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I’m not getting any younger, but with Sheree and our babies? I’ve never felt so alive. And she makes me feel like I’m nineteen again, sometimes three or four times in a day.
“What are you thinking about, Professor Grayson?” she asks, making me jump as she hands me little Jack. His tiny fingers claw at my mouth until I kiss them, kiss him, feeling how small, soft and perfect he is.
How beautiful they all are.
They get it from their mother.
“I was thinking…” I tell her, widening my eyes and looking like I have a plan, something that always makes her roll her eyes.
“Uh oh, Hanna. Daddy’s got another idea coming,” she warns, and little Jack smacks his tiny palm to his forehead, making us both laugh.
“I was thinking I’d make us all some lunch and then we could put it in a basket and go down by the lake for a picnic, seeing as it’s such a perfect day.” I beam over at Sheree.
She puffs some hair out of her face, and I can tell she’s wanting to tell me she has work to do, that I could take the babies and that would be fine.
But her mood shifts as I brush her hair back for her face, leaning over to kiss her lips.
“We can all go, as a family,” I tell her. “Your work will still be there waiting when you get back, I promise,” I remind us both.
Smiling wider she starts to list off picnic foods she knows we’ll all love and mostly have ready in the refrigerator anyway.
Jack and Hanna spring to life, always excited by the adventure of exploring their world a little further, with mom and dad to watch over them.
After lunch, eating way too much fried chicken, corn, potato salad, and all the other great things we enjoy fresh every day from our own garden, I lay back.
The babies are snoozing in their wicker cribs, rocked by the breeze and I have the love of my life snuggled against me, using me as her pillow.
The blanket under me is doing just fine to keep me cozy.
I’m a man who has what he wants, and I don’t want for anything anymore.
Once you’ve found perfection, you own a slice of heaven.
It’s hard to even look for anything else, let alone think about wanting anything different.
Extended Epilogue
Ten Years Later
Sheree
“Mom! It’s starting. She’ll be on any minute and you’ll miss it.”
“She won’t miss it. It’s being recorded and there’s something called live rewind… dummy.”
“Shut up, idiot,” Hanna whines.
“Girl!” Jack retorts.
Michael opens his mouth, ready to call out for the kids to simmer down, but he also likes eavesdropping on their banter sometimes.
Jack and Hanna have made a giant bowl of popcorn all by themselves, popped from our own corn from the last harvest.
Luke, Jane, and Kris are strangely silent, making me wonder what they’re actually up to down there.
We come down a minute later, just putting the finishing touches on baby Millie’s outfit after a little pre-show accident.
“Can you imagine if we actually went?” I ask Michael, both of us making a face and chuckling like kids ourselves.
It’s enough work to get everyone settled in the house at the same time for a meal, or in this case a live broadcast of the TV awards, let alone taking them cross country to be there.
Mama and Papa Peterson are there in person though, I’ll be watching for them in the crowd during the live broadcasting.
And Zoe’s there of course.
For the first time in a long time, and not without deserving it, it’s all about her today.
We’re all tuning in to root for her, hoping she wins but all just so proud of her for even being nominated.
We hear the volume grow louder on the wall sized plasma, and for once Michael doesn’t try to stop them.
He’s so proud of his Zoe and I am too, the kids could beam the whole show into outer space as loud as it can go and it still wouldn’t be enough.
Taking our seats, with kids and babies piling onto both of us, we all sit through the long and drawn-out opening ceremony, the music, and the ads.
We sit through a dozen award categories until Jack looks like he’s ready to give up.
And then it’s time.
The award for best new actress in a television drama.
“And the winner is…”
We all take a breath in, not daring to breathe in case we jinx it, all of us hoping it’s her that wins.
Michael squeezes my hand gently, his lip already trembling as I look over to him as the announcement is made.
“…Zoe Grayson for ‘Central Hospital.’”
The audience erupts with applause and there’s the sound of victory music playing.
The camera zooms in on Zoe, who looks like she always does. Perfect as she smiles. A thin line of silver at the edge of one eye.
