"Yes you areeee! Stop it!"
"Stop what? This?" she can hear Caleb say, followed by laughter and screaming of their 3 year old son Camden that she can recognize as their nightly tickle fight.
"Daddyyyyy!" he calls out again and Caleb stops
"Okay I will stop. Let's get settled for bed…Mommy is almost done and we will go read. Good?"
"Seuss?" Camden asks excitedly and it makes Hanna laugh and roll her eyes.
Dr. Seuss? We've read him Dr. Seuss every night for a year!
Caleb chuckles "If you want Seuss we will read Seuss C-man."
Hanna laughs and turns back to the sink as the EPT box catches her eye. She sighs and opens the box up, pulling out a test as memories of their first pregnancy flash through her mind.
They had only been married two years when she got pregnant with Cam...and it was quite unexpected.
"Han, are you sure you're okay? I mean…that's a lot of puke." Caleb called out as he sat behind her on the edge of the bath tub holding her hair back as she heaved over the toilet.
She sat back on her heels and wiped her mouth with a wet rag "I uh I don't know…the girls at work have all passed this bug around. Erin was out for 3 days with it. Do I feel like I have a fever?" she asked as she leaned back so he can reach her forehead.
He placed his hand across her head and paused for a moment "Maybe a little one. Why don't you let me make you an appointment with the doctor, just in case?" he asks as he rubbed his hands down her arms.
"I'll be fine Caleb, it's just a little vomit…I mean what do you plan to do when we have kids if you can't handle a little puke?" she teased/
"That's more than a little puke…we've been at this for hours. You eat, then you puke and then you'll drink something and puke. This morning you gagged when I made a bowl of cereal because you said you could smell the sugar on my cocoa puffs…" She started to gag again at his words as she turned back to the toilet bowl. He swooped her hair back in his hands just in time.
When she was done she sat back again and looked at him "You should probably go...I don't want to you catch it too. We both can't get sick." she mumbled as she stood to brush her teeth
He pulled out his phone and looked at the time "Yeah, I got to get going to work, I just didn't want to leave you sick. I can call in today if I need to."
She shook her head "No, go on. I will be fine. I'll just make myself useful and clean up a little around here...but it will most likely be the bathroom since this is where I've spent most of my time the last couple of days." she said with a chuckle.
"Okay, will you call me if you need anything?"
"Of course" she says as she turns back to him
He leaned forward and kissed her temple "I love you."
"Even when she doesn't feel good, he could still make her smile "I love you too. Now get to work before you're late!"
A few hours later as she was cleaning out from underneath the sink and shoved in the very back was a box of tampons. She looked at it and wondered how they ended up all the way in the back as she through back to the last time she used them. A sinking feeling of panic rose in her stomach as she felt the now familiar feeling of vomit rising in her throat. She settled herself down enough to start counting the weeks on her fingers how long it had been, but stopped after she had reached 10 to throw up again.
When she was done she immediately got straight up from her spot on the floor and went to the drugstore. She knew when she walked in and picked up her basket that everybody would look at her funny but she didn't care. She bought two tests for every brand they offered and a huge bottle of water; 86 bucks and two bags later she was out of there and on her way home. It had taken her almost two hours of guzzling water and peeing on sticks for her to take all 30 tests but by the time Caleb got home from work she had the whole counter top covered and some even in the floor.
When he rounded the corner he saw her sitting on the edge of the bathtub holding two sticks in her hands as she looks up at him. He propped his shoulder up on the door and crossed his arms in front of him "Not a virus huh?" he asks.
"In case you need to know...it took a full gallon of water to take all 30 of these pregnancy tests." she half giggled as he made his way into the bathroom, sitting beside her on the tub
"Well? What do they say?" he whispered
"Twenty eight of them say we're gonna be parents..." she looked down at the two in her hand "These two were negative.." she said as she held them out and looked over at him "And in case you need to know...I am more upset about these two than the other twenty eight..because that means that there is a chance...that I'm not."
He wrapped his arm around her back and pulled her into him "So, 28 to 2...we are Rivers - Party of 3?" he said with chuckle "What do we do now...make an appointment?"
"I guess" she said as she sat back up and looked at him "You're really calm about this...like a whole lot calmer than I thought you would be..."
"Han, I grew up in foster care...having a family has always been on the list...we just got to it a lot sooner than expected is all." he said with a shrug.
"Mommyyy?" she heard whispered through the crack in the door and it pulled her out of her memory.
