Chapter 9 - The Family Home
Six months later.
Spring had arrived in Illinois. The sun shone bright over a sprawling, warm craftsman-style estate sitting on ten acres of green rolling hills in Oak Brook, twenty miles outside the bustle of Chicago.
The house had a wrap-around wooden porch, a giant tire swing hanging from a massive oak tree, and a garden filled with blooming tulips and lavender.
Emma sat on the porch swing, wearing a comfortable white linen dress. Her hair fell softly around her shoulders in loose waves.
In the front yard, Grant was running through the green grass with the three kids. He was wearing jeans and a green flannel shirt, completely unbothered by the grass stains on his knees as he chased Ethan and Leo in a game of touch football.
Lily ran up the porch steps, carrying a handful of freshly picked yellow dandelions, her little legs moving fast.
“Mom! Mom! Look!” Lily squealed, throwing herself into Emma’s lap. “I picked flowers for your hair!”
Emma laughed happily, pulling the six-year-old girl into her arms and tucking a bright yellow dandelion behind her ear—right beside her small, cute crescent birthmark.
“They’re beautiful, sweetie,” Emma cooed, kissing her cheek.
Grant came jogging up the porch steps, panting playfully, flanked by Leo and Ethan. Both boys were laughing hysterically, trying to tackle Grant’s legs.
“They beat me, Emma!” Grant groaned playfully, collapsing onto the porch floor beside the swing. “They’re too fast for me!”
“You’re just getting old, Dad!” Leo teased, poking Grant’s ribs.
Grant grabbed Leo, tickling him until the boy gasped for breath, laughing wildly.
Emma watched them, her heart feeling so full it felt as though it might burst out of her chest.
She reached into her dress pocket and pulled out a small white envelope that had arrived in the morning mail.
Grant sat up, brushing grass off his jeans, and looked at the envelope in her hand. “What’s that?”
Emma smiled a mysterious, glowing smile. “It’s the lab results from Mercy General.”
Grant’s eyes widened. He scrambled up onto the porch swing beside her, his hands suddenly trembling slightly. “The... the test from last week?”
Emma nodded, her eyes shining with joyful tears.
Grant took the envelope, his fingers shaking as he opened the paper inside. He scanned the medical report.
Patient: Emma Mercer. Test: Ultrasound & Early Obstetric Screen. Status: Pregnant (12 Weeks) - Single Fetal Heartbeat (Healthy).
Grant stopped reading. He looked up at Emma, his gray eyes filling with instant, overwhelming tears.
“A baby...?” Grant whispered, his voice cracking. “We’re... having another baby?”
Emma nodded, placing his hand over her soft, warm stomach. “A little girl. Due in November.”
Grant buried his face in her neck, wrapping his strong arms tight around her waist, weeping quietly with overwhelming gratitude and love.
The three kids crowded around the porch swing, climbing up beside them.
“What is it, Dad?” Ethan asked, looking confused. “Why are you crying?”
May you like
Grant raised his head, wiping his tears, and pulled all three children into a massive family hug around Emma.
“I’m crying because I’m happy, buddy,” Grant smiled through his tears, kissing Leo, Ethan, and Lily on their heads, before kissing Emma deeply on her lips. “I’m crying because I have the greatest family in the entire world.”
