Page 96 of Devoted
Epilogue
Jess
Three years later
“Hey, looking good there, Momma.” Clara strides up to me with her clipboard in hand, performing her advertising and organizational duties with ease.
I stare down at the little bundle strapped to my chest as I breathe her in. My second miracle. The extension of my world.
“Thanks. How are you feeling?” My eyes travel down to her belly where a small bump is forming.
“I feel like I’ve been pregnant for four years, Jess. This is number three. I told Cooper after this one is born, he’s getting snipped or my vagina is out of commission for the foreseeable future.”
I can’t help but chuckle. “And what did he say?”
“He asked me for the urologist’s number to make the appointment.” She winks and then stares down at her clipboard for a moment.
“Thank you for organizing the event again this year. It honestly means so much. I could never manage all of this on my own, or even with Vivian and Brooks’ help.” Clara’s heart has always been charitable and I think it’s only grown in the past few years.
“Nonsense, Jess. This means a lot to the entire town. Cancer effects everyone in some way. And you’re one of my best friends. You know you have my support one-hundred percent.”
A year after my diagnosis and shortly before Brooks proposed to me, I approached Clara with starting a non-profit organization to raise money for cancer research. The Harris-Bennet foundation was created just a few months later, and the following spring we held our first fundraiser walk. To keep money coming in consistently, we scheduled another one in the fall, and continued with two major events each year. The amount of money we’ve been able to donate to labs and hospitals has been remarkable, and it makes me hopeful that we can help affect the lives of others who have battled this disease in any capacity.
However, I always make sure to make a donation in my mother’s name for breast cancer only. It’s a way I honor her death and her life.
“Don’t make me cry. You know I’m still dealing with hormone imbalance right now.”
Clara laughs and then rubs her belly. “Sorry to break it to you, but that may never be the same after having children.”
“I wasn’t too bad after Devon was born,” I argue.
“That’s what we all want to believe, honey. Just wait though, because as they get older, your emotions change anyway when you realize they’re growing up too fast.”
“Mommy!” A little voice pulls my head to the left as the jet black hair of my son catches my eye as he runs to me.
“Hi, baby. Are you having fun?”
“Ducks, Mommy!” He yells and points back to the pond at Ashland Community College where the event is being held this year. In the past we held the walk at Clove Park, but the crowd grew to be so large that we had to find another space. Luke spoke to the board at the college and asked if we could use the track and set up the booths on the surrounding grass for more space and they were more than happy to grant us permission. The pond in the middle of the campus sits just to the side of the field where a kid area with bounce houses and games have been set up to keep the minions entertained.
“Grayson was showing Devon how to feed the ducks,” Brooks interjects and then rests his hand on Devon’s head before leaning in to me for a quick kiss. The man has always been hotter than hell, but watching him become a dad has been dangerous for my ovaries. Hence why we have two babies under two.
We were extremely fortunate enough to successfully conceive both of our babies naturally. Dr. Lexington assured me that since my radiation treatment was minimal, my natural eggs should have been fine for conception. I still have some on ice though, just in case. I wanted to be prepared because no matter how it happened, I wanted Brooks and I to have a family one day. His quest for a million kids has quickly diminished as we transitioned from one to two. That was a game-changer.
“How’s my girl doing?” He bends down now and kisses the top of April’s head, our three-month-old daughter that we named after my mother.
“Sleeping soundly. Hopefully, she wakes up soon though, or it’s going to be another long night.”
“Well, it’s my turn to get up, so don’t worry about it. If she needs to rest, let her.”
Lowering my voice to a seductive whisper, I pull Brooks closer to me. “When you say things like that, it makes me want to strip you down in this park. The sad thing is, I’d probably fall asleep before we got to the good part.”
“Please don’t make me the inappropriate guy at the cancer walk rocking a raging hard-on.” I can’t help but laugh and then kiss his lips.
“I love you.”
“I love you too. I’m gonna take Devon back over to the kid area, okay?”
I survey the event and then check the time on my watch. “Well, I think we’re about to do the opening speeches and then the walk is going to start. When is your shift?”