Recalling Lincoln Carter

Epilogue (Last)

Seven Years Later

"I told you that I wasn't going to deal with this anymore, Bill. No, I said no and I mean no. I do not want to see another paparazzi on my front lawn until I'm on my deathbed. I do not pay you to have your security guards waltz around my property playing tag. They were hired to keep people out. Now tell them how to do their job before I go find another company. Goodbye." Lincoln hung up the phone and placed it on the kitchen counter, rolling his eyes. "I'm a singer." He addressed me. "I shouldn't have to tell security guards how to do their jobs."

"I agree, hun." I said, sitting down carefully on one of the armchairs by the counter. "I think you handled it very well."

"Thank you baby." Lincoln nodded and walked over to me. "Speaking of babies, how is little number three feeling today?"

I rubbed my massive stomach with pain as he bent down to press his ear against it. Seven months pregnant and still able to tolerate the constant noise in my house. I wasn't sure how either of us managed it.

"I know the sex, Lincoln. You don't have to keep calling it "number three". I can tell you--"

"No!" He shook his head vehemently, "I didn't know the sex of Vera or Jared before they were born, and I don't want to know the sex of little baby number three either."

I rolled my eyes.

"Fine. But I'm going to start decorating the bedroom before delivery this time. You just won't be able to walk in there for a little while." The doorbell rang as I finished speaking. "Can you get that?"

"Of course." Lincoln replied, giving me a kiss on the forehead before taking off to answer the door. I heard him greeting whoever was on the other side and inviting them in, prompting me to stand up with all the grace of a bloated whale to say hello to whoever it was.

"Emma!" I cried as my best friend waddled into the room, her stomach rivaling my own. "I wasn't expecting you!"

"I know, I'm so sorry to walk in unannounced." Emma shook her head, "But honestly, I just needed to vent, and Patrick is not living up to his whole 'I promise I'll listen to you at all times' line from his wedding vows." She rolled her eyes, "So I came over here."

She made herself comfortable on the couch in the living room as Lincoln and I followed, sitting down on either side of the eight-month-pregnant best friend.

"So what's going on?"

"I tell you, I don't know how you managed to do this twice already." Emma said, "You must have the pain tolerance of a thousand of me. After doing this for eight months already I don't think I could do it again, let alone two more times."

"Your first is always the hardest." I promised, "You don't know what to expect. I'm just glad that you're finally having a baby! Children are honestly the biggest blessing."

As if on cue, little 5-year-old Vera came running in the room, followed at a slower pace by her 2-year-old brother Jared.

"Mommy!" Vera cried out, "I want a snack."

"Daddy can get it for you." I told her. "Mommy's visiting with a friend right now."

"Hi, Aunt Emma." Vera said as Lincoln took her hand to go into the kitchen. "You're getting fat."