Hey babes! Back again with a new fic! Been sitting on this one for a little while, and I think I've finally got it to where I want it to be. I genuinely don't really know where this idea came from, but I love the story that formed, so I hope you all do too.

Enjoy!


"….been speculated that Anthony Bridgerton was the only passenger who did not survive such an unfortunate tragedy. The surrounding waters were searched for days, but no body was ever found, though there is no word yet on if the family is going to file for Death in Absentia. Our hearts go out to Anthony's loved ones at this difficult time, and we—"

Kate mutes the TV, though her eyes never leave the screen, tear tracks running through her makeup. She continues to stare at the photo being displayed in the corner, of a smiling dark-haired man who had no idea the tragedy that would soon befall him. A man who had no possible way of knowing about the extra person he'd be leaving behind when he left on his trip and never returned.

Hesitatingly, her eyes drift down to the pregnancy test resting in her lap, the result blurred through her tears, but she doesn't need to see it to know what it says. She hasn't been able to stop thinking about it since she first saw it, and then she saw the news report about a sudden storm that caught a yacht in its path and her tears haven't stopped flowing.

This was not the way her life was supposed to go.

"Kate? Are you home? Because I was just out shopping and I found the cutest new dress that I'm thinking of wearing to the—whoa. Are you alright?"

"Of course she's not alright!" Kate's roommate and best friend, Melissa, practically shouts from the other side of the flat. "She's been crying all morning but wouldn't tell me why. She finally stopped but then that news report about the rich guy who went down on his yacht made her start again. Still, she hasn't told me why. Maybe you'll have better luck."

Edwina enters her field of vision then, her sweet baby sister wearing nothing but worry and concern on her face as she squats in front of her Kate. The younger girl rests a hand on Kate's knee. "Didi, what's going on? Did something happen?"

Kate wordlessly holds up the pregnancy test and winces slightly at Edwina's rather loud cursing. "You're pregnant? Mel, she's pregnant."

"What?" There's some loud clattering from the kitchenette and then scuffling across the hardwood floor as Melissa joins them by the couch. "You're really pregnant?"

Kate nods silently, letting the test drop back into her lap.

"Is it…is it Thomas'? I know you two broke up weeks ago, but that's usually how long it takes to find out, right?"

Kate sniffles, wiping at her eyes and shifting to see Edwina and Melissa better. "It's not Thomas'. It's his," she says, gesturing vaguely toward the telly.

"The weatherman?"

Kate's brows furrow as her eyes dart back to the screen. "What? No." She curses under her breath. "Oh, they've stopped covering it now. Fine." She digs around the couch for her phone, finds it in between the cushions, and then opens up her internet browser. She quickly types in his name and then waits for his photo to load before turning it around to show Edwina and Melissa.

"Damn!" Edwina shouts. "That's your baby daddy?"

Kate winces again and relents her phone into her sister's grip. "Can you not say it like that, please?"

"Well that's what he is, isn't he?"

She shifts a little where she sits. "I guess. It just feels wrong, somehow, saying it like that."

"So then what should we refer to him as?" Melissa asks, taking the phone and looking at the photo. "Cause I know for a fact he's not your boyfriend, fiancé, or husband. And you wouldn't just hit it and quit it with a friend."

Kate sighs, running a hand through her hair. "I don't know, alright? I didn't even know his name until now."

Melissa's eyes go wide. "Seriously? I thought you just didn't want me to look him up when you came home that night."

Kate shakes her head. "No. We never gave names. Just had several strong drinks and then some of the best sex I've ever had in my life."

Edwina winces this time. "Too much info there. Coulda gone my whole life without hearing that last bit."

"Sorry. I just…I never thought I'd still have a connection to him after that night. But now I'm pregnant with his baby and he's presumed dead."

"What are you gonna do?"

"I'm keeping it, if that's what you mean," Kate answers quickly. "I've always wanted to be a mum, and even if it's coming unexpectedly and not at all how I'd planned, I'm gonna go through with this."

Edwina nods once. "Good. Because I really want to be an aunt, I just didn't want to say anything if you weren't going to keep it. Am I allowed to be excited about this?"

Kate smiles softly at her sister. "Yes, you can be excited."

Edwina grins. "Great. Once you're far enough along, I'm going to tell literally everyone. Please tell me that you're excited about this too."

"A little. Mostly freaking out because I thought I'd have more time to get ready and prepare."

"You're gonna have nine months," Melissa points out.

"I know that. But I meant preparing myself for the idea of having a baby. If that makes any sense at all."

"No, I think I get it. There is one thing I'm wondering about, though."

"What's that?"

"Are you gonna tell his family?"

Kate's breath catches. "Oh. I hadn't…I hadn't realized that's something I should consider. But…what would I even say? And would they believe me? According to the newscast, they're a hugely prolific family."

"Makes you wonder how you didn't recognize him, doesn't it?"

Kate narrows her eyes slightly at her friend. "Stop."

Melissa shrugs. "I'm just saying."

"You know I don't pay attention to all that. And he seemed to prefer that I didn't know who he was. It's highly likely that he never told his family about me, which means there's a high chance they won't believe me or claim I'm a fraud."

"But you're not a fraud," Edwina states, leaning forward to grab her hand. "I believe you, Kate."

"I do too," Melissa adds.

"And I appreciate that you both do. But you're not the ones who would need to be convinced. His entire family, however many of them there are, would need to be convinced. And there's no guarantee that they would be."

"So…what are you going to do, then?" Melissa asks her.

Kate sighs heavily. "I don't know. I'll figure it out. Right now, though, I just want to forget about everything and spend an afternoon with my sister and best friend eating junk food and watching cheesy romcoms."

Edwina's eyes go wide. "Junk food? Kate, you're pregnant now, you can't just eat junk food."

Kate rolls her eyes. "Something you're going to learn very quickly, bon, don't tell a pregnant woman what she can and can't eat."

Edwina huffs. "Fine. But you can't overdo it, alright? I need my niece or nephew to be as healthy as possible."

Kate smiles. "I'll do my best."

"Good. So, when are you gonna tell Mum?"

Kate's eyes go wide. "Oh."


"I still can't believe you two made me come to this," Kate hisses to Edwina and Melissa as she shifts on her feet, trying to ease some of the tension in her lower back. She winces when a particularly strong kick meets her insides, and then rubs over the area of her stomach. "Calm down in there, please."

"He knows where we are," Melissa retorts. "He knows what's about to happen."

Kate rolls her eyes. "Impossible."

"Maybe so," Edwina interjects. "But don't you want your son to grow up with as much family as possible?"

Kate quirks a brow. "Is that your way of saying that me and Mum weren't enough for you?"

Edwina groans. "Of course not. But don't you think they all have a right to know about the baby too? They are his family."

"I know that. It's all I've been thinking about. But I still don't know what I would say to them."

Melissa leans closer to her. "Well, you better think of something because the line's moving and we're almost there."

Kate's eyes snap to the front of the line they're in, full of people who are, one by one, offering their condolences to each immediate member of the Bridgerton family. Her breath catches in her throat when she realizes just how close she is to potentially turning this family's world upside down. Again.

"Hello."

Kate rips herself out of her thoughts and focuses on the older woman now standing directly in front of her. The matriarch of the family, Violet Bridgerton, looks more put together than Kate would have expected of a woman who's lost her eldest son.

