Epilogue
DeKalb County, GA
Several Years Later
It's a warm, sunny day in mid-October. There is a light breeze making sitting outside extremely enjoyable. I am on the porch, gently rocking back and forth as I wait for Trey to come down the path from the main road. He is vigilant about being home at four o'clock at least a couple of days a week so that he can be at the bus stop when Preston is dropped off after school.
The baby nuzzles against me, rooting for my breast now that he has awakened. I guide my nipple to his lips and he clamps down, sucking hungrily at my breast. I run my fingers through his brown locks. He is so sweet, this baby boy of mine. He is six weeks old tomorrow. Trey Michael Sinclair II. Trey had protested about having the baby named after him; he said he wasn't a big fan of all of that, but I had put my foot down (for once) and had gotten my way (for once).
I hear the school bus's horn honk as is the ritual whenever it makes a stop to pick up or drop off. I know that Preston will be eager to jump off the bottom step of the bus and show Trey all of her first grade work she completed today. She loves school. Her teacher says she is very intelligent and precocious. Trey always makes a big fuss with every paper she shows him.
I see them coming down the driveway now. Preston is skipping alongside Trey; Avery is perched up on his shoulders as always, chattering away in two-year old baby language.
Avery was born on Trey's birthday two years ago, August. She is the picture of me as Trey puts it. She totally has his personality though which amuses me. Trey named her which I had no issue with because I like the name he selected: Avery Nicole Sinclair. I did, however, have some reservations as to how he selected it. The 'Nicole' portion of it was fine; that was my mother's middle name. However, when I asked Trey about where he got 'Avery,' he rambled on about some famous geneticist named Oswald Avery who he had met on the 'other side.'
Apparently, this geneticist bent Trey's ear about the research team he led back in 1944, discovering that DNA carries the cell's genetic material and it can be altered through transformation. Trey said the guy was a bit out of sorts about not winning the Nobel prize for this discovery; he felt it was a very political snub by the system back then. (What the?)
I told Trey the name was fine; I frankly didn't want to hear any more of his, 'Tales from the Other Side.' I would have thought the memories of those dreams would have dissipated by now. I always forget my dreams after a few days; well except for the ones that weren't really dreams.
(Wow! It finally hits me. After all of this time why in the hell didn't I see this for what it was? Oh. My. God.)
Trey is up on the porch now. He swings Avery down from his shoulders. She immediately runs to my lap.
"Daddy, can I go see Derringer?" Preston asks sweetly.
"Aren’t you going to say 'hello' to your mommy first?"
"Hi, Mommy," she says with a dimpled smile.
"How was school today, Preston?" I ask.
"It was good. Can I go Mommy?"
"Trey, are you going with her?"
"Yes, dear," he says giving me his crooked smile.
"Why don't you take Trey with you? I want to spend some time with Avery."
"Sure thing, sweetie," he says, taking the baby from my arms and wrapping his receiving blanket around him. "C'mon Preston, let's go feed Derringer some carrots. Off they go around to the back of the house.
Avery is looking up at me shyly. Her amber colored brown eyes are reminiscent of mine and my father's. She smiles sporting a dimple like Trey's. Trey claims she is the carbon copy of Marley; I know better. Avery is ours; she is separate from Marley. Two different souls; both of them loved.
"Hey, baby girl," I say, picking her up and putting her in my lap. "I bet you don't like this 'middle child' stuff do you?"
"Num-num?" she asks, shyly looking up at me.
"Avery Nicole," I say to her, "You are two years old. Don't you think you're too big for num-num?"
"Unh unh, Mommie."
I know Trey won't approve. He didn't like the fact that I was still breast-feeding her while I was pregnant with Trey, Jr. I can’t resist her though. She has an older sister who has done everything 'first.' Now she has a baby brother who is the only son and the youngest to boot. How fair is that?
