EPILOGUE

"What do you have there?" Rachel asked, spying her daughter sitting on one of the beds in the room she shared with Leighton and Briahna. She walked in to the room, sitting down on the bed next to McKenzie. Music and laughter floated in from the main room where everyone was gathered enjoying Christmas night. The presents had been opened that morning. The afternoon had been spent skiing and playing in the snow. Weather cooperated and flakes had fallen all day long. It had truly been a white Christmas. Just what the Bass family have been searching for.

The day had been magical from the moment she had woken, cradled in JC's arms. His hands moved across her protruding belly, caressing it lightly through the pajama top she wore. The day was still dawning outside their bedroom window and she snuggled deeper into his arms wanting to snatch as much time with him as she could before chaos reigned with the excitement of Christmas morning. When she moved, JC had tightened his arms around her, pulling her more firmly against him. She lay snuggled with her back to his chest and she couldn't wait until there was no more belly between them.

One more month.

Her due date was fast approaching. It was now less than a month away. January 24th. The date was circled multiple times on the calendar at home. The countdown was on. In August they had purchased a beautiful house not for from the house she had rented. It offered a yard in a beautiful neighborhood with sidewalks for walks. There was plenty of room for their things. A room where JC could work on music. A room where Rachel would work on her art. There were also plenty of rooms where she and JC could expand their family beyond McKenzie and the new baby.

A boy.

The nursey was already finished. Done up in a greys and blues. McKenzie had helped decide the color scheme and much of the decor in the room. One weekend in September McKenzie had helped JC paint what would be her baby brother's room. It was her favorite room in the house. Many days and nights JC would find her sitting in the rocker; dreaming and wishing and waiting. Dreaming of when she would be holding a tiny little baby, swaddled in a receiving blanket, suckling her breast. Wishing the days would pass quickly so the dream would become a reality.

JC had been everything she knew he would. If not slightly underfoot at times. She couldn't get mad at him. It was cute watching him read everything he could. There was an app on his phone that gave him weekly updates on the baby. How big he was. What was developing. When the app told him the baby would be able to hear, JC took to speaking to him frequently. Telling stories, singing. Anything. ‘I want him or her to be used to my voice.' JC had told her.

McKenzie had been just as excited when she found out she was going to be a big sister. She loved pressing her hand her belly feeling the kicks. Rachel had caught the same pregnancy app on her daughter's phone that was on JC's. It warmed her heart that McKenzie was accepting of the baby. A baby that would be JC's, something she had so badly wanted for herself. There had been plenty of talks from the moment she and JC had told McKenzie about the baby. With all three of them. Between her and McKenzie. Between McKenzie and JC.

Dinner was over and the dishes put away. It had been a loud affair. Seventeen people crammed into the room. Joey had the bright idea to drag the table from Stacy's room. That became the kid table. It was loud. It was crowded. It was glorious.  Food was in abundance: ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing, macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole, corn, rolls. Desert had been just as plentiful. As had the appetizers. Belt buckles had definitely been loosened.

"I thought all the presents had been opened this morning?" Rachel put a hand on her belly, rubbing it when she felt a kick. The baby had been active today which she equated to being surrounded by her family. It was only day 6 of their vacation and everyone was already planning a return trip the following Christmas. A smile crossed her face when she thought about coming back to the same place a year from now and what the differences would be. Baby Noah James Chasez would be eleven months old. She and JC would finally be husband and wife. Their wedding was scheduled for April back in Mississippi in the church where her parents had been married almost forty years ago.

"I didn't put this one under the tree," McKenzie said softly, nervously rotating the thin flat package in her hand. It was wrapped in blue wrapping paper decorated with different sized silver snow flakes.

"Why not?" Rachel looked at the package, but with McKenzie fidgeting with it, couldn't see a tag.

"Too nervous."

"Why are you nervous?" She questioned. "Who is it for?"

"JC..." McKenzie whispered.

The package flipped again and this time Rachel was able to see the label stuck in the corner held JC's name along with her daughters. "Why are you nervous to give this to JC, Sweetie? You know he'll love it no matter what it is." Rachel had always thought nothing could make her love JC more. That had been before she saw how much he loved McKenzie. Her daughter and JC had become thick as thieves. They bonded over the piano and their disgusting pizza habits. JC was front and center for McKenzie's volleyball games that had started in the fall. All the basketball games during the winter. Track was due to begin in February and he was already talking track meets and practice schedules. He was constantly helping her on the piano until they were sitting side by side on the bench playing together. The piano hadn't been good enough. It was now the guitar. One of McKenzie's Christmas gifts had been her own guitar.

