EPILOGUE
Two years later
"Anna, get back here." I say, chasing Anna around the living room. She is butt ass naked as she tries to avoid me. I see her hide behind the couch and I grab her and she screams.
"Naughty girl." I say as I grab her.
"Mama." Anna says, cupping my cheek with her hands.
"Mhm." I hum as I walk to the bathroom with Anna in my arms.
I place Anna in the bathtub and I start washing her body. I suddenly feel nauseous when I bend down to pick her up. I wrap Anna with a towel before I take her out of the bathroom. Placing her on the bed as I turn around to grab her clothes from her dresser. Immediately I do that, I feel the sudden urge to hurl. I rush to the bathroom and I throw up in the sink.
As I stare at my vomit, I realize that this can only mean one thing. And I am not ready for that thing. Stone Construction just opened another branch in Vancouver, where we are currently living.
I hear Dylan cry as I finish dressing Anna. God, I wish I had some help with the kids. Ever since Zachary and I moved to Canada, life has just been moving so fast. We made the decision to move because New York City is too fast paced. I love it though.
Don't get me wrong.
But raising two kids under three in the big apple can be a lot of work, so I suggested that we moved somewhere quieter.
"What is it?" I ask Dylan as I pick him up from his rocker. I smell his diaper and I groan.
"Ugh, not this again." I complain.
I take Dylan over to his changing table and I start changing his soiled diaper.
I had Dylan four months ago. With Anna turning three next month and Dylan's constant need for him to be around me all the time, I barely have time for myself. I look like a mess. Zachary still lives in New York because he is still playing for the Jets. He comes back to stay with us when he's done with sponsorships and Ads and promotions, things like that.
Vancouver is beautiful. Very nice place. The house we got isn't bad either. It's just five minutes away from the city and we have animals. That's right. We bought a farm. I never thought I'd be one of those people, but I am now. We have chickens, goats, pigs and horses. The horses are my favorite. Especially Adam, the black stallion.
Yes, I named my horse after Adam.
Speaking of Adam, did you guys know that he married Maddy? Like Zachary's sister. So he's basically related to Zachary and I by marriage. It's wild.
Zach is coming back tomorrow. And I wanna surprise him. It's been two months since the last time he was here. I'm thinking of cooking a nice homemade meal for him...in lingerie.
He'll love it.
"Okay, guys. Mummy is going to the store with you. I need the two of you to behave." I tell my kids as I clip Anna's seatbelt.
"Behave." Anna says, giggling. Her dimples on full display.
"That's right. Good girl." I say, giving her a high five.
I get in the driver's side and I buckle my seatbelt before I start driving. I'm just going to the local grocery store to get some things for tomorrow. When I get to the store, I grab a trolley and push it. Anna is sitting on the top and Dylan is in my hand. I walk past the vegetable aisle and I throw asparagus and broccoli in the basket.
"Mama, candy." Anna says, grabbing my boob.
"Anna, stop it." I tell her, hitting her hand softly. She starts crying and I roll my eyes. This girl is so dramatic. Just like her father.
"Please, mama." Anna says, pouting as she stares at me.
"Fine." I say, giving in. "But I'm only getting you one lollipop. You know how you get when you've had too much sugar." I tell her as I grab the lollipop off the shelf and hand it to her. She collects it and flashes me a smile.
I push my trolley down the aisle before I hear someone call my name behind me. I turn around and I see Amir.
Oh, brother.
"Hi." I say, trying to be cordial.
"You look...tired." Amir says as he stares at me.
Wow.
You run into your ex-girlfriend for the first time in years and that is what you say to her.
"But it's the truth though." My subconscious chips in.
"It's because I am." I say softly. "You on the other hand, look the same. Business formal as usual." I comment, referring to the suit he has on.
It's seventy eight degrees outside.
"I'm assuming they are yours?" Amir says, pointing at my children.
"Yes." I reply.
"With your ex I suppose." He says and I nod.
"It should have been us, Vee. We could have had this." Amir says, tucking a strand off my hair behind my head.
"Yeah, but I didn't love you. You were a rebound, that's why we didn't work out." I point out.
Amir looks at me with sad eyes before he takes his hands off my cheek.
"Motherhood suits you." is the last thing he says before he walks away.
I've had a lot of weird encounters in this city, but boy was that the weirdest.
Pushing my shopping cart with my free hand, I walk around the store. Staring at items on the shelves, continuing my shopping.
***
"Pregnant." is what the ClearBlue pregnancy test on the sink says as I look at it.
"What does it say?" Alicia asks me.
I let out a frustrated sigh.
"I'm getting rid of it." I say as I pick up my phone from the counter.
"You're pregnant?" Alicia asks me with wide eyes.
"Apparently." I say, scratching my forehead.
"And you're not going to keep it?" She asks again.
"Yup." I reply, my voice devoid of any emotion.