She swallows thickly, plastering on a smile. "Sorry. Hello. I'm…I'm so sorry for your loss."

Ms. Bridgerton smiles politely, though it's clear that it doesn't reach her eyes. "Thank you. Did you know Anthony well?"

Kate shakes her head. "No, I didn't. We only met once, several months back, and had a short conversation before going our separate ways. I always told myself I'd reach out to him one day so I could get to know him better. I'm just sad that now I'll never get the chance."

"Thank you for saying that. What was your name?"

"K-Kate. Kate Sharma." She almost didn't give her real name, almost came up with a completely different name that they'd never be able to figure out was her. But she chickened out.

"Well, thank you for coming today, Kate. I'm sure Anthony would have appreciated what you had to say."

Kate winces when her son lands another kick to her internal organs and she rubs a hand over the spot to hopefully soothe the pain and her son.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, sorry. Little one's just decided recently that he'd like to use my organs as footballs."

Violet chuckles quietly. "I remember that all too well. Certainly got used to it after having eight children."

"You're a wonder for doing so. I think I'll barely be able to handle one."

"I felt much the same when I had Anthony. From one mother to a soon-to-be one, cherish every moment with your baby. Especially as they grow. Watching them grow is a wonderful privilege. Don't take it for granted."

Kate fights back tears, fights back the urge to just blurt out to the woman that she's going to be a grandmother in a few short months. "I promise I won't," she says instead. "Thank you. I should let the rest of the line come through now."

Violet nods. "Of course, yes. You go on, get off your feet. I'm sure you're dying to do so."

Kate smiles. "I really am. It was nice to meet you, even if it was like this."

"You as well, dear."

Kate throws the woman one more kind smile and then moves down the line to meet the rest of the family and offer her condolences. The older siblings seem to be handling their emotions a lot better, able to contain themselves while the youngest two have very obvious tear tracks running down their faces and look as if they'd rather be anywhere else. Though, they all seem to look that same way. It breaks her heart to see them all like this, to know that they're never going to see their brother and son again.

For a split second, she considers telling them about the baby she's carrying that shares half of its DNA with their loved one. But, again, she chickens out. How can she tell them something that she knows deep down is true without having any actual proof of it? There are no shared messages between her and Anthony to prove that they spent an evening together, no social media interactions to show that they had been talking before they met up, no photos of the two of them together to indicate more than one spontaneous secret night spent in darkness and pure bliss.

They'll never believe her long enough for her to even suggest trying to get a paternity test done for their own peace of mind. For now, it's better that she doesn't tell them.


Never before in her life has Kate experienced the level of pain that is childbirth. Yes, she got an epidural because there was no way she'd be going through with it without the assistance of drugs, but it doesn't completely eliminate the pain. There's still some level of it every time she pushes when the doctor instructs her to do so, but not quite the level that it could be without the assistance of modern medicine. Something she's incredibly grateful for.

And having her mother at her side through the whole process is a huge help, having that support while she brings her son into the world. Because if she can't have her son's father present, then having her mum there for it is certainly a good choice. Though, she probably would have had Mary present for the birth even if Anthony were still alive, just to have that extra, familiar support.

Though, she'd be lying if she said she didn't wish Anthony were present, but not for her, for himself, so he could witness the birth of his child. And partially for herself so she can yell at him for getting her pregnant in the first place. Because that's all she wants to do. She wants to yell at Anthony Bridgerton for getting her pregnant and then not being around for the aftermath.

"Alright, Kate," the doctor says, breaking her out of her head, "one more big push for me on the next contraction. I know you've got one more in you."

Kate shakes her head, swallowing thickly. "I don't think I do." She looks up at her mum. "I hate him, Mum, I hate that he isn't here. He should be here. He did this to me and now he's not even here."

Mary smiles sympathetically, brushing some of Kate's hair away from her forehead. "I know, my love. But you need to be strong right now, for the both of you, and finish bringing your son into the world. Do you think you can do that?"

Kate hesitates but then nods. She holds on extra tight to her mother's hand, squeezing her eyes shut as she bears down right as she feels another contraction starting. She uses every last ounce of strength she can find to push her son into this world, keeping a careful ear out for that particular sound that every willing mother yearns to hear.

It's only a matter of seconds until she relaxes against the bed, her eyes closing momentarily as she listens to the high-pitched screaming of her baby.

"Congratulations, it's a boy," the doctor announces.

Kate lifts her head again with a tired smile as her squirming, screaming son is placed against her chest. The tears start immediately; tears of joy, of course.

"Hello, sweetheart," she manages to get out as she cradles her newborn son against her chest, grabbing onto one of his hands and bringing it to her lips to press a lingering kiss to the tiny knuckles. "I'm your mum."

"Oh, Kate, he's so beautiful," Mary says over her head, pressing a kiss to her hair.

"He really is. I can't believe he's finally here."

"You did a wonderful job."

A nurse appears in her peripheral vision. "Would you like to cut the cord now?"

Kate glances at the metal shears being held out, and then at her mother. "Do you want to do it?"

Mary blinks. "Are…are you sure?"

Kate nods. "Absolutely."

Time seems to pass both slowly and incredibly fast after that. Her son is taken again by the nurses to be looked over and cleaned up more, and Kate herself is cleaned up a bit, and then she's being settled into a recovery room. Mary disappears at one point, most likely to inform Edwina and Melissa about the baby, and Kate is left to her own thoughts for a little while.

Her mind wanders as she lies in her hospital bed, her son sleeping soundly in the hospital bassinet next to her. She can't help but think about how much different her life is going to be now. She's a mother, something she'd always hoped in the recesses of her mind that she'd become one day. She just never thought it'd be so soon and unexpectedly. But she loves her son so much already and would do it all over again just to have him.

As much as she tries not to think about the man her son shares half of his DNA with, she can't help it every time her thoughts wander to him. Their night together had been nothing short of intense, from their first conversation to the final throes of ecstasy they'd brought out for one another. She had small glimpses of the kind of person he might be, but nothing significant, nothing concrete. After that night, he was merely a handsome face and a few hazy memories. Now she has a name to go with it, and whatever information she could find from googling him and his family, but still not much more than that. At least, nothing truly personal.

She wishes more than anything that Anthony could be here to meet his son, even if he didn't want to be involved. Though, she hopes he would have wanted to be.

"Kate?"

Twisting her head, Kate smiles tiredly at her younger sister and her best friend standing in the doorway to her room. "Edwina, Melissa, hi. Come in, come meet your nephew." She shifts slightly on the bed as she looks to her son, listening to Edwina and Melissa shuffling closer.

Edwina gasps quietly a second later. "I don't think I've ever seen a cuter baby. I'm being completely serious here. I've seen your baby photos, and your son puts those ones to shame. He's gorgeous."

Kate smiles. "He is pretty handsome already, isn't he?"

"Definitely," Melissa agrees. "And knowing who his dad is, your baby is already the perfect combo of you both."

"So what's his name?" Edwina asks. "You said you picked one, but never told us what it was."

Kate takes a deep breath. "Anthony. His name is Anthony."


"Still can't believe you don't want to go."

