Chapter 4 - MOMS

Hi! It's been a while since I've updated this fic with a new chapter. The recent celebration of Mother's Day had been special for me, so that gave me ideas and inspiration to add another chapter to this collection. For those of you who have read my other fics in this Arrow/Olicity verse, you will have no problems following the story lines because the characters and events referenced here are taken from those fics I've previously posted in this site and in AO3. If you are reading this for the first time, I think you'll somehow be able to catch on because I tried to give some details to establish back stories, but if you are interested to read more so that you can connect the dots, then you might want to check out "My Mom & My Dad" and the sequel "The Queens."

This is my post-Mothers Day gift to all of you mothers out there who are Arrow and/or Olicity fans. Happy Mothers' Day, and I hope you enjoy this.

Oliver's Journal

January 1, 2013

They're asleep. Finally. Haven't had the time for even just a nap in almost 48 hours. Terribly tired, but for some reason, I just can't sleep. Might as well jot down my thoughts on this very special New Year's Day.

I don't remember the last time I've been this tired, but I guess how I feel right now doesn't even come close to the fatigue that Felicity now feels. She's out cold. Can't blame her though. Almost ten hours of labor before the twins came out, and just twenty minutes apart. And then they wheeled her straight from the recovery room to this private maternity suite, with me and our babies each in their bassinets following close behind. Those two have been wide awake since we got here, already asking for their mother's milk. Those lungs! Our kids sure know how to scream. Good thing my wife's breasts are already dripping with the good stuff, and the little ones didn't have much trouble latching on with a little help from the midwife that the nursing staff sent over.

I'm a father again. Still can't quite wrap my head around the thought. It's an overwhelming thought, undeniably. But it's also an amazing feeling! It's like being on top of the world. It's a lot like our wedding day, but without the nasty, double diaper change I had to pull off by myself an hour ago, coz Felicity still can't move that much with the after-effects of the epidural.

It wasn't like this at all when Stephen was born about nine years ago. I wasn't even there for Laurel, and I say that to my shame to this day. I got texts from Quentin and Sara when Laurel started having labor pains, but instead of rushing to the hospital to be with her, I ran. Just as I did months prior when she told me she was pregnant. Just as I did on our wedding rehearsal dinner a month after we told our respective parents, who bitterly obliged us to take responsibility for our impulsive actions and live with the consequences. I was just too scared back then. Maybe "cowardly" is a better term. I'm not really proud of the kind of man, the kind of husband and father that I had been. And when I had finally gotten my act together for my young family, it was too late. Almost. I'm glad I was still given ten months after we found out about Laurel's cancer to enjoy taking good care of them both.

This time is very different, though. I've been given another shot at fatherhood with Felicity as my wife. and I must say that being with her every step of the way has been… (sigh) I have no words.

From the time her water broke at the New Year's Eve party that my mom threw every year for family and friends at the mansion, up to the moment I held our twins in my arms one after the other, it has been like a thrilling roller coaster ride. I actually panicked when Felicity calmly told me that I needed to bring her to the hospital. I couldn't remember anything about everything that we talked about doing when it was time. Stephen was actually the one who snapped me out of my initial shock. (chuckle) I can still hear his words in my ear, "Breathe, Dad," he had said, just before he ran to our bedroom to grab the baby bag Felicity had packed just a week ago. At the hospital, Emily was the one who reminded me to call my in-laws in Vegas to let them know that Felicity was already in labor. When the nurse pushed her in a wheel chair into the Delivery Room, I got even more nervous that the rest of my family that had come along for moral support could no longer be with me in there. Thea had hugged me just as the nurse had to close the D.R. door, telling me, "Everything's gonna be okay, Ollie."

For hours, though, I wasn't sure if that was true. Those contractions… They were mean and scary, I tell you! In the first few hours, Felicity seemed okay. We were still laughing and joking about all sorts of things. My main concern was to make her as comfortable as possible. We even took time in between contractions to finally decide on the twins' names – something that we have been brainstorming since her first trimester.

