Retreat then Restore...Revisiting the Past

She went away, and now she's back...but how does she explain the fact that she wasn't dead, and didn't kill herself?

This chapter is the last of two epilogues. Thank you all for reviewing, I have really enjoyed writing this fic. Please check out my other HC fics, there are so many of them. Hope you enjoy reading the final chapter.

'Well, here they are,' replied Owen. 'One perfectly healthy baby, perfect size, no structural abnormalities, and you are just over 12 weeks along, so you'll be having a Christmas baby, but he or she might just miss Christmas Day. I'd say the 26th or 27th December would be your due date.'

'It looks like a peanut,' remarked Ric. 'He or she will probably have the skin colour of a peanut too.'

'Aww Ric, don't be cruel to our little Peanut,' replied Diane, giggling softly.

'Merry Christmas my beautiful wife, daughter and peanuts,' said Ric affectionately, climbing back into bed with them, handing Diane a cup of herbal tea.

'Thanks,' said Diane, taking a sip and putting it on the side. 'Are you looking forward to opening your presents Cassie?'

She nodded eagerly.

'Ahh, me too,' replied Diane. 'It's definitely the earliest I've woken up to open presents, it's 4am! But I don't mind, the peanuts are wiggling around like little worms.'

'I still can't believe that Owen didn't notice,' remarked Ric.

'Fight fair Ric,' argued Diane. 'He's not all knowing, he is allowed to screw up. I think that it's good that we're having our little peanuts, one of each. A boy peanut, and a girl peanut.'

'I want to open presents!' protested Cassie.

'Okay Yejide,' replied Ric with a laugh.

'You always call me Yejide dad,' said Cassie. 'What does it mean?'

'It means image of the mother,' replied Diane. 'Your dad calls you it because you look like me.'

'Yes,' replied Ric. 'You're beautiful, both of you. My Yejide and my Ekundayo. Cassie the image of her mother, and Diane, my wife, my sorrow that led to great joy. My beautiful girls.'

'What are you going to call them?' asked Cassie.

'The girl is going to be called Paige Leona Natalie, and the boy is going to be called Patrick Leo Nicholas. The Paige and Patrick is P for Peanut, Leona and Leo for your big brother who's in heaven, and Nicholas and Natalie for Christmas, because they're going to be born soon,' said Diane.

'I like them,' said Cassie.

'Me too,' replied Ric.

'Will you give the peanuts nicknames?' asked Cassie.

'I guess I will,' replied Ric. 'We'll have to wait until they're born.'

'That'll be soon, very soon,' replied Diane.

'How do you know?' asked Ric.

'Dad, it's wet around where Mum is,' said Cassie worriedly.

'Oh My God!' exclaimed Ric.

'Precisely,' replied Diane. 'Patrick and Paige are coming, now!'

'I'll ring an ambulance,' said Ric, leaning over to get his phone. 'We'll get you to the hospital darling, I promise...'

At the hospital...

'They're adorable,' said Diane, cooing at their little faces sleeping away, cuddled next to each other in the crib.

'Yes they are,' replied Ric.

'They're squishy!' squealed Cassie. 'What are their nicknames?'

'Well Yejide,' said Ric. 'I think that Paige is going to be nicknamed Monifa, which means I am lucky, and Patrick will be nicknamed Ngozi, which means blessing.'

'What languages are they?' asked Cassie.

'Some are Yoruba, and some are Igbo. They're two of the languages spoken in Ghana, where Daddy's from and where Mummy and Daddy got married,' said Ric.

'Ohhh,' said Cassie. 'Are you still going to call them peanuts?'

'Of course,' replied Diane with a chuckle, sending the room into laughter.

'I am so lucky,' said Ric. 'I have a proper little family, and I love it. My 3 beautiful girls and my handsome son.'

'And you Daddy,' said Cassie with a smile.