Epilogue

"Diane Regina Lockhart."

When I hear her name, I jump from my seat and start cheering at the top of my lungs, so there's a chance my daughter might hear me through the clapping crowd.

I notice when Gina's eyes meet ours from the stage, and she waves in our direction happily. Today marks the most important milestone in her life so far, her graduation from Yale Law School. All the hard work she's put into her studies has paid off and she has been rewarded for it today. And we are here to support her.

I can feel tears forming in my eyes. This is my achievement just as much as hers. I raised her alone for 16 years, and I'm incredibly proud of the woman she's become.

As Kurt places an arm around my waist, I lean towards him a little. He's been there for Gina over the last seven years and I know he's just as happy for her as I am. My daughter might not call him 'Dad', but she certainly loves him like one, because he has more than proved to her that he's someone she can rely on.

"I got the video, Mom." I hear the voice of my other daughter on my side, who gladly took over this responsibility, so her dad and I could fully immerse ourselves in celebrating her sister's special day.

"Thank you, honey." I hug her briefly, before she sits back down on the seat she's been standing on to get a better view.

I'm grateful she's only twelve now, so it will take at least six more years for her to also leave us.

I wasn't able to experience the empty-nest syndrome when Gina left for college, because Angelina waltzed into our life that summer. Kurt and I weren't even married for a year, so it was still in our honeymoon phase when I met this little girl, visiting an orphanage. She wasn't shy like the other kids, and she simply walked up to me and told me how pretty I was. Seeing her brought back all the memories of Gina at that age and how much I missed having a child who depended on me.

After this visit it occurred to me that maybe Kurt and I were still not too old to take over such a responsibility together, and a child would not complicate our lives, but complete them. When I shared these thoughts with him, he didn't protest the idea, and when he met this girl I had talked to him about, they immediately formed a bond as well.

So Angie, he and I became a new family, right before our older kids left for college. And our daughter couldn't have been more grateful to us for choosing her and brought as much joy into our lives as we did into hers.

"I got it too," Keith responds.

"Me too," Cary says on his side.

"Me three," Millie chuckles from the end of the row. "Wish Mom and Dad could have been here," she adds, and I wholeheartedly agree.

I wish my parents could have made it, but with dad's health traveling isn't easy anymore, and mom didn't want to come alone. They will be pleased to see the videos and the pictures.

"They have a good excuse though. But now we will have at least four videos to show them," I remind them playfully. "And we will all celebrate together tomorrow at home."

Alicia is preparing for a fashion show tonight, but it's not the one she does every year, this one's in New York City and we are invited to attend. Her creations caught the eyes of a well-known designer, who offered to share the stage with her to jump-start her new career, if that was what she wanted. And Alicia grabbed at the opportunity. And Will has been nothing but supportive of her.

"I wish we were modeling tonight, as we do every year at home." Angie's remark takes me back to the years when I had both my girls with me on stage on our yearly charity fashion shows. In the last two years it was only Angie and I, and she always enjoyed these occasions to dress up and be a model with her mom for a night.

"This show is not for kids, I'm sorry, honey." I really wish Angie were old enough to attend, but since she isn't, we had to figure out a different arrangement for tonight.

"But you and I will have a fun night in the Big Apple, don't you worry 'bout a thing." Kurt reminds his daughter, whose face lights up.

"Will we go up to one of the skyscrapers?" She has been reading about the City a lot lately. We have been a couple of times since she's with us, but she is showing more interest now that she's a little older.

"If that's what you want." Kurt responds willingly. There's nothing he wouldn't do for his daughter.

"I'd love that." Angie walks to her dad to sit in his lap and I look at them with a bright smile on my face.

Watching him in his role as a father has made me fall for him all over again. It proved to be the best decision we made when we adopted our daughter, thanks to her we discovered new things about each other and have strengthened our bond even more.

"'I'll go find Gina so we can all congratulate her," Cary announces as soon as the ceremony is over.