We got the boy's name nailed first. I named him Thomas John Smoak Queen, after my two best friends, and Felicity got to decide on the nickname TJ. She said we shouldn't make our kids' name too difficult to spell for when they start going to school. The girl's name came much, much later. The first name Olive was no contest compared to the other names we had originally picked out, as my wife wanted to name her after me. But we started arguing about the second name Rose when she reasoned that it was only fitting to name her such because she was convinced that the twins were conceived on the night of our wedding, which was held at the mansion's Rose Garden. I mean, how could she know for sure, when we did it every night for about a week since the wedding? It was a stupid thing to fight about, I know, especially with a woman in labor. But when the contractions were just minutes apart, and Felicity was beginning to yell at me for the things she needed or wanted, I finally caved, on the condition that we get to call our daughter Liv or Livy.

That was the beginning of the terrifying part of the ordeal. The contractions were coming more frequently, and Felicity was dilating fast, but for some reason that the OB couldn't explain, the twins were not descending into the birth canal as expected. When the doctor said that the babies might be in distress if the situation didn't improve soon and suggested doing a cesarean section instead of normal delivery, I must admit, I was scared to death. The twins were already arriving a month earlier than the due date, but them being in distress, and Felicity having to be sliced up on the operating table? That was too much for me to handle. Or so I thought. Felicity begged the doctor to give it a little more time, and the doctor agreed but closely monitored her and the babies' vitals. "A little more time" really took about an hour, maybe two, until the babies started showing signs of descent.

It was painful to watch my wife suffer that way. She clung to my arm fiercely, and her neatly trimmed nails dug into my flesh, leaving multiple half-moon shapes on my skin. I couldn't complain of my pain each time she squeezed real hard. I knew that was nothing compared to the pain she was going through. But when she saw me wince that one time, she suddenly let go and clung to the rails of the hospital bed, causing the cold metal to rattle as she agonized through another painful contraction. In my frustration at my inability to take away my wife's pain, I might have yelled at the doctor to give her the epidural already. When the anesthesia kicked in, I was so happy to see that she was relieved physically, emotionally, and mentally.

But for me, the worst wasn't over. When it was time for the doctor to deliver the babies, I was made to put on a scrub suit and wash my hands thoroughly, so I stepped out of the delivery room to do so. Imagine my horror when I got back, coming in through the door to find my wife's legs now spread out and blood coming out of her. My last thought before I began to stagger and fall was, "So that's what they call crowning…"

I woke up to the sound of a nurse's voice saying, "Mr. Queen! Mr. Queen, get up! It's time!" I had passed out for about a minute, so I was told. Embarrassed as I was, I had to get up from the floor with the nurse's help. I remember thinking that I might have to pay the attending staff a hefty sum of money to keep them quiet about Oliver Queen fainting in his wife's delivery room. The paparazzi and the tabloid reporters that were beginning to converge outside the hospital would pay good money to publish such a juicy scoop!

None of that mattered anymore as soon as I heard my daughter's first shrill cry. It was music to my ears. With trembling hands, I cut the umbilical cord when the doctor let me do the honors. I didn't even realize I was crying until one of the nurses grabbed my hand to keep me from wiping my tears with one of my gloved hands. Nurse said I had to keep my hands sterile.

My affection and admiration for Felicity became stronger and deeper through that ordeal. When the doctor placed Liv on her breast, I decided that my wife is undoubtedly among the strongest persons I know. My mother is another. Any mother is, for that matter.

I watched Felicity live with all the discomforts of pregnancy since her first trimester with a smile on her face, but never have I realized in all my life how much mothers have to sacrifice than at that moment when she braced herself for that final push and cried out with all her might. With my hand on my baby's back, I kissed Felicity's damp forehead and whispered to her, "I love you." Unlike each time I say those words to her and she would usually smile in appreciation or moan in contentment in between kisses, she only groaned in response. It was then that I remembered that our son was still in there. She had already suffered so much just to bring our daughter into this world, and all I wanted was for her to just be able to rest. Yet she still had to hang in there a little longer to deliver our second baby. About twenty minutes later, TJ was out, and the OB began to stitch her up as I held her hand.

