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“That is just not true!”
We’ll “argue” about this for the rest of our lives, and I’m here for that. I’m here for all of it.
“I was thinking about something else,” he says, his expression serious.
“What’s that?”
“I might be up for another kid or maybe two, if you are.”
“Really? I thought you said that ship has sailed for you.”
“I thought so until it occurred to me that Tyler, Sophia and Laney would be such incredible older siblings. I’d sort of like to see that.”
“Wow.”
“But only if you want it, too.”
“I’d need to consult with my doctors because pregnancy can be troublesome for certain kinds of breast cancer.”
“It’s completely off the table if there’s any risk of that.”
“We’ll see what they say and go from there, but I’m not opposed.” I give a little laugh. “A year ago, the thought of more kids would’ve been a huge nope, but now… Anything seems possible, doesn’t it?”
“Anything and everything.”
“I want you to write that book.”
“I’m already working on it.”
“You are? When can I see it?”
“Soon.”
“Are you writing about me and us?”
“Some. Is that okay?”
“Sure, that’s fine with me.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t write about how you shamelessly seduced me into this whole new life.”
I smack his shoulder. “It wasn’t shameless, and you love your new life.”
“Yes,” he says with a sigh. “I sure do.”
Epilogue
GAGE
“My name is Gage Collier, and my wife, Natasha, and twin eight-year-old daughters, Ivy and Hazel, were killed when Mr. Previn chose to get behind the wheel of a car after he’d been drinking ‘all day,’ by his own admission.” I’ve been dreading this day for weeks, but now that it’s upon me, I feel only determination to see it through and to speak for Natasha, Ivy and Hazel.
“His friends tried to stop him from leaving, but he wouldn’t be stopped or talked out of driving a three-thousand-pound vehicle while impaired. A few weeks prior, Mr. Previn’s wife of twelve years had left him and taken their children with her because, in her words, ‘his drinking had gotten out of control.’ I saw that on a social media post she made after the accident in which she talked about how she’d tried desperately to convince him to enter rehab and get his life in order before it was too late. Mr. Previn is the lucky one here. His wife and children were able to leave before his alcoholism cost them everything.
“My wife and daughters weren’t so fortunate. They were coming from the dress rehearsal for their holiday dance recital. The girls were in high spirts and excited for the big show that was to be the next night. My wife, Natasha, sent me photos and videos from the dress rehearsal. When I received them, I had no idea they’d be the last photos or videos I’d ever have of my beautiful, talented, sweet, loving girls. I’ve looked at them a thousand times since that dreadful night when the police came to my door to tell me my wife and children had been killed in a wrong-way crash.
“It’s hard to describe what happens to a person when they receive news like that. The best way I can put it is, everything stops. Everything just stops. Life as you know it is over forever. Nothing is ever the same. The three most important people in your world are gone, and they’re never coming back.”
Behind me, I hear Mimi’s sniffles, even as I struggle to maintain my own composure. I’m determined to get through this without breaking down.