Kate sighs at her sister's words as she pushes her son's pram down the street, holding her phone to her ear with her shoulder. "I've already told you it's not that I don't want to go, I just don't feel comfortable leaving Tony alone with anyone for an extended period of time yet."

"And I think you're being unnecessarily overprotective."

"Edie, please."

Edwina sighs on the other end of the call. "Fine, I'll stop asking."

"Thank you. I promise that we'll get together soon, just me and you, and we'll have a day just the two of us."

"Once you decide Tony's old enough for you to feel comfortable being away from him for more than just a few minutes?"

Kate laughs quietly. "Exactly. I knew you'd understand."

"Because I'm an amazing sister. I've gotta go now, I've got class in ten. But I'll call later?"

"Sure. Tony says he loves you and can't wait to see you again."

"Give him a big kiss for me."

"Will do."

Ending the call, Kate slides her phone back into her pocket and smiles down at her son still fast asleep. She prays that he stays that way for a little while longer until they get back to the flat and she can put him in a proper bed.

"Hey! Watch out!"

Kate doesn't even get a chance to turn to investigate the shout when a hand wraps around her upper arm, preventing her from walking any further. She's about to shake the hand off violently when a pane of glass hits the pavement in front of her and shatters. Her eyes go wide and she turns after a moment once she feels the hand release her arm.

"Are you alright?"

She looks up at the man, mouth opening to answer, and then freezes. She's only met him once, several months back, and just for a moment, but he has a face that she'll never be able to forget. She closes her mouth immediately and pulls her lips into a tight smile. "Thank you for preventing a disaster, but I should be going."

He smiles. "Are you sure? Maybe I could buy you a cup of coffee?"

Kate shakes her head. "I really don't think that's a good idea. Besides, I need to get my son home so I can put him down for his nap."

He peers into the pram and chuckles. "Looks like he's already sleeping, so maybe you don't need to rush off as quickly as you think you do."

Kate can feel her heart racing in her chest as Benedict Bridgerton stares down at her little boy, watching the sleeping baby that he doesn't know is actually his nephew. She grabs the handle of the pram again and goes to pull it away. "No, I definitely do."

Benedict sighs. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to push. I just…I'm pretty sure we've met before, but I can't quite put my finger on where, and I don't want to risk insulting you by throwing out any of my usual suggestions. Also, your baby looks incredibly familiar, have we met since you had him?"

"No. But we did meet a couple of months before he was born. Just once, and we only spoke for a moment."

Recognition clicks on Benedict's face. "You were at my brother's memorial. What was your name again?"

She hesitates. "Kate."

"Kate," he repeats, a slight furrow to his brows. "I can't believe I didn't put it together sooner."

"Don't beat yourself up. We talked for less than a minute and you greeted so many other people that day."

"That's true. But while everyone else was understandably sad or upset, you weren't. At least, not how everyone else was. There was something…a little different about your pain. Almost as if there was a bit of longing mixed into it."

"You seem to know an awful lot about what someone's feeling even when they haven't told you."

He holds his hands up. "Sorry. I'm an artist. I quite literally get paid to capture people's emotions on canvas forever."

"Well, I'm not one of your clients."

"No, I know. And I'm sorry if I've offended you in any way."

Kate sighs, rubbing a hand across her forehead. "You haven't. I'm sorry. Tony just hasn't been sleeping well lately and he's finally asleep and I—"

"His name's Tony? That's a great name."

Kate's entire body freezes. She hadn't meant to say that, hadn't meant to let her son's name slip past her lips. Not when she's talking to a man who doesn't know he's an uncle. "Um, thank you."

"You're welcome." A small smile tugs at his lips. "It's funny, some of the kids Anthony and I grew up with tried calling him Tony a few times, but he never liked it."

Kate nods slowly. "That's…nicknames certainly aren't for everyone."

Benedict laughs. "Oh, no, Anthony had plenty of nicknames. They just weren't all pleasant. He never minded when we called him Ant, though. But only we were allowed to call him that, never anyone else. He'd get this furrow between his brows, and this almost pinched look. Highly amusing."

"I'm sure it was." She gives an awkward sort of small laugh as she attempts to get ready to leave again with her son when the baby in question wakes and starts fussing. Kate sighs, lifting him out and holding him close. "What's the matter, my love? You were sleeping so well. What happened?" She gently bounces him and presses kisses to the side of his head, cuddling him close and rubbing a hand up and down his back to try and soothe him back to sleep.

"Poor guy," Benedict says gently. "He seems a bit put out for being woken up."

Kate sighs. "You mean for waking himself up? It's not the first time he's done it, woken himself up, and then cried about it. I don't think there's anything I can do, though, other than just wait for him to grow out of it." She turns slightly away from Benedict to dig through the diaper bag to try and find one of Tony's dummies.

There's a quiet gasp from behind her, followed by a soft "Whoa."

She glances over her shoulder. "What is it?"

Benedict shakes his head. "Nothing. I'm probably just seeing things because I miss my brother. But for a split second, your son looked just like some old baby photos of Anthony. Like I said, though, just seeing things," he tells her with a small smile. "Be a bit weird if your son looked like my brother, no? That'd mean he was Anthony's son too, but that's pretty much impossible; Anthony would have told us if he was going to be a dad."

Kate stays silent as Benedict laughs to himself, doing her best to comfort her son without letting her emotions completely give her away. She's sure something makes its way through, though, because a second later Benedict stops laughing and his face goes pale.

A whispered "No" escapes past his lips.

Kate's vision starts to blur and she clutches her son closer to her chest, continuing to bounce him to try and keep him calm. She opens and closes her mouth a few times, trying to find the right words. But nothing comes out.

"Is…is that…"

Kate swallows thickly, blinking her tears back and standing a little taller. "Tony is short for Anthony," she tells him. "I named him after his dad."

Benedict stumbles back a bit, visibly trying to pull himself together. His eyes drift down to baby Tony as he shifts closer, the corners of his lips ticking up. "He's beautiful."

Kate smiles. "From the moment he was born."

Benedict looks up at her. "Could I…can I hold him?"

"Of course." She carefully transfers her son into his uncle's arm, instructing Benedict how to hold the baby, and then takes a small step back. She watches them for a moment, the way Benedict smiles so sweetly at Tony, and the way Tony simply stares up at Benedict, not a single sound of fussiness escaping him. She can't help but smile.

"I can't believe Anthony's a dad but he's not here to experience any of it."

Kate's smile falters. "I've had the same thought nearly every day since I found out I was pregnant. The same day I found out about Anthony's accident."

"How come you never told us? You could have said something at the memorial."

"I didn't think it'd be appropriate. And I didn't think any of you would believe me. I didn't even know Anthony's name until I saw the news report." She reaches out to run a hand over her son's head. "I never wanted to keep you all from him, I just didn't know how to approach any of you about it without having any actual proof."

Benedict nods. "I see. Well, now that I've seen him for myself, I know without a doubt that he's Anthony's."

Kate smiles. "I'm glad to hear it. And maybe, if you'd still like to, we could go grab that coffee. You could spend some time with Tony, and maybe tell me about his namesake. I'd like to know all I can."

Benedict grins from ear to ear, though there are tears in his eyes. "I'd like that. I'd like it a lot."


*5 Years Later*

"Tony? Get a move on, love, we've gotta get going if we don't wanna be late."