As per hospital policy, the twins are now rooming-in with their mother, and she immediately began breastfeeding. Liv and TJ seemed to have been satisfied and are now quietly sleeping. At last. So is Felicity. I told her to sleep while the little ones do, so she could have strength for when they wake up and cry for mommy's milk again. Stephen and Emily will be visiting in the morning with family and close friends.

My heart swells within me as I gaze upon my little family now. I'm totally, hundred percent in love with our twins, but nothing tops how I feel about their mother – the woman who carried my children for eight months with very little complaint, the mother who labored for hours to bring them into this world without giving up. She is, no doubt, the love of my life, and I'm so very, very proud of her.

Connor's Email to Felicity

Bagram, Afghanistan

May 8, 2022

Hi! Just checking in to make sure you and dad don't worry yourselves to death about me. We landed safely in Bagram Air Base day before yesterday. I'm sorry I'm just emailing now. I know I promised to do it at soon as I arrived, but we were debriefed and oriented all day yesterday, so that's that. We're already being sent on a reconnaissance mission to some place near the borders of Parwan Province tomorrow. We won't be coming back to base for about a week, so don't expect to hear from me again until then.

Please tell Stephen I miss him already, even though I know he hates me being all "bromantic." Tell him the guy from Arizona that's assigned to the bunk bed below mine reminds me so much of him. Give my hugs to TJ and the girls, especially Ems. Arizona guy here was just looking at our most recent family picture – the one Dad Glen took during your anniversary dinner last month – and he's got this goofy smile on his face because he suddenly has a crush on her and asked if he could meet her through Facetime sometime. And tell Dad (for the nth time) that I'll do my very best to keep my promise to come back in one piece at the end of this first tour. (wink)

Just want to say how much I appreciate you backing me up on this. I know it wasn't easy for you and Dad – for the whole family, for that matter – to accept my decision to join the Marines, knowing for sure that I'll be shipped out here. Thanks for understanding why this means a lot to me, and thanks for helping Dad understand a little bit at a time. I must say, I'm mighty glad he has you in his life, and I'm just as glad to have you in mine. You've always been very supportive from the beginning, especially when I lost my mom, and all through those years when I was being difficult. You opened up your heart and your home and shared your wonderful family with me when I felt like I had no one left but my stepdad.

I don't remember ever expressing these to you in so many words – how grateful I am to have you as a second mom. I always thought that hugs were enough. Now that I'm thousands of miles away, I realize they're not. Happy Mother's Day, Felicity! I'm giving you more hugs when I get back.

Stephen's Journal

June 26, 2024

Today one of my best wishes from way back in middle school was granted. Katie married me. She walked down the aisle in the most gorgeous off-white satin dress. We exchanged vows, holding hands, and I remember thinking how her beautiful brown eyes had never before sparkled the way they did this morning. I know I've said it already in the vows earlier, and I've written it down so many times before, but I'm writing it down again just the same. I'll never get tired of bragging that Katie is my very best friend and childhood sweetheart. She has always been and will always be. She's been there for me since middle school, held my hand throughout college, and cheered me on to finish training to be a cop like Grandpa Quentin and Uncle Roy.

Everyone was there, all dressed up – everyone that mattered, at least. Grandpa Quentin was there, and so were Aunt Sara and Uncle Tommy, Aunt Thea and Uncle Roy. Katie's parents and grandparents were there. The guys from the Police Academy were there, and a handful of our closest friends from high school and college. Grandma Moira and Walter had flown in from London with the best gift ever – the keys to a three-bedroom bungalow in the suburbs. Now I know why Dad has been stalling and keeping me from apartment-hunting, something that Katie has been nagging me about because she didn't like to live in the mansion.

