I really hope you enjoyed this story because I did. This is the last part of the epilogue.
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Ariana excused herself from talking to her neighbor Annette and her husband Michael, she was becoming increasingly hotter and she had been experiencing some back pain for most of the day. She needed to get out of the room before she passed out, that would certainly put a damper on the party. She walked out of the room and narrowly escaped running into a caterer carrying glasses of eggnog.
"Sorry Mrs. Brooks," the man apologized even though it had been Ariana's fault.
"No, I'm sorry, totally my fault," Ariana replied.
"Would you like some eggnog Mrs. Brooks?" the young man asked.
"No but thank you," Ariana smiled as the man nodded and headed inside the formal living room. She quickly opened the front door and headed out side. "Hi you," she said, pleasantly surprised to see Luke staring off into the stars.
"Hey Ari," Luke turned around from where he had been leaning on the railing. "What are you doing out here? You're going to freeze to death." Luke was just about to offer her his suit jacket when she stopped him.
"No you keep it, I came out here because I'm boiling inside," Ariana explained. "What about you?"
Luke shrugged, "I just needed a little fresh air....just wanted to do some thinking," he smiled.
"Well if I'm interrupting you," Ariana began, ready to leave and give her friend a little space.
"No, no not at all. You know I always love the company of a beautiful woman," Luke smirked.
"You better watch yourself, Dianna has great hearing," Ariana laughed.
"Yeah," Luke chuckled. "That's my girl."
"Yeah," Ariana smiled as she looked at Luke's own brightly smiling face. "You really love her don't you?"
Luke smiled even bigger; just the thought of Dianna made him smile like a little kid on Christmas morning. "I really do."
"She loves you too," Ariana smiled, trying to keep her hormones in check. "And I love the both of you; I hope that you will be very happy together."
"Thanks Ariana, that means a lot coming from you," Luke responded. "I see you and Jai and the girls and it just blows my mind to see how happy you are as a family. I just wonder if Di and I will have that."
"Without a doubt, Luke," Ariana smiled. "You better pop the question soon; we could use another baby around here soon."
Luke chuckled, "Jai already told me that you know that I'm asking her on Christmas."
Ariana giggled, "That Jai sure can't keep a secret."
Luke laughed, "So true, as long as you didn't tell Dianna it's all good."
"Unlike my husband my lips are sealed," Ariana grinned as she leaned against the railing, letting out a content sigh as she was deep in thought. She turned to look at Luke, "Did you ever think that this is how your life was going to turn out?"
"Honestly," Luke shook his head 'no.' "No, I didn't. But I've never been happier. I'm about to propose to Dianna," he chuckled. "I still thought that I'd be some wild bachelor but this is the life I want, the one with Dianna, and I've never wanted anything more. What about you?"
Ariana smiled as she thought back on the last several years. "Well not at first, but the moment that Jai and I started dating, I knew that he was my happily ever after. I've never been happier, too, in my entire life. I can't even put it all into words but having a family of your own is just...it's so remarkable and there's just so much love to go around. It's indescribable, Luke, it really is."
Luke nodded, "You and me, we're very blessed."
Ariana smiled, knowing that he was right. She was about to respond when the front door suddenly swung open and out came Dianna.
"I thought I saw you two head out here," Dianna smiled as she slipped an arm around Luke's waist. "What are you guys doing out here?"
"Shooting the breeze," Luke laughed as he pulled Dianna closer.
"You're an odd one," Dianna chuckled as she shivered at the cold weather.
"Do you want my jacket?" Luke offered.
"Uh huh," Dianna nodded as Luke helped her with his black blazer. "Its freezing, you two are crazy for standing out here."
"I'm practically sweating bullets..." Ariana stopped dead in her tracks.
"What?" Dianna asked worried, she was pretty sure that she had seen that face before.
"You ok Ari?" Luke asked as he stepped forward.
"My water broke," Ariana looked down and saw fluid dripping down her legs.
"Oh my gosh!" Dianna exclaimed.
"Whoa," Luke stumbled back afraid that he would step in her puddle.
"Go get Jai," Ariana breathed as she felt the onset of a contraction begin to hit.
"I'll be right back," Dianna rushed into the house as Ariana reached out for the nearest object to hold which happened to be Luke's hand.
"Breathe in, breathe out," Luke said encouragingly. "Do that hee hee hoo stuff?"
"You're not helping," Ariana rolled her eyes at Luke, finally the contraction stopped. "That one wasn't so bad."
"Not so bad?" Luke questioned. "I think you broke my hand."
"Ari!" Jai exclaimed as he and Dianna rushed back outside.
"Jai my water broke!" Ariana shrieked and Jai was at her side in an instant.
