Nine months following the events of "Special: Part III"
Ellie awoke from her dream to find Matthew smiling at her. Ellie smiled back and they
laid in silence as the sun started to creep over the trees, illuminating them in the early summer light.
"You were smiling in your sleep," Matthew said.
"I was having a weird but… good dream," Ellie said.
"I think the baby liked it too," Matthew said, keeping his hand rested on Ellie's fully
enlarged stomach.
"Kicking again?" Ellie asked.
Matthew nodded. "I think we're getting close."
"Better be," Ellie said, sitting up. "I want my body back."
"You never did like sharing," Matthew teased.
"I'm getting better," Ellie said, touching her stomach. "Besides, she's worth it."
"Still insisting it's a 'she'?" Matthew asked, sitting up.
"It's a 'she'," Ellie insisted.
"You know, eventually we'll have to pick a name for it," Matthew said.
"I figure her name will come to us when the time is right," Ellie said. She threw back the covers and slowly stood. "Like when I need to stop her from doing something really stupid."
Matthew chuckled and stood as well.
They both got dressed. Ellie put on a flannel red shirt and a pair of blue jeans along with her black sleeve. Matthew put on a blue sweatshirt and blue jeans.
Ellie turned back to Matthew as he grabbed his backpack, beginning their routine morning conversation. "Where are you, today?"
"On the Wall training until six," Matthew said. "But I also said that I'd be open to staying for an overnight shift."
Ellie nodded.
"They said if anything happens, I can leave anytime I want," Matthew continued, grabbing his crossbow. "But I made a promise to myself that I would protect our child's home."
"As long as your daughter sees you at our home regularly, I have no problem with that," Ellie said simply.
They walked down stairs and found Joel at the table, reading his book and still dressed in his black pajamas.
Matthew set down his crossbow, moved a piece on the chess board that he and Joel had set up the night before, and cooked up a quick breakfast.
Ellie grabbed a glass of water from the sink and refilled Joel's coffee.
"How you feelin', kiddo?" Joel asked Ellie.
"Fat," Ellie answered. She sat down on a chair across from him. "And hungry."
Matthew set plates down in front Ellie and Joel, keeping an apple for himself.
"I wanna hold her," Ellie said, staring at her stomach. She looked at Joel. "Is that weird?"
"I haven't exactly gone through what you're going through," Joel grunted, earning smiles from Matthew and Ellie. Joel shrugged. "But I would think that's normal."
Matthew put his hand around Ellie's chest. "I gotta go," he said quietly.
"See you tomorrow if I don't see you later," Ellie said.
Matthew kissed Ellie on the head before momentarily resting his hand on her stomach.
Joel leaned forward. "Hold up a sec, kid."
"Uh oh," Ellie said.
Joel took a deep breath. "I need you two to do me a favor," he said, running a hand through his beard. He stroked his watch as he spoke. "When this kid comes… appreciate and remember every hug. Every laugh. Every cry. Don't take any of it, and I mean any of it, for granted. Can you do that for me?"
"Yes, sir," Matthew said quietly.
Ellie nodded. "I've learned not to take anything for granted."
"Good," Joel said.
Matthew grabbed his crossbow and walked out the door.
"You two chosen a name yet?" Joel asked as Matthew closed the front door.
"Not yet," Ellie said. She took a drink of water. "It's going to be weird being called 'mom'."
"Well, that's not going to happen right away," Joel warned.
"I know," Ellie said. "But it's cool to think about, you know? I'm going to be 'mom'. Matthew's going to be 'dad'."
Joel smiled slightly and took a drink of his coffee. "So, what does that make me?"
Ellie didn't answer right away. "The guy who takes care of the majority of poop and other gross body stuff?" she said lightly.
"Good luck with that," Joel said, taking another sip of his coffee.
Ellie smiled.
After another minute of silence, Joel nodded and sat back in his chair.
"Sorry," Ellie said, looking down at the table.
"It's fine," Joel said, holding up a hand.
"It's just, you've always been 'Joel'," Ellie tried to explain. "It's always been that way."
"That's fine," Joel insisted. He chuckled. "I've been called worse than 'Joel'."
Ellie touched her stomach again as the baby started kicking. "Yeah, yeah," she said. "I'll feed you in a second."
"Kicking a lot?" Joel asked.
"Yeah," Ellie said with a laugh. "I think she's ready to come out. Matthew said the dream I had last night had her kicking too."
"What was the dream about?" Joel asked.