When I proposed to Katie before graduating from the Academy, I was very happy that she had said yes. But at the same time, I was a bit anxious that she might ask for a long engagement so that we could save up enough to spend for the dream wedding she had always talked about way back in high school. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I had wanted to marry her as soon as I graduate.

That's why I was pleasantly surprised when she told me on my graduation day that she wanted us to tie the knot as soon as all the details can be arranged. She said that we didn't have to wait long since we've been together for years. She explained that she no longer wanted a grand, expensive fairytale wedding like she used to. All she wanted was family, our closest friends, the rings, quality photographs, Lucia's specialty Spanish-style brunch, and a weekend in Aspen. Dad and Mom took care of Aspen for our honeymoon as their wedding gift to us, and for everything else, the money I had already saved throughout college had been enough. When I asked Katie why she had given up her dream wedding, she wouldn't give me a definite answer except that she had had a "change of heart." It was only at the rehearsal dinner the other day that I found out why: Mom had gotten through to her. Felicity Smoak does have a way with words.

Felicity. Mom's name really suits her. Ever since my Dad and I met her and Emily in that park all those years ago, she's been nothing but pure bliss. She has brought light and love into our lives. She has made Dad happy. She has made me happy.

I guess that's why two of the highlights of this amazing day has her in it. The first was during the ceremony, when Katie and I were honoring our parents. Mom stood beside my dad proudly, even if she wasn't my biological mother. I believe she's earned the honor. She didn't have to give birth to me to have loved me like her very own son. She's a terrific mom – thoughtful and understanding, caring and generous, smart and funny. My mom Laurel would have loved her, had they met in person. The second highlight was during the reception, when Katie had her father-daughter dance and I had my mother-son dance. I had asked Mom weeks ago if she'd do it, because I know she wasn't very confident about her skills on the dance floor. I didn't have to beg, and she didn't think twice. I'd have to remember to get her something special from Aspen as a thank-you gift, not just for the wedding favors, but more importantly for everything she's done for me through the years.

That's it for now. I'll update later when we get to Aspen. First class is ready for boarding.

TJ's Note to Felicity on Mother's Day

May 13, 2029

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Today, everybody else will say that theirs is the 'Best Mom in the World.' I won't argue with anyone on that. I just think it's a cliché and a hyperbole rolled into one. But, everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, so... For me, however, you're not the best mom in the world. Sorry. (LOL) You are the best mom for me, and for my brothers and sisters. Like Dad always says, you are remarkable, irreplaceable even. I love you, Mom. Thanks for always having my back.

Mom, I know you want me to go to MIT for college, not only because it's your alma mater, but also because it ranks as the third best school in the world in the field of Arts and Design. But I've made my choice. I'm going to Stanford. It's good enough. More importantly, it's close enough to home. And I love home. I know Liv wants to study in Massachusetts like Emily, and pretty soon Carrie's going to join them. Stephen has his own family, and Connor is still in Afghanistan. Who'll look after you and Dad? I figured I should be near enough if you need anything. I know you're going to be a tad bit disappointed, but trust me on this, okay? Stanford and I will get along just fine. I can feel it in my artistic bones. (wink)

Carrie's Dairy

February 17, 2031

Mom and I had a really good talk tonight. I realize I've been to self-centered about this whole thing with Trevor. And Dad. I get it now. I think.

Realization #1: Trevor is a jerk!

Dad was right about him all along. He only wanted to get into my pants – my dress, rather, considering it was Prom Night. I don't know how I could have missed the signs. Well, maybe it's coz he's just the coolest, cutest guy in senior high this year. I've had my share of crushes, but no one has really caught my eye since junior high like he has. Maybe it's coz he's the new kid, a transfer student from Singapore who's half-Asian and half-American. On hindsight, I think it's coz I had become too blind to see anything but his good looks and charm.

