Epilog

TANNER*

"Call an ambulance! Kaysen, Kaysen baby, wake up, love," I cried out as I checked her pulse. She had a pulse, but it was faint.

I cradled my love in my arms and cried out to her, all the while checking her pulse and making sure she was still alive until the ambulance arrived.

"Kaysen has succumbed to a small placental abruption. It's not severe. It's barely visible. I have given a steroid shot to help the baby's lungs to mature if I have to conduct an emergency C-section. Kaysen will need to stay in the hospital from here on out and on complete bed rest to prevent any more tearing," Dr. Ryan explained to me as she led me back to Kaysen's room.

I stopped Dr. Ryan before we arrived at Kaysen's room. "I'm sorry I don't understand; what is a placental abruption? Is Kaysen ok and the babies?"

"I'm sorry, placental abruption is when the placenta detaches itself from the womb. The placenta is how nutrients get to the baby. The tear is minimal; we got to her before any significant damage was done. Kaysen is now awake, and the babies are thriving. So I don't feel the need to do an emergency C-section. We will be monitoring her closely, but be prepared for the babies to come early," Dr. Ryan said as we stepped into Kaysen's room.

I ran up to Kaysen and threw my arms around her as tears streamed from my eyes. "I thought I had lost you," I whispered into Kaysen's ear.

THREE WEEKS LATER*

Kaysen was rushed into an emergency C-section two days ago after she started having sharp pains again. Dr. Ryan was able to repair the damage caused by the tearing of the placenta, but we have been told that the odds of Kaysen carrying any more babies are minimal.

Patience and Faith were both born weighing in at 4.5 and 4.7 pounds, and we're both a little over 17 and a half inches long. Thanks to the steroids given, their lungs had matured enough that both Patience and Faith would be coming home with Kaysen and me in a few days after Kaysen had had enough time to heal. Even though they are both small, I could see that it wouldn't take long for them to gain weight. Kaysen has been expressing milk for them through a pump, and both Patience and Faith drink around three ounces of milk every two hours or so.

Patience and Faith are identical, of course, as the norm that runs in my family. Both were born with a head full of black curly hair like their mothers, but they both have what I'm thinking will end up being hazel eyes like mine. A nurse told me we wouldn't know for sure until they got older.

"They are so beautiful, just like their mother," I said as I bent down to kiss Kaysen on the forehead.

Two nurses had just left with Patience and Faith after Kaysen, and I had changed their diapers and given them their feeding.

Kaysen smiled sleepily at me, nodded her head, and closed her eyes. She has been somewhat out of it since the surgery after being on a morphine drip and other pain medication.

I walked back to the NICU to watch my babies sleep for a moment and then went to Blaze's house to check on Cora. Tomorrow I will be bringing her to the hospital to meet her baby sisters, and she has been so excited.

Cora has spent the better part of the last three weeks at Blaze and Lyra's house so that I could be near Kaysen while she was in the hospital. She and Adelaide have had the time of their lives; I couldn't be more thankful to them both.

***

I looked upon my wife as she fed six-month-old Patience and thanked God for all the many blessings he has given us. Kaysen doesn't breastfeed; however, she has been pumping milk since the babies were born so that I could help with feedings. Looking at Patience and Faith, you would never guess that they were born six weeks early. They both weigh above the average of most six-month-olds at eighteen pounds. I cradled baby Faith in my arms as I rocked her in the rocking chair and sang softly to her as she fell asleep in my arms. I couldn't ask for more.

Connor has stepped up as CFO of the company so that I could be a stay-at-home dad. Wade now runs the HR and Payroll departments of the company. I have a constant flow of investment earnings and enough money saved up that I may never have to work another day in my life. I love every minute of being home with my family. Two years ago, I never would have dreamed I would be married, let alone have kids. Kaysen has been my light in the darkness I lived in for so long; I love her with every beat of my heart.

The adoption process was finalized on Cora's birthday, and she takes her big sister role quite seriously. She has never had an ounce of jealousy and helps Kaysen and me keep Patience and Faith occupied. She was the one to get on the floor to teach them how to roll over, which was the cutest thing anyone could ever see.

Kaysen has enrolled in Culinary school and will be starting classes in the fall. Her mom and I are both relieved that she will be doing something that she loves instead of doing something she never really wanted to do in the first place.

Construction on our home has begun, and we are having a guest house built for Nicole and Ethan, who will continue to work for us until Kaysen finishes her degree. Then there are thoughts of Kaysen and Ethan building and opening up a restaurant.

Kaysen and her mom have grown close over the last nine months or so. Nancy and Clark have moved to Colorado and visit every other weekend that we don't have Saturday night dinner. There have been no more issues or blowups since after the kidnapping.

***

Blaze and I reclined back in the patio chairs after he had had a long day at work, drank beers, and tried to relax while the babies were taking a nap, and all was quiet inside the house. It has been months since we have hung out and had a chance to catch up. Even Saturday night dinners have been so crazy; it's been hard to chat. When we hang out after church Kaysen, and I tend to the babies, and we have kids running around everywhere.

"How are things going at the office?" I asked Blaze as I took a swig from my beer.

"Quite well. I thought making Connor CFO was going to blow up in my face. Connor and Wade both spend more time at the office now and help Taylor when they can, instead of working out in the field, which helps out a great deal and makes the office run more smoothly. They both get to work early now, which is strange, but I'm not complaining. Perhaps they figured out that they are thirty-two years old and needed to quit their shit; who knows. Business is booming even more now that the rehabilitation hospital has been fully staffed," Blaze said as he got up to retrieve another beer from the outside fridge.

"I guess Lyra and Vega are excited to be putting their Ph.D.'s to use now, right? How is that going?"

"They love it. It was hard on them at first when they had to start leaving Bethany and Vivian at daycare. It didn't take them long to get the swing of things, though," Blaze said as he sipped his beer.

"Ethan will have dinner ready in thirty minutes or so. Would you like to stay and eat?" I asked Blaze.

"I would, but Lyra will be here to get me shortly. She dropped me off knowing that I would be drinking, and it gave her an excuse to catch up with Kaysen and see the babies without all of ours being around. If we didn't have to get back to them so quickly, we probably would stay a bit longer,"

"I understand, maybe next time then. It's crazy how all of our lives have changed so much within the last five years or so. Connor and Wade need to step it up, don't they. I love my life as a married man with kids; I wouldn't have it any other way," I said as Blaze and I got up from our lawn chairs.

"That would be the day; I'm surprised they don't have kids running around as much as they stick their cocks into any woman that walks in their path. I'm not sure if they will ever change," Blaze said as we quietly made our way through the back door.

"Nah, if I can change, Connor and Wade can change. All it takes is coming face to face with your soulmate, and then you're a goner," I said, and we both chuckled.

We walked into the living room to see Cora on the floor with Patience and Faith. She was showing them how to crawl, and it was the cutest thing I had ever seen, minus the rolling over part. Kaysen had her phone out and was taking pictures and recording the process.

I looked at them all, and my heart swelled with overwhelming love.

Writer's Note

I hope that you all enjoyed Tanner and Kaysen's story!😍Stay tuned for Season Three with Connor and Wade's story coming soon. Feel free to leave a review hugs and love Sapphirian J 🥰