"Coming, Mum!"

Kate lets out a puff of air, pushing some of the hair out of her face with it as she moves around the front room of the flat, making sure she has everything in it that she needs. She slips into her shoes by the front door, checking her reflection in the small mirror on the wall, wiping away a stray bit of lipstick that she'd missed the first go around.

"Ready."

She turns and smiles at the sight of her son standing just a few feet away, dressed impeccably but still very much like a child, a haphazardly wrapped gift box in his hands. She'd tried to offer her help with it, but he'd insisted on doing it himself. She couldn't be prouder at his slowly growing independence, but also a little sad that her baby is growing up so quickly.

"Well, look at this handsome young man, I almost didn't recognize you."

"Aunt Mel!" Tony exclaims, spinning on his heel and running up to Melissa to wrap her in a tight hug. "Are you coming too?"

Melissa smiles as she runs a hand over the top of Tony's head. "Sorry, kid, I've got other plans today. But you'll have to tell me all about how fun the party is, yeah? I wanna hear all the details."

Tony grins and nods. "Okay. Uncle Greg said he's gonna let me shoot his BB gun."

Kate sighs. "Of course he did. Come on, Tony, let's go." She gestures for him to move, opening the front door as she does, and ushering him out into the hall. "Are you gonna be here when we get back?" she asks her friend as she grabs her keys off the hook.

"Not sure. Have fun, tell Hyacinth I said 'happy birthday'."

"Will do. Bye." She steps into the hall and locks the door behind her, then guides her son out to the car, strapping him in and securing the present into the seat next to him.

Once she's settled herself into the driver's seat, she turns over the engine and pulls out onto the main road, navigating swiftly and easily toward the Bridgerton family residence. She glances through the rearview mirror at her son every so often, smiling whenever she catches him singing along softly to the music coming through the radio, occasionally making up his own lyrics when he can't remember the actual ones.

The drive isn't very long, and by the time they pull up to the house, Tony is practically vibrating in his booster seat, eager to get inside and see all of his aunts and uncles. She parks the car and shuts off the engine, grateful once again for child safety locks when Tony unbuckles himself and shoots out of his seat.

She laughs at his eagerness as she opens the door, barely managing to catch him when he leaps forward. "Relax, sweetheart. No one's going anywhere." She locks up the car and then guides him toward the front of the house, smiling at all of the noise she can already hear coming from the back lawn. "Do you want to knock?" she asks, adjusting her hold on the present.

Tony breaks away from her grasp and hops up the steps, bounces across the porch, and then rapidly knocks on the large door with both fists. It only takes a moment before the door opens, eliciting an excited squeal from the young boy. "Uncle Ben!"

"Tony!"

Kate laughs as she watches her son jump into his uncle's arms, hugging him tightly and talking a mile a minute about everything the older man has missed since the last time they saw each other even though it hasn't really been that long. Her heart swells each and every time she sees her son interacting with his father's family; it heals that little piece inside of her that knows he'll never get to know his dad.

"Kate, good to see you again."

She smiles at the man and gives him a small nod. "Ben. I take it you're all going to be hogging my son today?"

Ben chuckles. "Don't we always? Come on in." He gestures with his head and steps back, allowing her inside.

"I thought I heard my grandson over here."

Tony gasps. "Granny!" He begins wiggling violently in Ben's arms until he's back on the floor and able to rush into Violet's arms.

Kate watches with a smile as grandmother and grandson greet each other with hugs and kisses. Her smile turns amused when the young boy starts telling his grandmother much of the same stuff he's already told Ben. Though it doesn't stop Violet from giving Tony anything less than her full attention.

"Mum! Can I take Auntie Hy her present?"

Violet laughs quietly and then smiles in her direction. "Lovely seeing you again, Kate."

"You too, Violet." She turns her focus to her son and smiles softly. "Yes. You can take it." She hands the gift box to him, smiling as he requests for his Granny to take him through the house he is more than familiar with; he even has a room to himself for whenever he stays over.

"So, Kate, how have you been since I last saw you?"

Kate lets out a breath and turns toward Ben. "I'm alright. Dreading the day Tony starts asking a million questions about his dad now that he's in school."

Ben smiles sympathetically, resting a hand on her shoulder. "That's what you've got all of us for. To answer any and all questions about Ant."

"I know. And I appreciate it. I just wish I could offer more than 'I only knew him for a few hours before he died and left me with a son'. I know it sounds harsh, but that's my reality."

Ben shakes his head. "I understand. Just try to relax, okay? You're a great mum. Try to ignore everything else and just enjoy Hyacinth's party, please."

Kate smiles. "I promise I will. I know I've only known her for five years, but it's still so hard to believe she's already a teenager."

Benedict laughs. "Trust me, we're all feeling that. Now come on, I'm sure everyone else is dying to see you."

"You're right, let's go."

.

.

.

Kate claps along with the others as Hyacinth blows out the candles on her cake, surrounded by her family and friends, all of them more than happy to celebrate the young teen's day. She can't help but laugh quietly when Tony wriggles his way onto Hyacinth's lap after she's blown out the candles and the cake is taken away to be cut up.

Whatever their reasons are, Kate is grateful for the strong bond that each family member has with her son. Just as much as she's grateful for how they all but took her in and took care of her and her son once they all knew the truth. It had been a day full of tears, hugs, and bonding all around. Now it's as if she's always been a part of things, being invited on summer holidays and to birthday parties and Christmas festivities. Occasionally Mary and Edwina are invited along too so Tony can be surrounded by all of his family.

Pulling herself out of her head, Kate focuses her attention on her son, instantly sighing when she sees him still sitting in Hyacinth's lap, but now with a larger than she'd prefer slice of cake in front of him. He has a plastic fork clutched in one hand, sections of the cake already gone and in his mouth.

"Colin Bridgerton," she raises her voice in the direction of the kitchen. She turns to see the man in question looking at her like a deer caught in headlights, his own piece of cake in his hands. "Why on earth would you give Tony such a big piece of cake?"

"It's what he asked for."

"He's five, Colin. He's either not going to eat that entire slice, or he will and then get sick later."

Colin blinks. "Right. That's…I probably should have checked with you first, then."

"Probably. If he gets sick while we're here, you're cleaning it up."

Colin sighs. "Fine."

Kate shakes her head at Colin's retreating form, turning her focus back to her son for just a moment to make sure he's still alright. She absolutely trusts each of the Bridgerton siblings and their matriarch when it comes to her son's happiness and well-being, but she wouldn't be his mum if she didn't worry some of the time.

"I come bearing sweets."

Kate smiles at the approaching man, taking the slice of cake on a plate that he's holding out to her. "Thanks, Simon."

"Of course." He sidles up next to her with his own cake, taking a small bite.

"Simon, you traitor," Ben speaks up as he approaches them, carrying two plates of cake in his hands. "I was going to bring her a piece. Now I don't know what to do with this."

Simon snorts. "I'm sure Colin could find use for it."

"You're probably right," Ben replies as he sets the extra slice of cake down and then settles himself on Kate's other side. "So, Kate, has Eloise bombarded you yet about proofreading her latest piece?"

Kate chuckles as she digs into her dessert. "No. But I suspect she will before the day's out. She is nothing if not relentless when it comes to her articles. I enjoy reading them, though."

