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Epilogue
1 YearLater
Phillip
Dustin and I stood on either side of the closed bathroom door, waiting impatiently. Adrienne was insistent that she loved us both, but no way was anyone watching her pee on a stick.
At the sound of the doorknob turning, I forced myself to breathe. Adrienne moved back to sit on the edge of the tub, pregnancy test in hand. “Now we wait for five minutes.”
Right. Five minutes was nothing. Except we were five seconds in, and I already knew this would be the longest five minutes of my life since the last time I waited for pregnancy results.
Adrienne had been living here almost since we all exchanged I love yous, and early on she and I had an agreement—I’d get therapy for past trauma if she’d do the same. I’d insisted I was doing it for her, and confronting my grief had fucking hurt, but I was grateful both of us did it.
Healthier coping mechanisms didn’t stop my memory from drifting toward having gone through this before, and from the vow I’d made that I’d never do it again.
That was before these two, though.
Dustin, Adrienne, and I had talked about this decision at length. About six months ago, about the time Dustin finally sold his house and moved in with us, we’d stopped using any sort of birth control. We didn’t plan to see who the biological father was—Dustin and I would both be Dad.
But when Adrienne missed her period and had hints of morning sickness, I’d been struck with an ache of familiar that hadn’t completely left.
Adrienne looked up. Five minutes already? One corner of her mouth tugged up, and the air was forced from my lungs in anticipation, despite knowing what she was about to say.
“It’s positive.” Disbelief and excitement buoyed her words.
My heart leaped into my throat.
Dustin let out a loud whoop and scooped Adrienne into his arms.
I’d never thought… I didn’t…
“Are you all right?” Adrienne extracted herself from Dustin and rested a hand on my cheek. “Is this all right?”
At her touch and soft voice, my smile and relief surfaced. “This is better than all right.” Joy and warmth flooded me. “This is incredible.” I drew her into a tight embrace and brushed my lips over hers. “This is incredible. This is… God, I love you.”
“I’m thinking mural in the baby’s room,” Dustin said.
“What kind of mural?” Adrienne pulled my arms around her and turned to face him, leaning into me. “No Aliens until they’re old enough to ask for them.”
Dustin stared at her in disbelief. “Give me some credit. I’m thinking water dragons and radish spirits and giant fluffy creatures.”
“Creatures sounds dark.” I was teasing. I had a feeling he meant more like cotton balls with feet.
“Cute creatures.”
I laughed. Two years ago, I couldn’t have imagined letting myself live through these experiences again, and now I couldn’t imagine not having them. I was so grateful I hadn’t let this pass me by. That Dustin and Adrienne hadn’t let me pass them by.
Adrienne
When the doorbell rang, Dustin told me not to move, he had this. Phillip probably would have done the same, but he’d already decided I needed more herbal tea.
At five months pregnant, I was far from incapable of moving around the house, despite sometimes feeling I was waddling like a penguin, but they both pampered me and that was hard to complain about.
I heard Dustin answer the front door, and a chorus of voices drifted back.
A moment later, the patter of feet was accompanied by Phillip and Daria both calling, “No running in the house.”
“Addie.” Harmony bounced onto the couch next to me and threw her arms around my neck. “Only four more months until the baby. Did you pick a name yet? I drew you a picture. Can I hang it in the baby’s room? I—”