"Sarah," Ellie answered without thinking.
Joel looked at her curiously.
Ellie sighed. "It's not the first time she's made a guest appearance."
"Good dreams?" Joel asked.
"Always," Ellie said.
"What was it about?" Joel pressed. "The dream."
"It was you, me, and Sarah," Ellie said simply with a shrug. "We were eating or something."
Joel stroked his watch.
Ellie started to fidget with her necklace. "It's like I knew her," she continued, looking at Joel again. "I've only ever seen her in the picture and it's not like we talk in the dreams, but… there's always a connection."
"Better than nightmares," Joel commented.
"Any day of the week," Ellie replied. She smiled. "Dreams are weird, right?"
Joel nodded.
The baby kicked again.
"Okay!" Ellie exclaimed, picking up her spoon.
…
Matthew reached the Wall and walked up the ladder to see two young men and a young woman sitting on top of it. They were all dressed in black t-shirts and ripped blue jeans. They looked a little nervous, but alert.
Matthew got the morning briefing from the old, overnight watchmen.
"They look nervous," the watchmen commented quietly, glancing at the group.
"They'll grow out of it," Matthew said. "They always do."
"You're the expert," the watchmen replied.
"They got any weapons experience?" Matthew asked.
The watchmen shook his head. "Not really. Looks like you got your work cut out for you."
"Well, then the day'll go fast," Matthew said.
"Good luck," the watchmen said. "And keep an eye on that wife of yours. It looks like she's gonna explode."
Matthew nodded and turned to the group. After moment of silence, Matthew chuckled. "You guys can relax. You've been here long enough to know that I'm not the one that bites."
The two young men and the young woman smiled slightly and visibly relaxed.
"And I'm not going to shout at you if you mess up, either," Matthew said. He sat down and half turned to them, motioning to the trees beyond Jackson. "The first thing you got to remember is that the louder it is on the Wall, the less you'll hear and see out there."
…
Ellie spent the entire day at the Foundation.
After running three meetings and occasionally feeling some tight stomach pains, Ellie retreated to the back office to sort through papers and prepare for the next day's meetings.
Ellie looked at the clock on the wall. Ha! All this and I'm not even tired.
Marcus walked into the office and placed a water bottle in her hand.
"Thanks," Ellie said.
Marcus nodded. "Do you ever relax?"
"Tried once," Ellie replied as she placed a stack of papers in a drawer. "I found it boring. How's your daughter?"
"Adjusting," Marcus answered. "Clarisse and Lin were right. The puzzles they've been making for her have helped her focus a bit more. And they're coming over every night to help out with homework."
"Good," Ellie said. There was another tight pain in her stomach. She took a drink of water. "Well, I'm gonna head to the shop. You sure that you're good running nighttime emergency meetings?"
"I got the morning off tomorrow. So, I'm sure I'll manage for a few hours," Marcus said. He placed a hand on Ellie's shoulder. "Do me a favor. Please be at home before the sun rises tomorrow."
"No promises," Ellie replied as she exited the office.
Ellie walked into the shop awhile later when the moon was high in the sky.
Ellie looked at the mess. Once again, the two sides of the store had mixed into one. "Damn," she said under her breath.
"Pick a name yet?" the shopkeeper asked from behind the counter. He was already dressed in his black night clothes.
"Not yet," Ellie answered. She looked around the shop. "It's going to shit again."
"You can blame your husband for that," the shopkeeper said. "He did good on the scavenging trip he led last week."
Ellie chuckled as the baby kicked. She looked at the shopkeeper. "She says I should help you out."
"Feel free," the shopkeeper said. He walked to the door and flipped around the faded open/close sign. "I'm going to bed. Don't stay up too late."
…
"You guys did great," Matthew said as the two young men and the young woman walked away from the Wall.
"You are one of the most patient people I've ever met," a man down the Wall grunted.
"Better patient than dead," Matthew said.
"Amen," the man said. He looked at Matthew. "You still good for the overnight shift?"
"I don't have a problem with it," Matthew replied.
"What about your wife?" the man asked.
"Cleared it with her earlier," Matthew answered.
"Smart man."
…
Ellie slowly walked out of the shop around midnight. Her stomach pains had started to become more frequent and intense.
"Shit," Ellie said in pain as her stomach tightened again. She leaned against the front window of the shop. "Okay, kid. What are you doing?"
"Ellie?"