What I didn't get was how Dad could have known. I mean, Trevor had never been disrespectful, never taken advantage of me, until Friday night. Trevor had kept all of Dad's rules when it came to calls, social media, and coming to the house (including the unreasonable ones). But Dad never once let me go out with him, and I've always resented that. Now though, I'm so glad he knew better and so glad I obeyed no matter how reluctantly (with matching eye rolls).

Realization #2: Dad truly cares.

Mom told me how Dad had fooled around when he was young. Of course, I already knew that Connor and Stephen had different mothers, and Dad has always said that I should trust him about boys and relationships because he knew what he was talking about. But it hasn't quite hit me this hard – my dad's sordid past – until my mom explained (with just the right amount of details) the mess he'd been in. That helped me appreciate how much my dad has changed from the kind of man that he was before he met my mom. Now I understand why my dad has been so protective of me and my sisters, why he's always had serious talks with my brothers. He doesn't want us to make choices we will regret. I see now that Dad truly loves me. He loves us.

Although, I think he went a little overboard this morning. Maybe it was because I'm the youngest Queen, or because I'm sort of Dad's favorite of us all. (Of course, he wouldn't admit it, but I've kind of senses it for as long as I can remember.) He insisted on being the one to drive me to school so that he could march into the Principal's office and personally report Trevor's misdemeanor Friday night at the parking lot of the prom venue. Well, it was that or barging into our classroom and punching Trevor in the face. Mom had to restrain him (bodily) and calm him down over breakfast. It would've been easier if Stephen and TJ were here, but I'm the only Queen left. All my older siblings have already left the house for either work or college. So, Mom called Uncle John and asked him to take me to school instead and take care of the situation. That pacified my dad somehow. But… I might have seen a man clad in black leather and a helmet on a Ducati, circling the school grounds while Uncle Diggle stood outside our classroom waiting to speak with the senior class adviser about Trevor Rogers.

Realization #3: Mom cares just as much.

Mom also told me that she knows exactly what I'm going through as a young woman intensely attracted to a cute guy. She says it's exactly why she made mistakes early on and had Emily out of wedlock a few years before she met Dad, who became the true love of her life. She says she understands how amazing it feels to be the object of someone's affections and how simple touches make a woman's body tingle. She also warned me that unreliable and fleeting emotions can make us do crazy things, and that I shouldn't make choices based on emotions and impulsive reactions because that, most often than not, spells trouble. She didn't want what happened to her to happen to me.

Mom explained that true love is more than just a feeling. She said that loving someone is a choice that is totally different from just being head-over-heels "in love." She advised me to wait for the right person who will come at the right time and whom I will commit to for the right reasons. She helped me see wisdom in choosing my friends well and staying away from those that will only get me into trouble, in focusing on finishing school instead of being sidetracked by infatuation, and in reserving intimacy for that one person that I intend to marry someday. She gave special emphasis on the fact that I had been generously blessed with both a pretty face and an attractive figure; that's why I should be extra careful in the matter of relationships.

Bottom line: I think I don't feel as bad about what happened anymore. I'm just relieved that nothing regrettable happened. I have wonderful, loving parents, and I'd be a fool not to listen to them.

Liv's Diary

January 25, 2033

Hans and I are waiting to hear from the doctor. Scratch that. I DON'T want to hear anything more. Not right now. It hurts too much.

There was no way I could have known I was two months pregnant. Hans just started teaching at the University of Helsinki, and I'm supposed to enroll in the master's degree program in Linguistics in the Fall. We hadn't planned on it. But it didn't mean we weren't open to the possibility – a possibility that I thought was very slim, considering that I've had the most irregular menses since I hit puberty. The doctors that my mom brought me to for endocrine and reproductive health consultations through the years have told us time and again that my hormone levels were low to low-normal, which might affect my ability to get pregnant. They didn't say it was impossible though, but I kind of assumed that I wouldn't get pregnant so soon. I mean, we only got married last August.

I don't even know how I feel right now. On the one hand, shouldn't I be happy that now, at least, I know I am capable of having kids? On the other hand, I feel terrible… We lost the baby. It hurts.