"I'll go with you," Keith volunteers and seeing the two of them together makes me smile.

Though it took longer than expected, Keith eventually realized Cary was here to stay, and now they are as close as brothers. I just wish they didn't all choose to settle in the City, instead of Redville. Cary works in a hospital as a resident and they've actually been renting an apartment together while Keith is interning for the New York Times and working two other jobs to support himself. Kurt couldn't be more proud of his son who rarely accepts financial support from him.

Gina has already got an associate position at a prestigious law firm in the City she had interned for during summer breaks, so she and Cary might move in together this year. My grown-up daughter is starting her independent life very soon and it just makes me very emotional.

"She's coming," Angie pulls at my arm and I notice Gina walking towards us with the boys on her sides.

"I'm so proud of you," I take her into my arms and hold her as tight as I can, while my tears start flowing again.

"Thank you, Mom, for everything. I couldn't have done this without you," she reassures me and I can see that she also has tears in her eyes.

"And thank you too, Kurt." Gina hugs Kurt as well, who hugs her like her father should, but as far as I know, Frank couldn't make it today.

"Can I get a hug too?" Angie demands some attention from her sister, who obeys with a smile.

"Of course, I'm so happy you are all here today." She looks around gratefully, and even if she misses her dad, it doesn't show. She seems completely happy, she's closing this difficult chapter of her life with a promising future in sight.

"Mom and Dad sent their love, they wanted to send their present as well, but you'll see them tomorrow at the celebration." I remind her.

"I wish they were able to come, but I'm looking forward to seeing them tomorrow. I need to thank them as well." Gina continues to feel overwhelmed, it's a very important day for her after all.

"I know what you're getting, but unfortunately I'm not allowed to share." Angie reveals it to get her sister's attention again, who doesn't seem to mind.

Gina was somehow never jealous of Angie when she entered our life. She was almost eighteen by then, so not exactly a kid anymore and she thought we were doing something great giving an orphan girl a family and a future. She probably also didn't mind that I'd have someone else to focus on, not that she really needed to be mothered too much by then.

From the moment they first met, she and Angie have gotten along well, and even though they don't spend too much time together, apart from holidays, they have a close connection. Angie looks up to her big sister and Gina likes to mother her baby sister sometimes, but other times they argue like there's no tomorrow, as sisters usually do.

"I'm sure I can make you tell." Gina challenges Angie with a smile.

"No, you can't." Angie tries to hide behind her dad, but Gina goes after her.

"Yes, I can," she insists.

"Come on guys, let's go, we have a show to catch." I interfere and Gina offers a hand to her sister who takes it without a word.

With the kids walking in front of us I reach for my husband's hand and we share a smile.

"I'll miss you tonight." I whisper to him and he presses my hand right away.

"I'll miss you more, but I'm sure other than that, both of us will have a great time."

We've been married for almost seven years, and even though they say it tends to be the critical year in some marriages, it couldn't be less true to ours. We love our little bubble - surrounded by our kids, family, and friends - and we still cherish being together over being apart.

"You know Gina offered to take care of Angie for a few days in the summer, so we can go away together for a while, if we want."

His offer sounds tempting, even though I know it wouldn't be easy for either of us to leave Angie behind. But he is right, we should take this opportunity to spend time with each other.

"I would love that. Where would you want to go?" The fact that he thought of it makes me happy already, and I almost don't care where we go as long as we are going together.

"How about Italy?"

I'm thrilled to hear his answer. We went to the Amalfi Coast for our honeymoon, and the memories we made there are still with us vividly to this day.

"Let's do it."

THE END

A/N: So this is the end of my journey with my very first completely AU multi-chapter story. I started it over 10 years ago, but haven't updated it for 8 years in between, since 2016. I'm glad I was able to get back to it after all this time and give it the ending it deserved.

Thank you for reading and I'm looking forward to posting the last chapters of Divided Path next.