Ellie turned as Clarisse and Lin walked across the street, their hands intertwined. Both of them were dressed in simple purple t-shirts and blue shorts.
What are you two still doing up?" Ellie asked.
"You're going to talk to us about curfew?" Clarisse asked as Lin smiled. She looked at Ellie with concern. "You're not looking so good."
"Stomach's hurting," Ellie replied. She started to walk. "I think I'm going to call it a night."
Clarisse and Lin glanced at each other.
"How often is your stomach hurting?" Lin asked.
"It feels like it's every ten minutes," Ellie grunted.
"You're having contractions," Clarisse said calmly.
Ellie shook her head.
Lin looked at Ellie's stomach. "How long?"
"What?" Ellie asked.
"How long is the pain lasting?" Clarisse clarified.
Ellie shrugged. "About one… oh, fuck. I'm having contractions."
Clarisse folded her arms and raised an eyebrow.
Ellie didn't speak for a moment. A whirlwind of emotions overtook her as she started to think about what it all could mean.
"You should get her to Heather's," Lin said quietly to Clarisse.
"Could you go get Steven?" Clarisse asked her. "I saw him further down the south side of the Wall."
"Don't," Ellie said quickly. She smiled. "You girls just have fun on your date. I can make it to Heather's on my own."
"Not a chance," Clarisse said, moving to stand next to Ellie.
Lin ran off and returned a few minutes later with Steven.
"Woah," Steven said quietly, looking at Ellie.
"That's an understatement," Ellie said.
"Let's get you to Heather's," Steven said. He looked at Lin and Clarisse. "Heather and Joey are on the east side of the Wall. Can one of you get them for me?"
"I'll go," Clarisse said.
"I'll cover your shift on the Wall for a while," Lin said to Steven.
"I'll come back with Heather and stick around," Clarisse assured Steven.
Ellie groaned. "You guys don't have to—"
"Shut up," Clarisse interrupted calmly.
Ellie stopped speaking out of surprise.
Everyone laughed for a moment.
Lin turned to Clarisse, speaking softly. "I'll see you tomorrow. Wǒ ài nǐ."
"Wǒ yě ài, nǐ," Clarisse replied, giving Lin a kiss. She turned to Ellie. "I'll see you in a few."
"Just…" Ellie hesitated, still trying to clear her thoughts. "Just keep it quiet."
"Matthew?" Clarisse asked.
"Not yet," Ellie said.
…
"You're happy, right?" Heather asked Joey as they looked out over the Wall.
"Yes," Joey said, smiling. He continued fidgeting with the belt loop on his blue jeans and the bottom of his green t-shirt. "I don't think I've ever been this happy… or this scared. But that's not important. Are you happy?"
"Same as you," Heather said, stretching out her legs and allowing the breeze to flow through a few of the ripped holes on her own blue jeans. She tugged at the bottom of her white t-shirt. "Happy. Scared shitless. And more happy."
"Heather! Joey!"
Heather stood with Joey and hopped off the Wall to greet an out of breath Clarisse.
"Ellie…" Clarisse said, lowering her voice and panting. "Ellie needs you."
"Let's go," Heather said immediately.
Joey looked at a man on the Wall. "You guys good?"
"You weren't even shifted, kid."
Joey nodded and joined Heather and Clarisse.
"Steven's bringing Ellie to your place," Clarisse explained.
"Who knows?" Heather asked.
"Ellie wants to keep it pretty quiet," Clarisse answered.
…
Ellie looked up from the bed that Heather and Joey had moved into the kitchen for her over a week ago.
The bed was empty accept for an old, ripped sheet and a bunch of pillows.
Heather walked into the kitchen with Joey.
"You okay?" Joey asked Ellie.
"Where the fuck were you guys?" Ellie snapped. After a few seconds, she took a deep breath. "Sorry. I'm in a bit of pain."
"You have a baby repositioning itself inside your stomach," Heather said with a shrug. "That's gotta be a bit intense."
Ellie chuckled. "A bit… yeah." She looked Heather in the eye with a hint of desperation.
Heather nodded.
Joey noticed the exchange and placed a hand on Heather's shoulder. "Lin's got to get back home soon," he said. "So, Steven's gonna need to head back to the Wall."
"Okay," Heather said. She grabbed his hand and squeezed for a moment. "I'll be fine."
"Clarisse and I will stick around," Joey said. He looked at Ellie. "If you need anyone to punch, I'll be down the hall."
"I'll keep that in mind," Ellie said with an appreciative smile.