"Yet another reason for all of us to be glad you're in our lives," Simon interjects. "None of us have to read Eloise's articles for her."

Kate rolls her eyes at the familiar remark. "You're all so terrible."

"Yeah, but you love us," Benedict counters. "Otherwise you wouldn't have stuck around this long."

"I'm sticking around for my son's benefit," she retorts with a tiny smile. "And while I admit I do enjoy spending time with the others, you two are the ones I really am pained to be around."

Benedict and Simon both place a hand over their hearts and feign winces, though it's Benedict who speaks up, "You wound us, Sharma."

"You should be used to it by now, Bridgerton."

He merely laughs and digs back into his cake, a comfortable silence descending over the three of them.

Never once in her life did she think she'd become such good friends with Benedict Bridgerton and Simon Bassett. They've both truly become like brothers to her, being there whenever she needs them, an extra ear to listen when she's stressed, or an extra set of hands ready and willing to take Tony for a few hours so she can get her sanity back in place. They really are angels for her. She can't imagine not having them around.

"Mummy!"

Kate shifts, turning and smiling at her son as he approaches her with Gregory right behind him. "And what are you two up to?"

"I tried to tell him we can't right now," Greg explains before even telling her what's going on.

"Mummy, I wanna play with Uncle Greg's bb's."

"I genuinely thought he forgot that I mentioned we could play the next time he came over."

Kate sighs. "So did I. No BB gun today, sweetheart," she tells her son. "This is your aunt's party."

Tony sighs. "Fine."

"Ben, have you seen Mum?" Greg asks, completely changing the subject as Tony walks away. "Her phone rang a few minutes ago and then she disappeared."

"Well, she's probably on an important phone call. When she gets back you can ask her what she—oh. There she is now."

Kate turns with the others, watching as Violet Bridgerton enters the room, one hand curled tightly around the edges of her phone and an almost haunted look in her eyes. "Violet, is everything alright?"

Violet glances in her direction. "Yes, dear. Um, Ben, could I see you, Colin, and Daphne in the other room, please? Kate, Simon, you both as well."

Kate glances at the others who were requested with slightly furrowed brows, but none of them seem to have any idea of what might be going on. Eloise, Francesca, and Gregory are instructed to keep an eye on the party and its guests, and Kate has absolutely no problem leaving her son in the capable hands of his aunts and uncle, despite him insisting several times that he should get to go with them.

Kate follows the others into a smaller room, the door closing tightly behind them all. She waits with the siblings, watching Violet carefully for any sign of something being wrong.

"Mum, what's going on?" Daphne is the first to speak up.

Violet swallows, setting her phone down on the nearest surface and looking at each of them individually. "That was the inspector who worked on Anthony's disappearance five years ago. Apparently…apparently he's been found. Alive."

Kate's breath catches in her throat, her entire body instantly getting warmer and her vision starting to blur. She blinks away the unshed tears, focusing for a moment on the others in the room with her.

Benedict's jaw is hard, his hands clenched into fists at his sides, almost seeming angry at the idea. Colin seems more bewildered than anything, like he's not quite sure whether to believe it's true. Daphne looks on the verge of tears, her face a mixture of wary happiness and relief. Simon looks much like he did five years ago after being rescued from the sunken yacht, also on the verge of tears, an arm wrapping protectively around Daphne's shoulders.

"That's not funny, Mum," Ben finally says.

Violet frowns. "Really, Ben? Do you honestly think I would joke about something like this?"

"No, sorry."

"They've found him?" Colin asks. "They've actually found Ant? Where was he? Why didn't he come home sooner?"

"He was on an island somewhere, with no memory of who he was. The locals took him in and cared for him as a community. From what they were able to gather, his memories started coming back slowly, until eventually, very recently he was able to remember all of us and contacted the police to arrange for him to come home."

"Where is he right now?" Daphne asks.

"On his way to the hospital to be checked over. Hyacinth's friends will be leaving in a few hours, so we'll tell the rest of the family right after and make plans to go and see him. I don't want to disrupt her party just yet, so please, none of you say anything until the other kids go home."

"We won't," Colin says with a small nod. "You know Fran and El are gonna ask questions, though, and demand to know why they weren't allowed back here."

"They can wait a little longer to find out," Daphne says. "Are you gonna be alright, Mum?"

Violet gives a watery smile. "I will be. Once I can see your brother and hold him in my arms again." She breathes deeply and wipes at her eyes. "Now then, let's all get back out there. Stay strong for a few more hours." She smiles at each of them and then leaves, Colin and Daphne trailing not far behind her, Simon staying back so he can take a moment to pull himself together.

Kate remains frozen in her spot, her mouth still clamped shut since the moment she realized her life would be flipped on its head. Again.

"Kate? Are you still in there?"

She shakes herself out of her thoughts and focuses on a blurred image of Ben right in front of her. She swallows thickly. "He's alive," she manages to get out in a near-whisper. "Anthony's alive."

Ben laughs in disbelief. "I know. I almost don't want to believe it, part of me saying it's too good to be true. How are you feeling about it?"

Kate takes a deep breath. "Oh, well, I've just found out that the man I slept with once and got pregnant from has actually been alive the last five years but had no recollection of who he was but now he does and is coming home to a son he never knew about. I'm doing so well."

"Uh, I know you're lying, but as your closest friend besides Mel, I won't push you for the truth right now."

"Thank you. I appreciate that."

"You're welcome. Now deep breaths and wipe your face, can't have Tony seeing you look so sad."

Kate sucks in a sharp breath. "Oh. How am I gonna tell Tony that his dad's alive?"

"We'll figure it out, okay? Just take it one thing at a time."

The rest of Hyacinth's party goes as well as it can with such heavy news hanging over half the family. And, as predicted, Eloise and Francesca (though mostly Eloise) immediately start asking what seems like a million questions. And the one repeated the most is why they weren't allowed in the room as well. It takes every ounce of Kate's willpower not to say anything before the party is over. It is their brother, after all, they've known him a lot longer than she has.

But she bites her tongue until all of Hyacinth's guests are gone, doing her best to focus on the young girl despite how many times her mind flashes to her son, thinking of how he's finally going to get to meet the dad he's only ever heard stories about. She just hopes it all goes well and that neither Tony nor Anthony react negatively.

Once the final party guest has left, and Tony is snoring away in Kate's arms from a sugar crash, Violet gathers them all together in the living room. Glancing around, Kate can see each of the younger four siblings looking on with curiosity and concern.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that this has something to do with the mysterious phone call you got earlier," Eloise is the first to speak up, her arms crossed over her chest.

Violet sighs and nods. "Yes, it does. I have something to tell all of you, and I need you to let me get it all out before any of you say a word." Murmurs of 'yes, mum' come from each sibling and then Violet takes a deep breath. "Your brother is alive. The inspector who'd been working his case five years ago phoned during the party to tell me that Anthony has been living in an island town for the last five years with no memory of any of us. He should be at the hospital now getting checked over, and whenever you're all ready, we can go and see him."

It's complete silence once Violet finishes speaking. Once again, Kate glances around the room, adjusting her hold on her son, and takes in the faces of each Bridgerton sibling and Simon. All eight of them have tears in their eyes, even the older four who already knew about Anthony being alive. Though, she supposes that hearing it again, and being around the younger ones, was grounds for more waterworks. She can't say she blames them.