"Why didn't you give it to him this morning?" Rachel prodded. She saw movement at the door and looked up spying her mother. She shook her head and nodded back toward the living room. With a smile, Diane walked away.

"It's embarrassing." McKenzie said shifting away from her mom. ‘You're such an idiot,' she berated herself. She'd been so excited about the gift; had placed it under the tree, right in front for everyone to see last night. However, once she was in bed and Leighton and Briahna had fallen asleep, doubt had started to creep in. When she was sure everyone was asleep, she snuck out of the room to the Christmas tree and removed the present, hiding it beneath her clothes in one of her dresser drawers.

"Why is it embarrassing?"

"Because I don't know how he'll react." To her embarrassment she felt her eyes filling with tears and she sniffled.

"Oh Sweetie," Rachel reached out, placing a hand on her daughter's back, rubbing it gently. "He'll love anything you give him. You don't have to be embarrassed to get him something. And I'll let you in on a little secret," she leaned closer to her daughter so she could whisper. "Parents, including stepparents, love everything their children get them."

"Even the ring I got you in kindergarten that turned your finger green?"

Rachel grinned. "Even that."

McKenzie stared at the package in her hands. "I don't want JC to be my stepdad." She blurted out.

Rachel sucked in a breath feeling her heart drop to her stomach. "Wh...what?"

"I mean...I want..." McKenzie couldn't get the words she wanted to come out correctly. "This is why I can't give it to him. I can't speak correctly. I can't even think."

"Sweetie, calm down." Rachel took her daughter's hand in hers, squeezing it gently. "What's in the package?"

"Doc-documents. I don't want JC to be my stepdad," McKenzie whispered. "I want him... I want him to be my dad."

"Oh..." Rachel gasped covering her mouth with her hand as she teared up. "Oh Kenzi..."

"What if he says no?"

"Sweetie, he's not going to say no." Rachel believed he probably wouldn't be able to say anything, at least at first. She and JC had talked adoption on several occasions and were waiting until they were married before taking any further steps.

"You sure?" McKenzie turned to look at her mother for the first time since she walked into the room.

"I'm positive." She watched as her daughter looked toward the door then back down at the package in her hand. "Do you want me to go and get him? You can give it to him in here without anyone around? It might be easier."

McKenzie shook her head. "No." She took a deep breath and stood up.

"Hey," Rachel pushed herself up off the bed and put her hands on McKenzie's shoulders. "I love you."

"I love you too Mom," McKenzie grinned and hugged her mother. With the package in hand, she walked from the room.

People were spilled everywhere. Her grandma sat at the dining room table with Stacy and Melissa. Leighton and Briahna were sitting in the window seat underneath a fuzzy blanket with their phones in hand. She so badly wanted to join them, but she had to do this first. Before she chickened out.

The TV in the living was on, turned to a basketball game where the Lakers were facing the Bulls. The Christmas tree's lights were twinkling, mirrored on the window behind it. Night had fallen. Some opened presents still sat beneath the tree waiting to be taken back to the rooms of the occupants they belonged to. A fire was crackling in the fireplace. Caleb laid on the floor playing with his new monster truck. He was running it over his matchbox cars. Kellen and Keagan were playing some war game with their new tanks and helicopters. Ford played with them, every so often turning his eyes toward the TV and the game. Joey, Michael, and Lance sat on the couch yelling at the TV. Kloey was sitting next to Joey, copying her father yelling at the TV. Normally she would be right there on the couch yelling with them, betting her allowance with Joey and Uncle Lance. Her grandpa occupied one chair. He had his reading glasses on and was turning the page of the book her Aunt Stacy had gotten him about World War II. JC was perched on the edge of the remaining chair, staring at the TV. Something happened on screen and the guys all yelled and JC scooted back in the chair as the TV went to commercial.

McKenzie looked over her shoulder at her mother. Maybe she should have had her mother grab JC and bring her back to the bedroom away from all the eyes. It was too late now. Her mom gave her a nod and motioned her forward. She took a deep breath and took a step forward.

"What's going on?" Stacy asked seeing the scene in front of her. "She looks scared to death."

"She has a present for JC," Rachel whispered, her eyes filling with tears.

"Oh the hormones," Melissa laughed at her friend. "I sure don't miss those. I sent Joey to get milk one day when I was pregnant with Kloey and he came back with a carton of every single kind they had including milk of magnesia."

"It's not hormones," Rachel insisted but they probably played a small part in the tears. "Just listen," she frowned when the game came back on. The TV was loud.

"Hey! Kenz! That for me?" Lance grinned seeing his niece walk into the room holding a present.