Joey left the room with Arata, closing the door behind him.
Ellie grunted in pain. She looked at Heather and spoke calmly. "I need to talk to you."
"Finally," Heather said with a smile. She sat down on the bed next to Ellie. "You've only been avoiding talking about your anxiety for nine months now."
"I've talked to Matthew," Ellie argued. She reached out and touched Heather's hand. "But I'd really like to talk to my girl."
"Ready to receive any venting you've got," Heather said, grasping Ellie's hand. Heather looked at the loose, baggy grey sweatshirt on the edge of the bed. "You should probably get dressed."
"I'm comfortable for the first time in an hour," Ellie said, sitting back against the pillows propped up on the bed. "I'm not getting up. And I'm not wearing that shirt. It's not my color."
"Your choice…" Heather said looking away with a small smile.
…
Joey looked over at Clarisse on the other side of the couch. She was fidgeting with her fingers and ignoring the purring cat next to her.
"Clarisse," Joey said quietly.
The young woman looked at him.
Joey smiled. "She'll be fine. Besides, I don't think anything's really supposed to happen for a few hours."
Clarisse slowly nodded and looked at Joey. She sighed. "You're right."
"Anything you wanna talk about?" Joey asked.
Clarisse looked down at the floor. "Do you think the baby will like me?"
Joey smiled, reaching out and placing a hand on the young woman's shoulder as he spoke. "I don't see how anybody couldn't like you, Clarisse."
…
Ellie breathed in relief as Heather massaged her back, somehow easing some of the pain in her stomach.
Ellie felt immensely grateful for her friend. Heather had listened for quite some time as Ellie talked about everything that had scared her and everything that she felt excited for.
"Better?" Heather asked.
"Better," Ellie replied, knowing that Heather wasn't just talking about the pain. "Thanks for letting me… be nervous."
"You're doing fine," Heather said. She squeezed Ellie's hand. "You'll do fine."
Ellie heard a quiet pop and a small amount of liquid flowed down her pants leg.
"Fuck…" Ellie said as the liquid stopped flowing. She looked at Heather. "These are my favorite pants."
"I warned you," Heather said with a laugh.
"Help me get the damn sweater on," Ellie said grumpily.
A minute later, Ellie was sitting down on the bed wearing only the large baggy sweater. "Now what?" she asked.
"Now it gets more intense," Heather said, somewhat nervously. "You want Joey to get Matthew?"
"Not yet," Ellie said, rubbing her tired eyes. She looked at Heather. "How intense are we talking?"
Heather didn't answer.
"Joyous," Ellie moaned as another, even more powerful contraction occurred. She lightly touched her stomach. "With how painful this is, little girl, you'd better be pretty."
…
Matthew turned slightly as he heard a dog bark behind him.
The sun started to rise as Winston half ran, half limped down the street toward the Wall. The dog's greying fur shined brightly in the sunlight.
"Joel finally let you out?" Matthew asked as he reached into the bag next to him and threw the dog an apple. "Eat up."
"Morning," Maria said, joining Matthew on the Wall. She wore a black t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans.
"Morning," Matthew replied. He handed Maria an apple.
"How long have you been up here?" Maria asked.
"I had late start yesterday," Matthew replied. "Have you seen Ellie?"
Maria shook her head. "Joel's at our house getting breakfast. You gonna join us?"
"I'm good," Matthew said. He gulped and looked at Maria. "Something's going to happen today."
"Do you know something?" Maria asked. "Or is this another one of those hunches you get?"
Matthew shrugged.
"Well, don't wear yourself out," Maria said.
"I'll be fine for a couple more hours," Matthew insisted.
"I don't want to see you on the Wall tomorrow," Maria said firmly.
"Yes, ma'am."
…
"Shit," Ellie grunted. "That one was really painful."
"Looked like it," Heather said. She helped Ellie lay back. "What's the call?"
Ellie looked at the clock on the wall and saw that it was six in the morning. She looked at Heather. "Have Joey and Clarisse get Matthew."
"Joel?" Heather asked.
"Just Matthew," Ellie said with a pained grunt and yawn. "For now."
…
Clarisse took the walkie-talkie from Joey and turned it to a private channel. "Marcus, Joey needs you to take his shift on the Wall later."
"Something wrong?" Marcus asked.
"Code red," Clarisse replied.
"I got it covered."
…
Joey skidded to a stop as he saw Tim and Vanessa exiting the shop.
