Baumgartner Generations: Janie

EPILOGUE

“He’s gorgeous!” My mother cooed over the bassinette, reaching in to pick the baby up as Ronnie hovered behind her. “Oh my goodness, what a precious boy.”

“So do we have to call him Jackson?” Josh asked, his mouth half-full of bruschetta. He was enjoying the after-christening spread on the table for this shin-dig and why not? He’d had it catered. “Or can we shorten it to something cool, like Jack?”

“He looks just like you, Ronnie,” my mother exclaimed, turning to my father and holding the baby up for him to see. “Doesn’t he, Doc?”

“He’s got her eyes,” my dad agreed.

“My chin, though,” TJ said, touching the cleft in his as he pulled Ronnie back down to the sofa.

“He’s got my dress on!” Beth piped up, peeking her head from under the table where she’d taken the handheld game Josh had given her this morning. “That was mine when I was a baby.” The christening outfit was, indeed, one Beth had worn.

“So Janie, when’s your next bestseller hit the shelves?” TJ asked, his arm around his wife’s shoulders.

I flushed. “Actually, I just got the advance for the sequel to The Princess Who Threw Away Frogs.”

“A mighty handsome one,” Josh interjected. “Thanks to me.” I kissed him on the cheek, laughing. “Yes, darling, you are the best agent a writer could ever have… and the best husband a woman could ever ask for.”

“What’s this one called?” Ronnie asked. “The Princess Who Ate Tokyo?”

“Close,” I said. “The Princess Who Ate The Pea.”

Beth poked her head up. “I want to read it!”

“You will,” I promised. “You’ll get the very first autographed copy, and I’ll even come to Trinity to read it for your whole class.”

“The whole school!” Beth exclaimed.

“You’re famous.” Josh winked at me. “Who woulda thunk?”

“Well, if you count being famous with first-graders.” I laughed.

“He’s so perfect.” My mother rocked and jiggled the baby as he waved his fists and started to fuss. She made ridiculous faces, talking to him in a high, sing-song voice.

“Jeez, Mom,” I said, reaching for Josh’s hand and squeezing it. He came up behind me, slipping his arms around my waist. “I sure hope you swoon like that over your biological grandchildren.”

“Oh, sweetie, I’m sure I—” She stopped, looking up at me, her eyes growing wide and wider still as she saw Josh grinning and caressing my belly. “Oh my god! Oh my god! You’re pregnant? You’re pregnant!”

“Just a little bit,” I confessed, laughing as they all exclaimed congratulations at once.

My mother put the baby in my dad’s surprised arms to come over and hug me and Ronnie jumped up, too, squeezing me hard. Her eyes were bright with tears when she looked at me and then murmured into my ear, “It couldn’t have turned out any better.”

“Oh this isn’t the end.” Josh overheard, leaning over to kiss my cheek. “Trust me, as an agent, I know these things. There’s always another sequel.” The End