"C'mon baby girl, but don't tell Daddy," I whisper to her as I pull her onto my lap and undo my nursing bra again. She is petite for two years of age; she curls up against me latching onto my breast and gently nurses, watching me with her beautiful tawny brown eyes. I run my fingers through her light brown hair.
"You are exquisite, you know?"
She drops my nipple, smiling up at me presenting her dimple. She clamps back onto my breast and nurses gently from me as I continue to rock her.
_____________________________________________
After dinner Trey and I relax in the family room. Jean is getting the kids ready for bed.
"So, Judge Sinclair, what's on the docket for tomorrow?"
He pulls me onto his lap, gently kissing my lips as he whispers to me.
"I've cleared my docket for the whole day tomorrow, Mrs. Sinclair. It is just you and me all day."
"Is that right? What about Avery and Trey?"
"It's all worked out baby. Gina is coming out with Reese to stay here with them while Tristan is in Bristol completing the sale of his winery. We have all day alone. You and me."
My butterflies surge at the thought. Trey and I have been blessed.
"I'm looking forward to it, Judge," I tease, lacing my arms around his neck and pulling him close. We kiss playfully. My phone chimes interrupting our play.
"It's Dad," I say, picking up the phone.
"Hi Dad," I greet him happily. "We wondered when we would be hearing from you."
"Tylar, darling," he said, "I'm sorry, I really meant to call you last week. Brenda and I diverted our trip a bit and have been relaxing on the beach."
"The beach?"
"Ahh, yes."
"Dad - I thought you were honeymooning in London?"
"Yes, we were. We wanted some sun though so we took an additional week to travel to Nice."
"Nice, huh? Sounds Nice."
I heard my father chuckle from the other end.
"We'll be back in the states next week. We are planning a trip to see you then. Will that work?"
"Of course, Dad. We want very much to see you and Brenda soon. Can you stay longer this time?"
"We have a full week at your disposal, my darling daughter."
"I can hardly wait, Dad. Send Brenda our love?"
"I will do it. I love you."
"Love you too, Dad."
Trey and I resumed our pre-telephone call position when we heard the pitter-patter of little feet. We both looked up.
Preston was standing there looking totally irritated while her younger sister stood behind her with a shy but guilty look on her face.
"What is it, Preston?" Trey asked in a 'judgelike' tone.
She pulled a piece of notebook paper from behind her back.
"Daddy, look what Avery did to my homework. She scribbled all over it."
"Let me see," he said, leaning forward as she handed him the evidence. Trey perused the vandalized homework in his official capacity.
"Avery? Did you scribble on Preston's homework?" he asked.
She smiled shyly, nodding her head up and down.
"Did you know that it was Preston's homework?"
She shook her head solemnly back and forth.
"She didn't mean to do it, Preston, honey," he said.
"But Daddy, I can't turn it in like this."
"I know that, baby," he said. "But I want you to think about something, okay?"
He pulled Preston over to us and sat her on his lap.
"You know that your homework papers are important, don’t' you?"
"Yes."
"Okay, then. You know that Avery doesn't know that, don't you?"
"I guess."
"So, because you are the oldest and know these things, don't you think it might be wise to make sure you put important things like homework back in your backpack so that Avery - and pretty soon, Trey, can't get hold of them? Does that make sense?"
"I guess so, Daddy."
"Okay then. Why don't you go back up to your desk and re-do this for school?"
Preston was plainly 'not pleased' with the outcome but she didn't argue.
"Come on, Avery," she said with a sigh, "You can color on this while I re-do my homework." She took Avery's hand and led her back upstairs.
"Very good, Judge," I said, "You certainly have a way with those girls."
"I do, don't I?" he agreed, beaming.
"No doubt about it. I'm waiting to see how well you do with them when the boys come sniffing around in 10 years or so."
"Christ Tylar - I don't even want to think about that. You can certainly kill the mood."
"Really, Trey?"
"No," he said laughing, pinning me down on the couch. "I'm always in the mood for you."
"I love you, Trey."
"I love you, Tylar."