"It worked!" Hyacinth exclaims with a grin.

Colin's brows furrow together tightly. "What worked?"

"Every year on my birthday, when I blow out the candles, I wish for Ant to come home. And it finally worked. My birthday wish came true."

Each of the others looks at Hyacinth with a mixture of awe, happiness, sadness, and something else Kate can't quite decipher. She finds it a bit sweet that Hyacinth is still young enough to truly believe that her birthday wishes brought her brother home.

"Kate? How are you feeling about Anthony being alive?"

Kate looks toward Francesca and offers her a small smile. "I'm relieved for all of you. And thrilled that Tony will finally get to know his dad."

"But what about you?" Francesa repeats her question.

Kate lets out a breath. "Honestly? I don't know. In reality, I don't really know him at all, but you've all been showing me pictures and telling me stories over the last five years so I feel like I do know him. I suppose we'll just have to take it one day at a time. That's what will be best for all of us."

.

.

.

It's almost like she's transported back to that day the moment she sees him. He's still standing several feet away, being bombarded by his family and oldest friend, all of them crying tears of joy at being reunited after so much time apart, and Kate just stands back and watches the whole exchange. She never got to see Anthony interacting with his siblings the first time around, has only ever heard in stories from everyone the type of brother and son he was, but now she's getting it in full force.

And it makes her heart ache.

Because if things had turned out differently, if he'd never gotten on that stupid yacht, then he would have been there for her and Tony from the beginning, she's sure of it.

She knows he would have been there every time she was bent over the toilet or couldn't get out of bed. She knows he would have run out to the local market at four in the morning when she had an unusual craving. She knows he would have been right there glued to her side when she gave birth to their beautiful baby boy. She knows he would have been there for every single nappy change, late-night feeding, and long stretch of no sleep when Tony had his first cold and was beyond irritable. And she's sure he wouldn't have complained for a single second of it.

"You."

She's torn out of her thoughts by Anthony's voice directed at her. She blinks away fresh tears and focuses on the sight of Anthony surrounded by his family, many of them hanging onto him, but staring directly at her. She swallows thickly. "Hello," she says in a voice that's barely above a whisper.

"What…what are you doing here? Do you work here?"

She tries to answer with words, but can't seem to find the right ones. So instead, she acts on impulse, striding across the room and pulling Anthony into a tight hug. She can't help the tears that fall, tears of joy, relief, and the slightest bit of fear.

She doesn't blame him for not hugging her back. The last time they saw each other was a little over five years ago and they had just spent one night together with no plans to see each other again.

"Why don't we give these two a moment?" Violet's soft voice drifts over.

"Actually, I think I'd like to stay and watch."

"Eloise."

A huff of air. "Fine. I'm going. You just always have to ruin my fun, don't you?"

"I think you'll survive."

Kate keeps hugging Anthony as she listens to multiple pairs of feet getting further away. Then the door to the hospital room clicks shut, leaving the two of them completely alone.

After a moment, Kate releases her hold on Anthony and steps back, wiping at her eyes and laughing slightly. "Sorry. I'm sure you're beyond confused to see me."

"Um…yes, I am. Mostly because I still don't know your name."

"It's Kate. Kate Sharma."

The edges of his lips tick up. "Kate. Well, it's nice to officially meet you, Kate. And I don't think I need to tell you my name, considering you're here."

"Yeah. I figured it out once the news started covering your accident and subsequent disappearance."

"Ah. I'm…I'm sorry that's how you had to find out who I am."

Kate shakes her head. "It's alright. I'm mostly over that moment now. It is a little weird, though, seeing you standing here in front of me after spending the last five years trying to come to grips with the fact that you'd died. And now…here you are."

He offers her a small smile. "Here I am. And um…I hope this isn't too forward or presumptuous of me, but would you maybe consider go—"

The trilling of her cell phone cuts him off. She smiles sheepishly. "Sorry." She digs her phone out of her bag and glances at the screen then up at Anthony. "I need to take this." She turns slightly away from him and answers the call, holding the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Mummy?"

Kate smiles at the sound of her son's voice. "Hi, sweetheart. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah. I just miss you."

"Oh, I miss you too, my love. But I'll be home soon, okay?"

"Okay. I love you, Mummy."

"I love you too."

Ending the call, Kate turns back around to face Anthony, brows furrowing slightly at the look on his face that she can't quite decipher. "Anthony?"

He seems to jolt, his eyes shooting up to hers. "Sorry. You um…you're with someone, then?"

"What? Oh, the phone call. No, that wasn't—"

"It's okay," he cuts her off. "It's crazy to think that you wouldn't be with someone. You're gorgeous, and my family seems to love you, so I know you must be a good-hearted person. Why wouldn't you have found someone after all these years? Especially when we never spent more than one night together, however incredible it was."

"I agree that it was an incredible night. But you've got it all wrong; I haven't met anyone. Well, I have met a few men, but none of them ever seemed like the right fit."

He opens and closes his mouth, nodding slightly. "I see. So, then, who were you on the phone with? If you don't mind my asking."

"I don't. That was actually my son wanting to tell me that he misses me. He's just turned five."

Anthony's eyes go wide. "Oh. That's…you have a son? Okay. That is…unexpected. But I'm okay with it. I was going to try tracking you down after I got back from my trip because I wanted a chance to really get to know you. And I still do. And I don't mind that you have a son."

Kate takes a deep breath. "Well, that's very good to hear. Because he's yours."

Anthony's entire body freezes. "He's what? He's…he's mine? I'm a dad?"

Kate nods, already noticing the edges of her vision starting to blur. "You are. I found out I was pregnant the same day I found out about your accident. Your family didn't find out until months later, though, once the baby was already born. I didn't think they'd believe me if I'd gone to them and said I was having your baby."

"I'm sorry to say that they probably wouldn't have. It wouldn't have been the first time someone tried to claim something about someone in my family."

"I know. And I wouldn't have blamed them, which is why I never said anything right away. But the important thing is that eventually, they did find out, and let's just say that there were a lot of tears, given that they thought they'd lost you completely. But thanks to Tony, they still had a part of you."

"Wow. I uh, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I'm a dad."

"Is that…are you okay with that? Being a dad so suddenly?"

"I'm sure it'll take some getting used to, but I am definitely more than okay with it. You named him Tony?"

"Well, technically his name is Anthony…" she trails off, waiting for her words to click.

Anthony's eyes widen. "You named him after me?"

She gives a small shrug. "It seemed right to name him after the dad he'd never get to meet. I took one look at him when he was born and knew that it was perfect. I guess now that you're back it's a good thing we all call him Tony."

Anthony chuckles. "Yeah, I guess so. Um, when can I meet him? If that's okay."

"Of course it's okay. Maybe not today, though, he's had a long, exciting day and needs to go to bed soon. But maybe I could show you a few pictures for now if you'd like."

Anthony smiles a little. "I'd like that very much."

Kate smiles as she pulls her phone back out and opens up her photo album. She doesn't have to scroll at all to find recent photos of Tony, the majority of her photos over the last five years being of her son.