"Cammyyy?" she playfully whispered back to him.
"Why you not done? It's time to rwead Docta Seuss!" he exclaimed with a clap of his hands and it makes her laugh.
"Mommy is almost done. Go tell daddy to go ahead and you in tucked in and we will read.
"Okayyyyy. daddy daddy daddyyyyyy" she can hear him sing as he skips out of their bedroom heading to the hallway.
She quickly takes the test and sits it back on the counter waiting, rather impatiently for the lines to appear.
I don't even know why I am taking one of these damn things...I know I am...I've done this before...this morning I ate fruit for breakfast...no cereal, no eggs... I don't eat fruit for breakfast so it's unusual...it screams pregnant.
When two pink lines start to come up on the screen she lets out a breath she had been holding. She sat there staring at the lines, just making sure one didn't fade.
Well, that's that. Rivers - Party of 4!
With that thought she swung the door open in search of her boys. When she reached the hallway she could hear the lines to his favorite book being read from his bedroom. She turns down the hallway and heads for his room. When she reaches his open door she stops and props herself up against the door frame and takes in the sight before her. Caleb sits on the edge of the bed with his legs stretched out in front of him. He has on only sweat pants and no shirt his hair still wet from his shower. Camden lays beside him in a matching pair of sweating pants with no shirt on. She can't help but notice how much they look like twins, even without the matching outfits. Their little boy has his dark brown hair and warm brown eyes; he even has his dark complexion as well.
Caleb looks up from the book but continues reading as he smiles at her. He moves his legs so she can come sit down on the bed. She quietly makes her way over and Camden's eye pop open when she comes into his line of sight.
"Mommy!" he screams as he sits up in bed "I got 'cited!" he squeals
Hanna throws her finger to her lips to shush him and he throws both hands over his mouth and giggles
"Sorry we started without you mommy..." Caleb says as he smiles at her and pulls Cam closer to his chest.
"Yeah, sowwy mommy. I got 'cited for Seuss."
"That's fine baby. Keep reading daddy...I'm here and I will snuggle with you and listen." she says as she gets up from her spot at the foot of the bed and moves around to the other side, sliding under the covers with Camden.
Caleb keeps reading the story as Hanna watches on, watching as Cam's eyes get heavier and heavier with every line. Before too long his soft snores were louder than Caleb's narration. Hanna reaches over and pat's Caleb on his shoulder. He stops reading and looks up at her as she points down to the baby sleeping between them. Slowly they shuffle out of the bed and pull the covers up to tuck Camden in on each side. Hanna walks around to join Caleb on one side of the bed and she bends down to kiss his head.
"Night Cammy." she whispers
"Night mommy. Night daddy wuv you." he whispers and then snores and it makes them both laugh.
She stands and Caleb wraps his arm around her shoulders "He talks in his sleep like you." he whispers.
She playfully smacks his chest "Yeah well, he snores like you." she says with a laugh as they make their way out of the room.
When they reach their bedroom Hanna turns back to Caleb "You're such a good daddy to him. You know how sexy that is?" she asks as she wraps her arms around his neck.
"Sexy huh?" he asks as he wraps his around her waist. She shakes her head up and down giving him a sexy smile "Well, you know what we can do about that..." he leans down to her ear "make more babies." he whispers as he kisses her neck.
She laughs "About that...I can't actually get pregnant again...at least I don't think I can."
He pulls back and looks at her confused "What do you mean?"
"I can't get pregnant...because I am already pregnant." she says with a giggle as she watches the surprise wash over his face.
"You're what?!" he exclaims
"Pregnant...I am preg-" he cuts her off when he picks her up and swings her around in a circle and they both laugh with excitement.
He sits her back down on her feet "Pregnant?! We're gonna have another baby?" he asks as she shakes her head. He puts his hands on each side of her face and caresses her check and he brings her lips to hers in a big kiss. "I love you so much." he whispers as he pulls back.
"I love you too." she whispers back as he wipes the tear from her eye that she didn't even know was there.
"And then there were four..." he whispers as he places his hand on her belly.
Hope you guys enjoy this! I meant to get it posted sooner but I have been sick so I am sorry for the delay. I appreciate all the love this story has gotten from the readers! Your wind words mean so much to me! Let me know what you think! :)
If you are reading my new story 10 Year Reunion or my first one My World, It Begins and Ends With You..I promise I will get updates for those up soon.