A huge part of me is still in shock, I guess. I hadn't known. There were no classic signs. No nausea or morning sickness. I had started to feel a bit lethargic a month back, but that's all I can think of. There was no use doing the calendar count because I never know when I'm getting my period. It's just so frustrating! How could I have known?!

Was it something that I did? Something I had eaten? A medicine I took without thinking? I've been racking my brain, but I can't, for the life of me, remember taking anything but vitamins since we arrived in Finland. I didn't even take anything for my head cold last Christmas when Hans suggested it. How could I have known?! A small part of me feels guilty, and I'm afraid if I don't talk to someone soon – someone who'd understand and not judge – I'm going to fall apart. I've never failed at anything before, but now I feel like such a big loser.

I lost our first child.

I can't even begin to describe how painful that is.

Just the other day when I began to bleed, I thought finally, after three months I'm getting my period. But it got so painful and the bleeding was so profuse that Hans had to rush me to the E.R. One moment, the attending physician was telling us that I was pregnant, and then just minutes later he was explaining to us that I was having an abortion. A natural one. For some reason the human body naturally gets rid of a blighted ovum, an egg that wasn't properly fertilized or formed. Our first baby – aborted. What am I supposed to think? The brain of this Harvard grad seems to understand the science behind this, but my heart doesn't. It's comprehensible, but it hurts. So much.

I need my mom. She would understand. She knows how it feels.

Mom lost our last sibling at 2.5 months. She and Dad named the baby Mara even if there was no way to know for sure if she was indeed a girl. That was a horrible time. Carrie and I had been abducted by terrible people who hated our parents. The police, the FBI, and our parents had successfully rescued us and brought back to our family, but in the process, Mom got hurt and lost the baby. I was only a toddler then, but somehow, I understood that her life was in danger. Later on, when I was older and asked Mom why they stopped having children, she took the opportunity to explain everything that went down and why we lost the baby. It was the same reason – blighted ovum.

I must admit, what happened frightened me. I hadn't gone through anything as horrifying as the abduction when I was little. That's all I can remember. There was so much blood that Hans had to buy me adult diapers and help me change all day yesterday. The bleeding had already stopped by the time he brought me here last night, but I was too weak I was ready to pass out from blood loss. The doctors and nurses needed to get a line going so that I wouldn't be dehydrated. My veins were all nearly collapsed, but they managed to get an IV drip going. I feel much better now. We're just waiting to hear from the doctor about the sonogram results. It would tell us whether or not they still need to do the DNC procedure.

Hans phoned my parents while the doctors and nurses were busy attending to me. Mom and Dad are in Gotham on business, but they cancelled their meetings with Wayne Enterprises to come and see me. They'd already contacted the pilot and crew of the Queen jet, but airport officials had to ground all flights from the northeast coast because of a severe snow storm. Hans said that Dad promised they'd fly out of Gotham as soon as the weather clears. Dad also called Grandma Moira last night, asking if she could fly out because she was closer to where we are, but Walter is sick with pneumonia and is himself confined in Devonshire Hospital in London.

I just want to see my mom so badly. Just a hug from her will go a long way. With what's happened, I think I appreciate her more. I just never thought it'd hurt so much to lose a child, even an unborn child. I haven't even seen him or her, never even held the little one. Now I never will. Hans says we can still have another one, sure, but that child will never be able to replace the one we'd lost.

Emily's Card to Oliver and Felicity

April 25, 2037

Happy 25th Anniversary, Mom and Dad! Wow! You've reached Silver. Wishing you more years of bliss together, way beyond the golden 50th. And Happy Birthday, too, Mom!

It's the first time I didn't get you anything but this e-card. But I'm quite certain that the news it carries more than makes up for the lack of a tangible gift. Here goes…

Andy and I are expecting!

