Nurses came in and out throughout the night. Each time, they told me to get some rest, but I couldn’t stand to close my eyes and miss a second of this precious time with my newborn.

Sam was asleep. I could hear him snoring softly beside us. It was the first time I had been alone with my child, and I took the opportunity to have a quiet talk with her.

I told her how much I loved her, that I would always be there for her, and that I would do my best to be a wonderful mom, like my own mother had been. Then, as if this day hadn’t already been the best of my life, my tiny child gave me the greatest gift I have ever received. The maternity ward nurses would later tell me that it was likely just gas, but I know what I saw.

Annabelle K. Davis gave me a perfect, crooked smile, just like her dad’s.

EPILOGUE

“I can’t believe we are married!” I was bouncing on the bed in our motel room.

I was sure that our room wasn’t up to Sam’s usual standards, but he had been willing to go wherever I wanted for our honeymoon, and he seemed perfectly content here.

Marta’s motel had been my escape when I realized that I had a choice to make between the Davis twins, and I had thought it would be nice to come full circle by returning here. It had been terrific to see Marta again, and to discover that she and Danny had found happiness together after all of these years.

I gave her some pictures of Anna and she displayed them on the front counter, right beside her own grandchildren’s pictures. She had made us promise to come back sometime and bring the baby with us, rather than leaving her with family.

Speaking of that, I had not wanted to leave our baby at all, but I knew that she was in good hands. Court and Seth had been playing house for the past couple of months, and they had been thrilled by our request to watch Anna during our honeymoon. Neither one of them claimed to be ready for marriage or children, but I had the feeling it wouldn’t be long.

They were ridiculously happy––almost as ridiculously happy as I was. Sam and I had been making love on and off for two entire days, and we had finally stopped for food. The nearly empty pizza box was sitting between us on the bed.

No time like the present, I finally decided. “Sooo,” I started, dragging the word out. Sam stopped chewing his pizza, apparently knowing that something was coming. “Are you ready to tell your wife,” I paused and smiled, loving the sound of that word “about the ice bucket incident?”

He swallowed before saying, “I guess it’s time.”