Tim was wearing a purple sweater and a black pair of jeans. Vanessa was wearing blue shorts and one of Tim's old red t-shirts.
"Thank God," Joey said, jogging to them. "Have you seen Matthew?"
"Yeah, he's pulling another crazy one on the Wall," Tim replied.
"What's going on?" Vanessa asked. She smiled. "The baby?"
Joey nodded.
"I'll head to the Foundation and hold down the fort," Vanessa said, hugging Tim tightly. "I have a meeting to cover."
"I love you," Tim said.
"Love you too," Vanessa replied. She jogged away.
Tim looked after her for a moment before turning to Joey, feeling excited as he spoke. "I'll lead the way."
They started jogging along the Wall, looking for Matthew.
"You do it yet?" Joey asked.
"Not yet," Tim replied.
"Can I see it?"
Tim reached into his pocket and handed Joey a small gold ring. "All the fancy stuff we found last week on the scouting trip," Tim explained. "This is what Vanessa was staring at."
"I'm sure she'll love it," Joey said, handing back the ring.
"I'm more concerned about her answer," Tim said.
"She'll say 'yes'," Joey assured him.
"I hope so," Tim said with a small chuckle. "I already asked Matthew to be my best man and Clarisse has her speech written out already. She said she was saving it for a special occasion or something."
…
Matthew hopped off the Wall as Tim and Joey ran to him.
"The baby's coming," Matthew said nervously. "Isn't it?"
The two men in front of him nodded.
Matthew took a deep breath and turned away. "I'll be there in a sec."
Joey and Tim glanced at each other. Joey nodded, turned, and jogged off.
Matthew felt Tim's reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You'll do great," the younger man said. "Trust me."
"Okay," Matthew said, feeling surprisingly relieved.
"Ready?" Tim asked.
"Ready."
"Let's go."
Matthew and Tim jogged after Joey with Winston in tow.
…
Joey passed by the shopkeeper on the way to Heather's. "Grandpa?" he asked, surprised to see his grandfather so far from the shop, dressed in all brown t-shirt and jeans with a rifle in tow.
"I figure somebody had better cover that kid's shift," his grandfather replied.
"I'll make sure he thanks you later," Joey said. The old man nodded in reply and kept walking. Joey turned. "Grandpa?"
His grandfather turned. "Yes, grandson?"
"When was the last time you were on the Wall?" Joey asked.
"Not since your mother and I made this place as secure as we could," his grandfather answered.
Joey raised an eyebrow.
His grandfather smiled. "You weren't born yet, kid."
Joey looked at the ground as his grandfather walked away.
For the first time in his life, Joey felt old. "Shit."
…
Ellie smiled as Matthew entered the room and knelt next to her.
Behind him, Heather exited the bedroom with Winston and Arata.
"You look tired," Ellie commented, looking at the shadows under her husband's eyes.
"You look worse," Matthew replied.
Ellie laughed, then grunted in pain. "I think this feels worse than the time—"
"Let's not revisit any of that right now," Matthew suggested.
"Good idea," Ellie replied.
"You could have had them get me earlier," Matthew said kindly.
"You would have been bored," Ellie replied. She grabbed his hand as the contraction Matthew walked in on ended.
"Joel on his way?" Matthew asked.
"He doesn't know yet," Ellie said. She smiled. "I just needed to see you first. I don't know why."
After a couple minutes and a particularly long and painful contraction that drove even more energy out of her, Ellie laid back and panted heavily.
"Is there anything I can do?" Matthew asked.
Ellie attempted to speak through her pain and exhaustion. "Get dad…" she practically whispered.
"What?" Matthew asked.
"Get Joel!" Ellie snapped as another contraction hit.
Matthew immediately stood and ran out the door.
…
Joey walked up to Heather who was still standing outside the kitchen door as Matthew ran past.
"How you doin'?" Joey asked, slipping a hand around Heather's waist.
"Nervous," Heather replied quietly. "I haven't exactly done this before."
"You're Jackson's best doctor," Joey whispered. "You'll do fine."
Heather grabbed his hand and squeezed.
"You haven't told her yet," Joey guessed. "Ellie, I mean.
Heather shook her head. "This day's about Ellie and her kid."
"You're right," Joey said softly, placing his hand over Heather's stomach. "Elliot can wait."
"Elanor," Heather corrected firmly.
"We'll see," Joey said, kissing her cheek.
…
Matthew found Joel eating with Tommy and Maria at their kitchen table.