I did the pregnancy test two weeks ago but we still haven't gotten the chance to go to an OB. Extremely busy at QC. Andy couldn't wait any longer to get confirmation, so we went to see Dr. Snow at the company clinic last week, and the sonogram she did showed that I'm six weeks on the family way. We decided to wait until your big day to tell you. I hope you're happy to be grandparents all over again, with me this time.

Felicity's Diary

April 25, 2037

Got the best news in a long, long time today. Emily's pregnant! Oh, that makes me so, so happy! Oliver's ecstatic, too. We've already called her and Andy to congratulate them, and Oliver wants me to make some changes in tomorrow's celebration of our anniversary to include an announcement of this new development in the family. I'm gonna do that first thing in the morning. For sure, he's going to mention it in his speech before he offers a toast.

Emily and Andy. (sigh) The first time I saw heart eyes on those two about three years ago, I couldn't believe it. I remember sitting in Emily's office that day, enjoying the friendly banter between them, and right then and there I knew they were meant to be. Who would have thought that those childhood friends would end up together? I certainly didn't. Neither did Oliver. Or John and Lyla. But it happened.

When Emily finished her master's degree and returned to Starling from MIT to take over my position as head of the IT Department of QC, she was so focused on her job that she didn't have the time to spare to go out and have fun and meet people. I had nagged her about this for several months. Well, it turns out it worked out well that she didn't go out dating just to be able to move on from the heartache of losing her first serious boyfriend. Working long hours at the office meant being close to Andy Diggle.

It's like life came around full circle for my daughter and Andy. They were playmates when they were little, growing up as really good friends, since Oliver and I were really close with John and Lyla. John was Oliver's bodyguard and used to head QC's security; now Andy's in-charge of the company's security. Emily filled in the seat I vacated and now runs cybersecurity for the company like I once did. They've known each other almost their entire lives, and yet it was QC that brought them together. It's been a year and a half since they got married, but I still can't get over how amazing it is!

When Andy asked Oliver and me for permission to marry Emily, we knew that it was just formality. They are, after all, old enough to make their own decisions. He was being the respectful, honorable man that he is. Oliver and I were convinced our daughter was going to say "yes" the moment he proposed. She did. We've never been happier for Emily than that day she came home with the ring on her finger, eyes gleaming with joy and sparkling with unshed tears.

Emily has gone through so much in her young life. Multiple times when she was a toddler, she almost died because of her allergies and severe asthma attacks. There was that one time that it was Oliver that had saved her, sprinting from the park to Starling General with her in his arms. Then she struggled with having new siblings when the twins arrived, and later on Carrie, Daddy's pretty princess who dethroned her as the apple of Oliver's eye. She'd healed slowly from that, after the kidnap and rescue of her younger sisters, when she realized that deep down inside her love for them was greater than her insecurities. And then five years ago, she had gone through severe depression when Vince died in the line of duty, with her on the comms. She resigned from the job she loved so much, left the FBI, and came home from Virginia a broken young woman. Watching my daughter suffer from that traumatic experience crushed my heart. Thank God, she's recovered, picked up the pieces, and moved on.

Now, my daughter, my firstborn, is going to be a mother. Emily will be a mom in seven and a half months! I'm so thrilled! She's going to realize how one small child is going to turn her life around.

Last year I spent three months in Finland helping Liv and Hans with their twins, and now I'm going to be on grandma duty again for Emily and Andy real soon. Can't wait!

Life has been good. Oliver and I are still going strong. Connor is still alive. Stephen and Liv each have wonderful families. Emily is expecting. TJ is happily married with Jen. Carrie has a thriving tech business in Central City and is still wearing her purity promise ring. I used to ask God what I ever did to deserve all these blessings, but now, I just choose to humbly accept them and appreciate them as grace. I cannot ask for more.

A/N: I still can't decide if this will be the last chapter in this fic (and in this verse), so I didn't mark this Complete yet. It has a feel of finality, but I might think of ideas in various points of the timeline of the Queen family. What do you think? Should I keep going? Once again, reviews are very much welcome and are certainly much appreciated. Thanks for reading!