Watch the Stars with Me

Epilogue

"Dear Violet,

If you are receiving this letter then for the third time you've made me the happiest man to have ever existed.

I asked Kyle to only deliver this letter to you if this specific day happened. I have to admit that a very big part of me hoped it would.

I felt it when I saw the two of you at Fern Appleton's eighteenth birthday celebration; that he was special to you. I'm sorry I never told you that I saw you there...

When I finally met him at Kyle & Iberis's wedding I felt it even more; that there was something kismet about the two of you. When the two of you locked eyes in front of me, I knew it would be right, because there wasn't a drop of jealousy or anger in me. It wasn't until you stood and waddled yourself to the bathroom that I really knew though. I'm glad you didn't see the way he watched you, full with my baby, and not a shred of jealousy in him either, just admiring how beautiful you are. I'm glad because it kept those last couple months with me pure.

He loves you like I do Violet. You receiving this letter is proof of that. He loves you enough to let you go and make your own choices, and grateful to be chosen by you. That's why I wrote this letter for this day.

Today, when you walk down the aisle I don't know who you chose to walk with you, I just want you to know that I'm there, right beside you. When the priest asks "who gives this woman to be married to this man?" I am.

I love you Violet. Thank you for all of the time and love you gave me. Go, live, and be loved.

Yours always,

Gilbert Bougainvillea"

She sits there at her vanity, reading over the letter from her husband as happy tears fall from her eyes and onto the beautiful lace overlay of her wedding gown with it's high neckline and long sleeves. The slight swell to her bell is hidden by the layers of her dress until she pressed her hand against it with one hand and wipes her tears away.

There's a gentle knock at the door before it begins to open and she looks in the mirror to see Dietfried in his military suit and Aster in a soft purple dress. "Ready mama?" She signs. Violet stand and nods to them.

Leon's heart leapt as he watched Aster come down the aisle, throwing petal in the air and spinning between every few steps as she tossed the petals in to the air. When she reached the end of the isle she dropped her basket and ran to his side and looked up into his eyes with a bright smile as she signed. "I love you." She signs just as the music changes and his heart begins to race.

Unlike the first time they met at the observatory, his eyes flew to her, he wanted to see every moment, each one of her steps that brought her closer to being his wife. When their eyes lock they both feel a sense of calm that even Dietfried feels as he walks his sister in law down the aisle.

However calm they are, they are equally distracted as they repeat the vows to each other, and exchange rings. Everything feels like a blur until the minister speaks. "You may now kiss the bride."

They both smile as he cups her face and pulls her into their first married kiss, a simple and gentle kiss for their audience as Aster begins to giggle behind Leon. When they separate they giggle with her as they are announced as Mr. & Mrs. Stephanotis. Leon grabs Aster's hand before they make their way back down their aisle, this time walking over the petals as a new family.

Winter passed and as the snow melts from the ground Violet's belly becomes unavoidably noticeable as she shuffles through the house at strange hours to rummage through the kitchen until her husband finds her and brings her back to their bed. Every night they read to Aster and the little one that they are so patiently waiting to arrive, except Aster who asks her parents every day "Is today the day I get to meet baby brother or sister?" And they have to tell her "not yet big sister. Just a little while longer."

At night the newlyweds curl up in bed, going over the next day's schedule while Leon watches in amazement as her body changes, and she smiles at all of the attention.

The early buds of spring began to bloom when they were all sitting in the living room reading their books and sipping on their tea and Violet felt a kick. She quickly pulled his hand to her belly and waited for his eyes to light up when the babes foot rolled against his palm. "Hello little one." He smiles as he brings his face to where his hand had been and kisses the spot he felt the movements."

When summer hit, and the weather was warmer than usual Violet was easily agitated, but after a walk to cool her down one night they sat in the large bench swing on the back of the house, watching as the stars began to light up the night sky, she spoke in a calm way. "Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?"

He smiled as she raised her head from his chest where she's been listening to the rhythmic thumping. "I don't really care about what sex the baby is. I'm just hoping they look more like you than they do me..."

Violet scowled in irritation from his answer. "Well I hope this baby looks just like the father."

When the day came, three weeks earlier than they had been expecting, the midwives rushed to their house as soon as possible. When they arrived to the house and the nanny rushed them up to the master bedroom they were a bit surprised to find the couple in their bathroom.

Piles of towels cover the floor as the laboring mother is already pushing through her contractions. The most surprising thing for the other women was how calm and helpful Leon was as he stayed by her side and guided her through the contractions and caught his baby. "It's a little boy. Violet, we have a son." He cries as he wraps the little one in warm towels before the midwives take the newborn to check him over and one of the other midwives goes to check on Violet.

There's an awkward silence in the bathroom, made only more unnerving to the man in the room by the sounds of his newborn son crying in the next room over. "Is everything okay?" He asks the midwife. She looks up to the father with a bit of humor in her eyes. "Well sir, would you like to assist with the second one?" She asks with a laugh knowing full well that he would be shocked.

"What did you just say?" Violet's sweaty head, bangs stuck to her forehead and pale cheeks, raises from the floor as she gets up on her elbows again just in time for a contraction to rip through her.

"I'll stay." He says as he helps his wife move back on to her hands and knees, and presses his palms into her hips.

As he held his babies in his arms, and the midwives helped Violet into their bed to rest, he marveled at how blessed he was to have gone from an orphan with no one in the world to someone with a family of five.

"Sir," The midwife that assisted him during the deliveries approaches him with a smile. "I've never met a husband who isn't a doctor do what you just did..."

He smiled. "I've been around the world once or twice. On the other side, men don't leave their wives side, and they are part of the entire experience. It's very... natural." She nods her head before walking away and when she opens the door he sees a pair of bright green eyes peering into the room, holding a very irritated looking black ball of fur and equally as green eyes.

He motion for Aster to come in and as she approaches her eyes go wider than they already were. "Two?" She signs with a large smile on her face. "Boy or girl?" She asks with raised impatient eyebrows.

Leon's stifled laugh shakes the babies for a moment until he stops. He points to one and signs "boy" and to the other and signs "girl."

Aster steps back and while shaking her hands in silent applause she spins around. When she stops she comes back up to them. "What are their names?" She asks as she settles on his lap.

He looks over to Violet on the bed who is watching all of this with dreamy eyes from their bed. "What do you think we should name them?" He asks.

Aster closes her eyes and rubs her chin for awhile. Leon looked up to Violet with an amused smile before their five year old opens her eyes with a bright look about her. "Maybe we can name her G-E-O-R-G-I-A-N-N-A, and we can name him..." She stops herself from signing the name she wanted.

He smiles as he spells out the name with one hand. "G-I-L-B-E-R-T."

The End

Author's Note:

Thank you for reading. Thank you to everyone who votes, comments, privately messaged me while this story was being writing.