"Ok, ok," Jai said as he ran a hand through his hair, even though this was his third child he was still as nervous as can be.
"And I'm having hard contractions," Ariana said as she placed a steadying hand on her back.
"How far apart are your contractions? And how long have you been having them?" Jai asked as he replaced her hand with his own to help her.
Ariana bit her lip, knowing that he'd be angry, "Almost all day," she said in a quiet voice.
"I'm sorry, did you just say ALL DAY?" Jai shrieked with wide eyes and Ariana nodded innocently. "Why didn't you tell me?!"
"Because I just wanted to get through the party and they weren't that bad. I even thought they were Braxton hicks at lunch," Ariana explained.
"Ok, ok, I'm not mad at you Ariana," Jai said as he leaned down to kiss her forehead. "We're having a baby!"
"We're having a baby," Ariana beamed as Jai smiled down at her. "I love you."
"I love you too."
"Aww that's sweet kids, now that we've established that you love each other...can we go to the damn hospital? This kid is going to be born on your porch any minute now!" A very nervous Luke yelled, he did not want a repeat of Ariana's last birth.
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"Hi," Jai smiled from the doorway of Ariana's hospital room the next morning.
"Hi you," Ariana smiled from her bed. "Are you going to stand there all day or are you going to come in?"
"I come bearing gifts," Jai laughed as he opened the door wider to reveal Caitlin and Kenzie smiling widely just like their parents. Ariana smile grew at the sight of her little girls; it was the first time since she had seen them since the previous night.
"Mommy!" Kenzie exclaimed, she was first in the room, torpedoing towards Ariana.
"Careful, careful," Jai warned as Kenzie slowed her speed when she reached her mother. He looked down to his oldest who stood apprehensively by his side. "Go on butterfly, don't you want to meet your new brother?"
Caitlin nodded as Jai took her hand and led her over to Ariana's hospital bed. "Hi, Mommy," Caitlin smiled as she leaned against the bed.
"Hi baby," Ariana smiled as she shifted the new bundle of joy in her arms, revealing his sleepy face. "I would like you to meet your new baby brother."
"Hi," Caitlin smiled, in awe of her new brother.
"Hi baby bwother," Kenzie said as she grabbed one of his tiny hands from underneath his blanket.
"Kenz," Jai began, afraid that she would hurt him.
"She's ok," Ariana looked up at her husband, reassuring her husband that their daughter was just fine.
"He's pink Daddy," Kenzie stated as she looked to both of her parents.
"So were you," Jai chuckled as he picked her up and sat on the edge of the bed with her.
"So what do you think Caitlin? Is he a keeper?" Ariana asked her silent daughter.
Caitlin nodded as she smiled at her mother. "Yeah, he's a keeper Mommy. I like him a lot."
"Good because if you didn't like him, we were thinking of giving him back," Jai replied as Caitlin and Kenzie looked at him utterly shocked.
"Jai," Ariana scolded him.
"I'm kidding girls," Jai laughed.
"What's his name?" Kenzie asked as she tugged on Jai's sleeve. "Is it Mickey Mouse?"
"No honey, his name is not Mickey Mouse," Ariana giggled. Kenzie had tried desperately for them to name the baby Mickey since he was a boy (or Cinderella if they had a girl).
"We decided to name him Jack Patrick Brooks," Jai replied as he looked down at his perfect little boy.
"Jack?" Caitlin asked, wide eyed. "You picked the name that was my favorite!"
Ariana nodded as she snuggled Jack closer to her. "It was our favorite too and he looks like a Jack, don't you think?"
"Mmm hmm, definitely a Jack," Jai smiled as he admired his son, who let out a little yawn.
"Time for a nap," Kenzie took note.
Ariana laughed, "He's going to take a lot naps, babies sleep a lot."
"Can I hold him?" Caitlin asked expectedly as she looked up to Ariana.
"Sure sweetie, but why don't you sit down on the couch first," Ariana said, happy that Caitlin wanted to hold her new brother. She had been a little worried that the girls wouldn't be so responsive to him; she thought that their might be some major jealously but so far so good.
"Ok!" Caitlin exclaimed and rushed to the corner of Ariana's hospital suite where the couch was.
"Me too, me too," Kenzie climbed down from Jai's lap and jumped to the floor before joining her older sister.
"Jai," Ariana motioned for him to take the baby.
"Hi big guy," Jai carefully took his son from his mother; he placed a loving kiss on his son's forehead. "Remember what we talked about before Caitlin, you need to hold his head."
"Uh huh," Caitlin nodded as her father walked closer; she had a few butterflies in her stomach. She wanted to do it right and she wanted to make her parents proud of her.