"It's not Zachary's? That's why you want to get an abortion." She says and I chuckle.
"First of all, you're funny. Second, it is Zachary's child. I'm just not ready for another baby. I mean, it's only me in this house and I have a company to run. It's all too much." I tell her and she nods.
"Just tell him how you feel when he gets home. Call me back when you do." Alicia says as she ends the FaceTime call.
The kids are sleeping right now. That's why the house is so quiet. Zachary should be walking in any at moment now. I adjust my red lingerie set as I wait for him by the door. The doorbell rings and I open it, leaning on the door frame.
"Welcome home baby." I say, smiling at him.
"Shit, Vee." Zachary says as he picks me up and walks me inside the house. He drops his bags by the door and I close the door with my heel. He kisses my neck and I moan. Zachary drops me on the couch before he takes his sweater off. I unbuckle his pants and slide them down. He stares at me, maintaining eye contact and I take his boxers off before putting his dick in my mouth. He lets out a moan and I mentally applaud myself.
Thirty minutes later, Zachary collapses on me as we're both out of breath on the couch from our unforgettable tryst.
"God. Babe, that was amazing." Zachary says, panting.
"I just wanted to do something special for you. I know you're probably sex starved. So, I got this little idea." I tell him.
"Thank you." He says, kissing my forehead.
My mind immediately travels to the fact that I am pregnant with another baby right now.
"Um, Zach." I say as he gets off of me and puts his boxers back on.
"Yes, honey." He says, looking back at me.
"I'm pregnant." I blurt out.
He stares at me in shock and doesn't say anything. He sits beside me with his face in his hands.
"Say something." I whisper, as I touch his knee. I move closer to him on the sofa.
"Three kids, Vee. That's a lot of little humans." He says, sighing.
"I don't wanna keep it." I tell him and I feel his intense gaze on me. I'm staring at the TV right now to avoid his eyes.
"You what?" He asks and I keep staring at the TV.
"Look, pregnancy is hard. Postpartum depression is even worse. I have my own life to live, Zach." I tell him. "You're out there, living yours. While I'm here raising our kids in this stupid, God forsaken farm." I add.
I love this farm, I'm just angry right now.
"We can get a nanny. That'll take the stress off you. But we are not killing my child. What are you saying, Val." He says, holding me by my shoulders as he stares into my eyes.
I start crying as I look at him. He wipes my eyes and kisses me.
"I ran into Amir yesterday." I tell him, sniffling.
"Like your ex?" Zachary asks and I nod.
"The first thing he said to me was how tired I looked and that made me think. I've been working myself like a dog. I thought moving to Canada was the right decision, so we did. I can barely go to work, the kids take all my time. I don't want a nanny because I don't want another woman raising my kids." I tell him.
"Maybe we should move back to New York." I suggest, leaning on his chest.
"First of all, Amor or whatever his name is-"
"Amir." I correct, cutting him off.
"That's what I said. He doesn't know what he's talking about. He should try being a full time parent and work at the same time. Let's see if he wouldn't be tired." Zachary says, sounding annoyed. "You're a great mother, Vee. And I want this new addition to our little family to experience what it's like to be loved by you." He adds, placing his hand on my stomach.
"Just promise me that you'll be more hands on this time around. I can't do this all alone, babe." I tell Zachary, touching his face.
I feel like throwing up again. Running to the kitchen sink before it is too late, I pour the content in my bowel inside the sink.
Eww.
It's green.
"Babe, are you good?" Zachary asks, walking into the kitchen.
"Yes." I reply before I rinse my mouth.
I start feeling cold and I realize that I'm still in my lingerie.
"I got you." Zachary says, hugging me from behind.
"For life?" I ask him, turning around to face him.
"For life. It's you and me against the world, Vee." He says, hugging me. He rests his chin on my head as he pats my back.
I hear Dylan crying and I let out a tired sigh.
"Well, the peace and quiet could only last for so long." I say, pulling away from Zachary.
"Peace and quiet is boring. I like the noise. The noise we made together. Now, let's go change our son's diaper." Zachary says, wrapping his hands around me as we walk to Dylan's room.
I don't know what the future has in store for Zachary and I, but I know about right now. And right now, life is good. Yes, I know that I'm still skeptical about keeping this baby. It's because I'm scared of what's going to happen in the future. I'm scared of not knowing. And now I realize that life is about the not knowing. It's what keeps us going. It's why we wake up everyday. It's why we live out our days. It's the suspense life itself brings. So, I'm happy that I don't know it all and I can't control the future. But one thing I know is that I will always have my family. They will always be here.
That's for sure.
That's certain.
"Stop that." I yell as Zachary chases me around Dylan's room with the dirty diaper.
"Get back here. It's just pee, you made the guy." Zachary says, waving the dirty diaper in front of my face.
"Stop." I yell and he laughs at me.
What a dick.
The End.