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Regardless of his DNA test results, Caleb's a Foster too. He's proud of his name. He's also smart enough to realize that what he inherited from Derek Handler is a heart condition. When the man dropped dead playing tennis one day last year, Caleb went to his doctor.
He's in good shape, better shape now that he's taken control of his diet and he's developed a love for running. He's doing it to take care of himself, because we need him, we all do, especially his wife and his son.
He told Bell before they married. He told us he joked with her about how Ian Handler, the guy who hit on her before they got together is his brother and a complete dick. She laughed he said. She also held him and told him he already has two brothers, two brothers who love him. He's never told Ian the truth. He said he won't. A relationship with him doesn't fit in his life.
"What about your dad?" She traces her finger over my brow. "How are things with you two?"
"It's going to take time to repair that," I answer honestly. "He checked out a long time ago. He wants to check back in and be a part of the family. I want that too."
"You can work on it together. All of you."
I fall in step beside her as she walks towards the corner. "I had a good visit with my mom. She loves me a lot. She likes you too."
"My mom will love you." I glance down the street towards a group of people approaching. "She worked things out with Caleb years ago. I can't hold what happened against her, if he doesn't."
"Forgiveness can change your life." She rests her head on my shoulder as we wait for the light.
She has no idea. Caleb was looking for forgiveness tonight. He wanted Gabriel and me to understand why he begged my parents to keep his secret. He didn't want anything between us to change. It can't. My brother went to meetings to understand how to help me. He wanted my recovery as much as I did. He loves me. I love him. That's all that matters.
"Sorry to bother you, man." A hand touches my shoulder. "You wouldn't be Asher Foster by chance, would you?"
I wait for it and right when I think she's going to leave me on my own, she steps around me. She looks into the faces of the man and woman standing next to us. "You're mistaken I'm afraid. This is my David. He's the love of my life."
EPILOGUE
One Year Later
Asher
"If I agreed to go on tour with you, what would be in it for me?"
I take a deep breath. "You would get to spend every hour or every day with your fiancé who loves everything about you."
She purses her lips. "That sounds promising. What else?"
"You can take pictures of London and," I pause to kiss her. "We can look for an apartment there."
"In London?" Her brows pop." For the two of us?"
"For you and me. We can go there sometimes to escape." I stare into her beautiful blue eyes. "We can take your mom and dad there next year if you want, once they hand over the keys of the bakery to your siblings."
"We need to find a place here first." She closes her laptop. "I'm going to miss this apartment, Asher. I've kind of fallen in love with it."
I fell in love with it all over again the day she moved in six months ago. It was the day after I proposed, which just happened to be the same day she got back to New York after spending a full week in Las Vegas photographing the new Bishop Hotel and Casino there.
The year hasn’t been easy. She's traveled one direction, while I've gone off in another. We kept in close contact though, through calls, text messages and the occasional quick trip on the Foster jet.
"Maya thinks she has a buyer." I remind her. "That's going to mean that we have to find another place."
"A place with more bedrooms? Bedrooms for our babies?"
We talk about it all the time. I thought I was ready until I fell in love with Falon. I want her to myself for now. In a year or two after we're married, we'll start trying. It needs to be the right time for us both.
"Lots of bedrooms for our babies."
"Wait." Her hand darts into the air between us. "We're not talking Shaw numbers are we? I don't want thirteen children."
I know she doesn't. It's too much for her to even consider three or four children. We've talked about two, we've settled on two but we'll see where our journey takes us.