"Ok, be careful ok," Jai leaned down and carefully placed Jack in his big sister's arms. "Support his head," Jai repeated, helping Caitlin get situated with him. "There."
"Good job sweetheart," Ariana beamed as she looked at her children, all three of them. Jack in Caitlin's arms and Kenzie tickling his blanket clad feet. "Honey you should take a picture."
Jai nodded, "Be right back, the moms have my camera." He quickly walked out of the room.
"I thought he would be heavy," Caitlin looked down at a now sleeping Jack and then up to her mother.
"No, he's light as a feather," Ariana replied, well that wasn't entirely true, he was definitely the biggest of their three at 8 pounds 11 ounces, but what do you expect when you have a big Brooks boy.
"Where are his teeth?" Kenzie asked.
"Babies don't have teeth when they are first born," Ariana explained. "They have to grow in time."
"Oh," Kenzie replied skeptically, not sure if she believed her mother.
"Ok," Jai said as he entered the room, the waiting room was just next door so he didn't have to travel far. "Can you believe that they were comparing pictures of him on my camera with their own cameras?"
Ariana giggled, "Our mothers? Yes, they're crazy Jai, you know that."
"I practically had to cut my mom's hand off to get the camera," Jai laughed as he stood in front of his children. "Ok ready guys." Both girls smiled as Jai took the picture.
"Let me see," Ariana replied as Jai walked closer to her. "Aww, so precious," Ariana said as a tear rolled down her cheek, she was still very hormonal. "Take some more."
Jai chuckled as he kissed Ariana on the lips ever so softly, "I will."
Ariana looked on as Jai took more pictures of the girls with their little brother. Her life was so wonderful; she had the most amazing husband, beautiful girls and now an adorable little boy. It had taken her a long time to get here, and now here she was a wife and mother. Everything had changed, for the better, the day she confessed her feelings to Jai. That same day she broke up with Nathan, he really was an idiot and she couldn't believe that she had wasted so much time on him. Ariana and Jai immediately started dating, and they didn't take it slow either. They already knew everything about each other and they were completely and totally in love. Less than two years later they were married, their first child, Caitlin Elizabeth Brooks was born a few years later. Almost three years after that, Mackenzie Arielle Brooks made her debut into the world. And what a debut it was, Ariana had gone into premature labor in the middle of a terrible storm. They were stuck in Colorado with the roads snowed in and little Kenzie was coming fast. So Dianna had helped Jai and Ariana deliver their new little girl into this world. And now little Jack Patrick was here, a Christmas Eve baby born at 2:12 a.m.
"Honey," Jai was staring at Ariana.
"Huh what?" Ariana looked up at him.
"Where were you? I was calling you," Jai looked a little worried.
Ariana smiled, "Sorry must be the epidural still, good stuff."
Jai smiled although he was slightly worried about his wife, "You sure?"
"Perfect, Jai I am absolutely perfect," Ariana replied as the girls smiled at her.
"Good. The girls want to take a picture with you and Jack," Jai stated.
"Ok, sounds good," Ariana smiled.
"Ok, why don't you get in bed with mommy," Jai placed his camera down on the hospital tray. He bent down to pick up his son while the girls scurried off to either side of Ariana. After they climbed up on the bed, Jai placed Jack in Ariana's arms.
"Hi baby," Ariana cooed as Jack stirred in her arms.
"Smile Mommy," Kenzie said as Jai grabbed his camera.
"Ok are we ready?" Jai said smiling at his family, they looked absolutely beautiful together. His life was so complete now.
"I think so," Ariana smiled. "Go for it."
"1, 2..." Jai started but was interrupted.
"Jai!" Gina called from the doorway.
"What Mom? I was about to take a picture," Jai turned to face his mother.
"Gee, Jai I hadn't noticed," Gina said sarcastically while Jai rolled his eyes and Ariana chuckled at the mother and son antics. "Get in there too, I'll take it."
"Thanks Gina," Ariana smiled as she watched Gina take the camera from Jai.
Jai beamed with pride as he walked up to the hospital bed and sat on the edge of the bed right behind Caitlin. Jai gave Ariana a gentle kiss on the head before turning to his mother to smile.
"Ok, so beautiful," Gina smiled at her son and his family; she was swelling with grandmotherly pride. "Everyone say Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas!" Jai, Ariana, Caitlin and Kenzie exclaimed before Gina snapped the perfect picture.
It really is a Merry Christmas, Ariana thought as she looked at her girls cooing over the baby in her arms as Jai wrapped his arms around her. Ariana smiled as she leaned back in his arms, she really did have such a wonderful life and she was never going to take it for granted.