"No," McKenzie shook her head. "It's for JC."

"Figures. He moved in and I'm chump liver," he winked at his niece. He took in his McKenzie's appearance and frowned. He looked over his shoulder for his sister and found her behind him, her eyes on her daughter and JC. Something was happening.

"For me?" JC put the glass of wine he had in his hand back on the end table and sat up in the chair. He smiled up at McKenzie. "Did Santa deliver it to the wrong place?"

"No," McKenzie shook her head. "Santa was just too nervous to deliver it last night."

JC frowned at her words. He could see the nervousness on McKenzie's face and he grew worried. He hadn't seen her this nervous about anything. He looked for Rachel, finding her standing behind the couch watching them. Her eyes, glossy with tears, met his and she smiled. He could see Stacy, Diane, and Melissa gathering behind the couch to watch the scene in front of him. Now he was growing nervous.

"I'm sorry I didn't give this to you this morning," McKenzie started. She looked for her mother and saw her smiling, nodding at her to go ahead. She looked back at JC and held the package out.

Lance grabbed the remote from the end table next to him and muted the TV. A glance around the room showed him that everyone was watching McKenzie and JC, except for Kaleb who drove his monster truck back over the cars. He had the bird's eye view of the scene in front of him. JC sat in the chair to his left. McKenzie stood in front of him. He stared at the package, now in JC's hands, and wondered what could be inside. Being flat and thin, didn't leave for many guesses. He shifted in his seat as JC started to open the package and McKenzie spoke.

"I was so angry when I found out that you weren't my dad," McKenzie started. She had a speech all planned out. Now that the time had come, her mind blanked. "You came to all my volleyball games this year and helped me practice my free throw. You took time out to help me with the piano and you're teaching me how to play the guitar... and I actually have someone who understands and can help with my science homework," she laughed, feeling the tears spill down her cheeks. "You're always there for me, whenever I need you. No matter what you have going on you are always there for me. Even though it was completely embarrassing to be selling Girl Scout cookies, I am so thankful that I was doing it that day because if I hadn't, I wouldn't have seen you and we might not be where we are today."

JC let the paper from the package fall to the ground and carefully lifted the top off the box. Inside lay a packet of papers stapled together. His breath caught as he read the bold words at the top of the front page:

Adoption Request

Tears filled his eyes as he flipped through the papers, already filled out in McKenzie's neat legible handwriting. On the second page he saw the section indicating the child's new name. The tears slid from his eyes as he read McKenzie Sofia Chasez. He looked up at McKenzie, seeing her holding out a pen. She had tears rolling down her cheeks.

"It doesn't matter whose DNA I have," McKenzie sniffed. JC's face swam in front of her; her eyes full of tears. "I know who my father is." Her heart was in her throat. Everything was quiet around them. "Will you be my dad, JC?"

JC's hand shook as he reached for the pen. Without a single ounce of hesitation, he signed his name across the line on the final page of the packet. When it was done, he sat it on the arm of the chair and jumped up, pulling McKenzie into a hug. "Of course I'll be your dad, Kenzi," he whispered, hugging her tight. "This is, by far, the best present I have ever received. I love you."

"Go over there right now," Diane whispered to Rachel, giving her a nudge. She wiped the tears off her cheeks in a wasted effort as more just took their place.

Rachel forced her feet to move, walking behind the chair JC had been sitting in and into the room. She touched JC's back first as she reached her family. He lifted his head and sent her a watery smile. "Can I join?"

JC chuckled and wrapped one arm around Rachel, pulling her into the hug with McKenzie. "Did you know about this?"

"About five minutes ago," Rachel said, leaning her head on his shoulder. She brushed her fingers through McKenzie's hair. "You are amazing, you know that?" She said when her daughter tilted her head to look at her.

"I know," McKenzie giggled and hugged her mom and soon-to-be-dad again.

"Congratulations JC! It's a girl!" Joey grinned as he wiped the last of the tears from his eyes. He got choked up listening to McKenzie talk. "And you jumped right into the teenage stage. Good luck."

"You'll share the convent pamphlets with me right?" JC chuckled. He hugged his family again, unable to let them go. "You two are everything to me," he whispered. "I love you both so much. I thank God for whatever I did that made you choose me."

"I love you." Rachel smiled at him through her tears.

"I love you," JC echoed, kissing her softly. Breaking the kiss, he smiled at McKenzie. His heart completely full. "And you, Kenz...I will never stop being there for you. No matter what you do or where ever you go. I love you."

McKenzie smiled up at him. Her eyes filled with tears. "I love you too Dad."