Don't Let Go

Epilogue

3 1/2 years later

CORDELIA POV

I stretched my neck as we rode toward the court house, annoyed at how busy it was for a random Thursday morning.  Townsend Boulevard had bumper to bumper traffic so making our way to the heart of downtown was taking far longer than necessary.

Then again, I have not been awake before 9 in the last few months.  Early mornings are overrated.  Sleep is all I want, as much as possible.

"You okay, Cookie?" Elliot asked, sliding his hand around mine while we sat in the back seat of our town car.  Josh was driving while Milly stayed back at the house helping Janet in the kitchen.

I smiled, "Yeah, just uncomfortable."

My Dad chuckled from the passenger seat while sipping a travel mug of coffee, "Well, that's to be expected, Honey.  Hopefully we get there soon so you can have a bathroom break before we go into the courtroom."

"Yeah, yeah, I know.  I asked for it.  I just didn't expect the baby to enjoy sitting on my bladder all day," I teased.

Elliot adjusted my wedding ring on my left hand and let out a happy sigh before resting his left hand on my stomach.  "Kinda funny that the first day of Lewis' trial is when you are 5 months pregnant.  No one knows outside of our little bubble so it'll be funny to see their reactions."

"We had no way of predicting it would take almost 4 years for him to go to trial," Dad commented.  "Your wedding was at the estate over a year ago, too, and was only covered because we allowed one of the national magazines to do a story about it.  I am glad you 2 did not let the house arrest due to all these threats keep you from enjoying life and growing your relationship."

"It was a perfect day in June," I said with a happy sigh while meeting Elliot's dark eyes.  "We hoped to go for a trip for our 1 year anniversary but this little surprise changed our plans."

"I'm glad you're taking extra precautions considering all your Mom went through, Cordy," Dad replied with a soft gaze toward me.  "I know it's been tough for you 2 since you barely leave the estate but hopefully now that the trial is starting we can get a break from the stress."

My mind wandered to how the last 3 1/2 years have gone.  Milly and Josh got married less than a year after moving to the estate and went to Vegas for their wedding.  She trained to become a doula when Elliot and I got engaged over 2 years ago so it was incredible to have a trained medic that is also a midwife in our home.

Part of me longed to move somewhere quieter but I love my home... and I love my family.  We have peeked at houses in different school districts nearby to give ourselves an idea of what we are looking for so by the time our son starts Kindergarten I am sure we will be settled somewhere smaller while still spending plenty of time at the estate.

Elliot and I grew closer after the hostage incident, especially when we had a rough winter with constant blizzards that kept everyone in the house.  I had never been so thankful to have staff that were like family.  We had movie nights, sock hops, and played board games at random times while staying safe and warm inside.  There were even a few times when we turned the ballroom into a roller rink, complete with flashing lights and cheesy music.

Before Christmas he surprised me with a trip to the humane society.  Elliot did his research and knew there was a Terrier that had a new litter of puppies needing homes.  The moment I sat on the floor of their kennel, one of the tiny tan babies crawled into my lap.  His ears were a bit darker brown and curly tail was wagging so fast it was a blur.