She holds the phone out to Anthony. "This one was actually taken today, at Hyacinth's birthday party." She stays close enough to Anthony while he swipes through the photos of their son, watching his face as he looks at photo after photo of the life they created together.

"Wow," Anthony says a moment later, his voice thick with emotion. "He's so beautiful."

Kate smiles proudly. "Yes, he is."

"Does he know about me? That I'm his dad?"

Kate nods. "He does. Your family and Simon have shown him pictures and told him endless stories about you. But he was always told that you died before he was born because that's what we all believed. I'll have to explain to him what's going on before you meet him, just so he hopefully understands."

Anthony nods, handing the phone back. "Of course. I'll need a little time to adjust to being back too, get my legs back under me."

"Right, yes. Um, I should probably get going now. Tony's with my sister but I told him I'd be back soon. Everyone's got my number, so you can get it from one of them and then text or call me whenever you think you're ready to meet Tony."

"I genuinely look forward to meeting him. And it was really, really great to see you again, Kate."

She offers him a small smile, doing her best to ignore the way he says her name. "It's great seeing you again too, Anthony."

.

.

.

A quick knock at the front door pulls Kate's attention away from the work spread out in front of her. She glances toward the door and sucks in a sharp breath, already knowing what's about to happen but not sure if she's entirely ready for it. She's been living for five years with the painful knowledge that her son would never meet his dad, and she's essentially accepted it as fact. But now all of that is really, truly, about to change.

Standing from her seat, Kate moves toward the entry hall of the flat, takes a deep breath, and then pulls open the door as she plasters a small smile on her face. "Anthony, hi. I hope you didn't have any trouble finding the place."

He shakes his head. "Not at all."

"Good. Uh, come on in, then." She steps back to allow him inside and then pushes the door closed. Turning around to face him, she silently gestures for him to follow her into the living room and then steps past him. "Just wait here for a moment, I'll go get Tony." She turns to head to her son's room, knocking lightly on the door to grab his attention and then pushing it open. She smiles at the sight of him lying on his bed reading aloud from one of the many books Eloise got for him for his most recent birthday. "Tony, sweetheart."

He looks up at her with a smile. "Hi, Mummy. I really like this book."

"I'm sure your aunt will love to hear that the next time you see her. Come here for a minute." She gestures for him to move closer as she kneels on the carpet just inside the door.

He stops right in front of her and smiles again. "Hi."

"Hi." She takes a deep breath, reaching up to rest her hands on her son's shoulders. "Tony, do you remember how I said your dad would be coming over today to meet you?"

Tony's quiet for a moment before he nods, a quiet "Yeah" making its way past his lips.

"Well, he's out in the living room right now if you'd like to go and say hello. You don't have to if you don't want to, but I know he's really looking forward to meeting you. So what do you say?"

"I wanna meet him," Tony says in a quiet voice.

Kate smiles. "Alright. Come on, then." She grabs his hand as she stands and guides him out toward the living room where Anthony is waiting for them. She tries to keep her nerves under control, tries to keep herself as put together as humanly possible until she's alone and can properly freak out.

When they reach the living room, she stops for a moment and just watches the man standing in front of the array of photos of Tony hanging on the wall. He's standing completely still, other than his head moving slightly as he looks at each of the individual photos. It's a good way to see Tony growing over the last few years, moments that are forever seared in her memories, moments that she'll cherish forever. Moments that Anthony never got to be a part of because he was stranded on an island with no memories of his own. But hopefully, they can start making some new ones.

Gently clearing her throat, Kate offers Anthony a small smile when he turns. "Anthony, I'd like for you to meet your son, Anthony Sharma. Tony, this is your dad."

Kate's eyes dart between father and son, waiting for one of them to say something, for one of them to break the ice.

And then Anthony moves forward slowly, squatting down once he's directly in front of them. "Hello, Tony," he says, a small crack in his voice as he smiles. "It's so nice to finally meet you. I'm so sorry I was away for so long, it was never my intention."

"Um…hello," Tony replies in a soft voice, leaning back against Kate's legs. "It's okay. Mummy says you got hurt and you forgot everybody."

"I did. Otherwise, I would have come straight home and gotten to meet you. And I really wish I could have met you sooner. You seem like a great boy."

"Thanks." He glances up. "Mummy? Can I go paint?"

Kate smiles softly at her son, running a hand over his hair. "Of course you can, sweetheart."

Without another word, Tony steps away and moves further into the living room, heading straight for his paint set and easel in the far corner.

"Ben got that for him for his last birthday," Kate tells Anthony after a quiet moment of watching Tony gather all of his supplies together. "Not sure if he actually wants to be an artist, though, or just wants to emulate his favorite uncle for the time being."

"Ben's his favorite?"

"He hasn't admitted it, of course, but it's my theory. Well, it's a toss-up between Ben and Simon. He spends the most time with those two, mostly due to them always asking to come over and hang out with Tony. I think for them especially, having known you the longest aside from your mum, it was like having you back, in a way. They're both always telling me how much Tony reminds him of you, and it's always the little things. For Simon, especially, I think it helped him to learn to stop blaming himself for what happened."

"I hate that I was gone. That I didn't come back sooner."

Kate shakes her head as she turns to face him. "You were in a terrible accident, it's not your fault. No one blames you for being gone. Nobody could have predicted that a storm would come in so suddenly like that. I know it might take some time, but please try and learn not to blame yourself."

"I think that'll be easier said than done."

"I'm sure it will be. But promise me you'll try."

He smiles softly. "I promise."

Kate nods once and then takes a deep breath. "Good. Now, I know this probably isn't what you'd been hoping for when meeting Tony, but I promise he will warm up to you. We've all been telling him for five years that you weren't coming back, and now here you are, it's going to take some time. In the meantime, would you like a coffee? We can…catch up."

Anthony's smile softens even more, something shifting in his eyes too. "I'd like that. And maybe…if you're up for it, you and I could go out to dinner sometime. Because I meant what I said before, at the hospital. I wanna take you out, properly this time."

Kate purses her lips. "I'll think about it."

Anthony beams. "I'll take that as a maybe."

Kate wordlessly gestures for him to follow her over to the kitchen, pointedly ignoring the swooping in her stomach. That face of his is what led her to this entire situation in the first place, she won't let it happen again.

.

.

.

Stepping over the threshold and into the flat, Kate drops her things just inside as she pushes the door closed and leans back against it. She lets out a breath and then kicks off her shoes as she starts to move further into the space, though she stops short once she reaches the dining room. Her brows furrow slightly as she takes in the fancy place settings on the table. "What on earth?"

"Hi, Mum."

She turns slightly, her face lighting up with a smile when she sees Tony standing there dressed in a suit, his hair styled perfectly, looking even more like his father, especially with the smile he's wearing. "Hello. What's all this?"

"Dad and I made dinner for you," he tells her, stepping closer and wrapping his arms around her in a hug. He leans back and smiles brightly up at her. "But you have to get dressed up too. Your dress is in your room."

She raises a brow. "My dress?"

"Aunt Daphne picked it out. But I told her what color to get."

"Well, that's all the more reason to put it on, isn't it?" She drops a kiss to the top of her son's head and then moves down the short hallway to her room, still not quite believing that her baby is a seven-year-old. The last two years have completely flown by, just like the five before.