Joel wore a green flannel shirt and a pair of blue jeans. His brother was dressed in a frayed blue t-shirt and blue jeans.
Joel saw the look on Matthew's face and immediately stood.
Matthew led Joel, Tommy, and Maria to Heather's house.
Upon entering, Tommy and Maria stayed with Joey, Clarisse, and Tim in the living room. They were all sitting on couches, chairs, and even the floor.
Matthew led Joel down the hallway and into the kitchen.
…
Ellie opened her eyes as another contraction ended and saw Matthew and Joel enter the kitchen.
Matthew stood back as Joel knelt and grabbed Ellie's hand.
"I'm glad you're here," Ellie said weakly.
"I'm here, Ellie," Joel said softly. "I'm here."
"Just in time," Heather said.
Joel squeezed Ellie's hand and stepped back as Heather moved forward.
"I think it's time," Ellie said.
"You ready to push?" Heather asked.
Ellie nodded.
Heather positioned herself on the end of the bed. "Three. Two. One. Ellie, push."
Ellie groaned as she pushed and was rewarded with one of the most painful experiences of her life.
"Stop," Heather said calmly. She counted under her breath. She looked at Ellie. "Again."
"Shit," Ellie grunted as she pushed again.
They repeated the process over the next half hour.
Ellie attempted not to think about the pain. She looked at Matthew and Joel for support.
They encouraged her with quiet, calming words.
Ellie smiled and knew they were there to stay.
"Okay, stop again," Heather said. She hesitated. "I can see the top of the head. This next one's going to hurt like hell, Ellie. But it's almost over. One. Two. Three. Push!"
Ellie squeezed her eyes shut and pushed through the pain. She felt someone grab her hand tightly. She opened her eyes and saw Matthew there.
"I'm here," Matthew said firmly.
"Push!" Heather said again.
Ellie pushed and felt an even more intense pain. She squeezed Matthew's hand and looked into his eyes. They were full of desire, hope, kindness, and happiness. Everything that bonded them together in a single gaze. A single moment.
Ellie felt the pain subside somewhat and she looked up to see a baby girl in Heather's arms. Ellie cried out and tears of happiness flowed from her eyes as the perfect child screamed for the first time.
"Is it okay?" Matthew asked nervously.
"She's fine," Heather said with tears in her eyes. She clamped and cut the umbilical cord.
"Thank God," Matthew said.
Behind Matthew, Ellie saw Joel smiling with a tear in his eye.
Matthew looked at Ellie. "How you doin'?" he asked.
Ellie laid her head back and smiled. She sat up as Heather wrapped a clean towel around the baby.
The baby quieted down and moaned softly.
Heather slowly moved around Matthew and knelt to show Ellie the baby.
The child had a small amount of red hair on top of her head and bright blue eyes staring directly at Ellie. The baby moaned again and closed her eyes.
Ellie laid her head on the baby's brow. "She's so beautiful," Ellie whispered. She looked at Matthew. "We did such a good job. Look at her."
Matthew knelt next to the baby. He put his hand over his mouth and Ellie saw pure joy in his eyes. He touched his forehead lightly against the baby's. The little girl opened her eyes and looked at Matthew for a moment.
Ellie smiled at the sight and eventually looked at Joel. He was still smiling in the doorway. Tears fell down the hand that now rested over his beard.
"Let's let grandpa hold the baby," Ellie said. She waved Joel over.
Matthew gently took the baby and handed it to Joel.
Ellie smiled and touched her necklace.
Joel took the baby and held it in his arms. A tear fell onto the baby's forehead. It opened its eyes for a moment.
Ellie saw Joel smile broadly and noticed a shift in his eyes. She knew he felt a happiness that had been dormant for years.
"Sarah," Ellie said softly. She smiled. "Meet grandpa."
Ellie looked at Matthew, asking silent permission for the name.
Matthew smiled, nodded, and kissed Ellie's forehead.
Behind them. Heather smiled and slowly walked out of the kitchen, closing the door behind her.
Ellie and Joel looked into each other's eyes. They both smiled.
Joel walked forward and laid the child in the crook of Ellie's arm. "You did great, baby girl."
"Thanks," Ellie said.
Joel knelt next to Matthew, put an arm around the new father's shoulder, and grabbed Ellie's other hand.
Matthew was still smiling as he gazed at his now sleeping daughter.
Ellie smiled at both of them and looked at the baby in the crook of her arm.
"My baby girl. My Sarah."
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