Stepping into the room, she gasps when she catches sight of the dress lying across the center of the bed. It's the exact style that she prefers wearing, which she shouldn't be surprised if Daphne is the one who picked it out.

She quickly changes out of her day clothes and slips into the dress, admiring the look of it in the mirror. It's beyond gorgeous. She forgoes the shoes that are sitting by the bed, wanting to be comfortable in her own home for whatever is about to happen.

Taking one final look at her reflection, she smooths her hands down over the sleek fabric and then makes her way out of the bedroom and back toward the kitchen. Both of her boys are standing waiting for her when she enters the room, both of them looking as handsome as ever in matching suits. She almost wants to snap a photo of it.

"You look so pretty, Mum."

Kate smiles at her son. "Thanks, sweetheart. You picked a very good color for my dress." Her son's beaming smile in response to her compliment makes her heart soar. She looks up at her boyfriend and smiles. "So, what's with the nice dinner? I don't think there are any birthdays or anniversaries coming up that I've missed."

"Ah, that's what you think. But you're forgetting about one very, very important date."

"And what would that be?"

Anthony's smile softens as he steps closer. "The day we were reunited and you told me I was a dad."

Kate smiles sweetly. "Was that really today?"

Anthony nods. "Two years ago today. We were a bit busy with Tony's broken arm last year to celebrate, which means we need to celebrate tonight. Would you like to sit and enjoy the meal that your son and I lovingly put together for you?"

Kate smiles and nods. "I would love to." She allows Tony to pull her seat out for her, ever the gentleman, and then sits there and watches as her two favorite guys serve her dinner. Tony does most of it, while Anthony supervises, and it's certainly a sight that she loves getting to see.

For so long she'd been sad and resigned to the fact that her little boy would never get to know his dad, someone she knew deep in her heart would love him just as much as she does. And then a miracle happened, and she gained another type of love that she'd told herself she didn't need while Tony was still young.

Once the food is served, Anthony and Tony take their own seats at the table with her, Anthony directly across from her and Tony in between them. They all chat idly as they eat, though it's mostly Tony telling the both of them about anything and everything he can possibly think of.

By the time dinner is finished, Kate is sure something is up with her boys, with the way they keep glancing at each other and seem to be having a silent conversation. She almost wants to ask about it, to figure out exactly what's going on, but also wants to give it just a moment longer to see if either of them says anything first.

"Mum?"

Kate tunes her focus back into her family, smiling softly at her son. "Sorry, love."

"It's okay. Dad has a question for you, though."

Kate shifts her attention to her boyfriend. "Oh?"

Anthony takes a deep breath, nerves playing clearly on his face. "Yes." He reaches across the table to grab her hand and hold it firmly in his, looking directly into her eyes. "I love you, Kate. It's as simple as that. Being by your side these last two years, and getting the chance to be a father, has made me happier than I ever thought I could be. We lost five years together, but a miracle brought me back to you and our son. I don't want to lose any more time with you." Still holding onto her hand, he stands and walks around the table, kneeling down in front of her with Tony standing just behind, a grin on his face.

Kate sucks in a sharp breath when she puts the pieces together, blinking several times to try and clear away the tears that had been blurring her vision. She wants to remember every detail of this moment.

Anthony's free hand slips into his pocket and pulls out a small black box. He easily flips the lid open and holds it up. "Will you marry me?"

"Say yes, Mum."

Kate laughs through her building tears, leaning forward and cupping Anthony's cheek in her free hand. "Yes."

Anthony's eyes go wide. "Yes?"

"Yes."

"Yes!" Tony cheers.

Kate grins as she closes the space between herself and Anthony. "I love you too," she murmurs against his lips. She leans back just enough to allow him to slip the engagement ring on her finger, taking a moment to admire it. It's elegant, yet simple, and absolutely perfect. Just like this moment.

.

.

.

Permanent smile etched on her face, Kate sways gently on the dance floor with her new husband's arms wrapped around her body, all of their closest friends and family surrounding them. It's their first dance as husband and wife and it's a perfect moment. Beyond perfect, even.

The day had been, thankfully, not a disaster like a part of her brain had feared it might be. Mary, Violet, Edwina, Daphne, and Francesca had been more than willing to keep an eye on every aspect of the ceremony from the moment the day started, dividing all the tasks amongst themselves to make sure it all went off without a single hitch. And Tony had been thrilled at the notion of getting to spend quality time with all of his uncles so that Kate could simply focus on getting herself ready to marry the man she loves.

The ceremony had gone by seemingly in a blur. One moment she was standing at the far end of the aisle waiting and eager to move, and the next she was standing across from Anthony with their hands clasped together tightly as they declared their love for each other in front of their family and friends. She'd cried, tears of joy of course, and Anthony did too; she could taste the salt from his tears as he kissed her once they were pronounced husband and wife.

Their families cheered, their friends hooted and hollered, and their son all but demanded to join in on their hugging. Which they happily allowed, hugging him tightly and planting kisses all over his face to make him giggle.

And now they're continuing the celebration, the back lawn of Aubrey Hall having been transformed into the most beautiful reception area, and she's in the arms of her love dancing the night away while praying silently that Colin doesn't load Tony up on too many sweets. The night couldn't be more perfect if she'd tried.

"You know, in my entire life, I don't think I've ever been happier than I am today."

Kate smiles softly at her husband, adjusting the position of her arms around his neck ever so slightly. "Oh, really?"

"Yes."

"Mm. Do tell, then."

He takes a deep breath, shifting closer and lowering his voice, "Well, if you must know, today is my wedding day. I've just married the most incredible woman on the face of the planet, and have the most wonderful son who reminds me of his incredible mother more and more each day."

"Considering he takes after my side more in looks, you think he'd take after you more in just about everything else."

"He does in some things. But no, he's certainly becoming your miniature. And I love it."

"I see." She bites her lip between her teeth, hesitating only for a moment. "Well, maybe the next one will take after you in looks and personality. Then we'll have one of each."

Anthony chuckles quietly. "That would be amazing. I certainly can't wait to start trying for another."

Kate fights back a smile. "Oh, I don't think we'll need to do much trying at this point."

Anthony freezes against her. "Kate…"

"Yes, my love?"

"Does what you just said mean what I think it does? Because if it doesn't…"

Kate can't help letting her smile grow as she cups her new husband's cheek in her hand, gently caressing his skin with her thumb. "I found out last week and have been wanting to find the perfect moment to tell you. I was going to tell you on the honeymoon, but then you said what you did and I couldn't help myself."

Anthony's eyes are full of tears. "We're having a baby? And I get to be present for it this time?"

Kate's own eyes fill with tears at Anthony's words. "Yes, we are. And yes, you do. Are you excited?"

"Am I excited? Kate, I'm thrilled. Beyond thrilled, even. And I promise you I'm going to be by your side for every step of it this time around."

Kate laughs quietly. "As long as you don't get overbearing, I think we'll be fine."

"I make absolutely no promises on that. I am going to be present for every single moment. I missed everything with Tony without knowing it. I'm not missing anything this time."

Kate's heart swells at Anthony's words, her love for him continuing to grow. "You know what? I think that will be one hundred percent, absolutely, undeniably okay."


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Until next time,
Jellybean96 out!