by Cee, DW
“You did well with your children and grandchildren, Estelle.”
“So did you, Harry. While I appreciate the thought, you think they’ll let us have some alone time?” my bride asked.
“Why don’t we leave them all here and secretly head back to the castle? Once at Fife, we will text them and tell them we will see them back at Reid Place.”
“Sounds perfect.”
(A-few-plus-months-later)
*******
Estelle
“Is she here?” I asked impatiently.
“She just arrived, Love. She’s gorgeous!”
“I can’t wait to meet her.”
Chloe’s water broke in the middle of the night and Harry went to lend his support. I would have joined him except Ruby asked if I’d watch Sarabeth while she slept. I agreed and anxiously awaited the arrival of our newest Bennington.
Harry and I enjoyed our time at Fife and decided we’d stay in England until the birth of Michael and Chloe’s baby. About three months ago, we switched to Roland’s Belgravia home and lived with daily visits from the family. Watching Sarabeth grow was like watching a time lapse; every mundane and repetitive motion, filled with love, laughter and tremendous joy, made time fly. This was a special time for me to get to know Harry’s family. For Harry, it was a dream come true.
It was no secret that Harry wanted me to experience life as his “duchess” where he was most comfortable. His goal, it seemed, was to take me to all the places he imagined for us while he waited for me to become his bride. It ranged from his bedroom in Belgravia to his box at the opera house in London, to his favorite lunch spot, to having me stay in his/our summer home. In the seven months we’d been living in the UK, we’d accomplished all of his “dreams” that he could remember. Harry said there were a few places we still needed to visit before heading to the US for the birth of the rest of our great-grandchildren.
“How’s Emily doing?” Harry asked.
“She says she’s so big this time, she doesn’t know how she’ll give birth to this last baby.”
“They won’t find out the sex of the baby?”
“Nope. They say they want to be completely surprised. Ellie and the boys are all rooting for another boy. Jake is rooting for another girl. Emily says after this baby, she will get her tubes tied since Jake refuses to get a vasectomy.”
My husband laughed. “She doesn’t want a sixth?”
“She thought Ian was her last.”
“Can we stay here another few weeks and then head to the birth of all our other great-grandchildren?” he asked with uncertainty.
“Harry, we can stay here forever if that’s what you want. I’m willing to do whatever you ask.”
*******
Harry
I was too damn lucky. All my life, I knew Estelle was the ideal woman. Living with her proved every theory I had about her. She was perfect.
We stayed another month and watched Noelle grow. Michael and Chloe indulged our curiosities and desires and allowed for daily visits. Having had so many children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Estelle was a natural.
When we saw that Michael’s family was healthy enough to visit Reid Place soon, we left knowing we wouldn’t be parted for long.
“Gigi! Gampy Harry!” Lilah was the first to greet us when we arrived. “Mommy! Looks who’s here.”
Laney, heavily pregnant herself, waddled out of the house. “What on earth? Why didn’t you tell us you were coming? One of us would’ve come to get you.”
“What for, when we can call a driver? Which one of you pregnant women wants to fight traffic and greet us at LAX?”
Laney laughed. “You have a point there, Gram. Thank you for being considerate, and welcome home. It’s about time you spent some time with us. We were beginning to think you preferred your English grandchildren to your American ones.”
“We prefer the ones who bear us more great-grandchildren,” I answered Laney and picked up Lilah who had her arms up in a silent request.
“Hi Gampy,” she said while wrapping her arms around me and kissing my cheek. “I missed you. Did you bring a sparkly present for me?” Her question made her mother scowl, her great-gram smile, and my heart melt. There was no pretense with her. She got straight to the point.
“I did. I happen to have it right here.” I pulled out her jewel of choice. “How many bracelets do you have now, Lilah?”
“Um...” she placed the bauble on her arm, “not that many, Gampy. Only you and Uncle Michael bring me bracelets. Do you think Uncle Michael will bring me a new bracelet when he comes with Baby Noelle?”
“How about a thank you?” Laney’s stern warning earned me another kiss from this adorable child. “Don’t you have homework, Lilah?”
The excitement quickly turned into a frown. “I don’t know why this school has to give homework,” she grumbled. “It’s not like I don’t do enough work at school.”
She voiced her dislike of homework all the way into her house.
“How are you feeling, Laney?”
“Like a house!”
“How are Emily, Jane and Bee feeling?”
“We all feel awful right now. Though our due dates a few weeks apart, at this point, it doesn’t matter. We’re all miserable.”
“Gigi! Grandpa Harry! Auntie Laney!” We heard Ellie yell. “Mom’s water broke! Who will take her to the hospital? No one else is here.”
The most comical scene ensued once this announcement was made. Laney called Jane, who waddled out with Bee, and all three very pregnant women went to help Emily. Once they collected her belongings, they asked us to take care of Lilah and Emily’s kids and left for the hospital.
“Where are the rest of your cousins?” I asked Ellie.
“They’re all at Uncle Nick’s house. Shall I call Dad?” Ellie asked.
“Sure, Elizabeth. Though, I’m sure your mom has called already, and he is waiting for her at the hospital.”
Fast forward ten minutes, Estelle and I learned that all four women were in labor simultaneously!
“What the hell?” Estelle asked with a chuckle. “Since the day is young, it’s possible all four cousins will have the same birthdate. What a celebration that will be.”
“There’s not a quiet moment on this cul-de-sac, is there, my sweet wife?”
“Not one.” Estelle held my hand as we watched Lilah, Elizabeth, James, JR, and Ian play in their park. “I’m happy you’re here, Harry. I’m thankful to be able to share these memories with you. Though our time together is a short one, I can confidently and proudly say that I love you as much as Jerry and Roland. Thank you. All my indelible memories are complete!”
“I love you too, my duchess.”
(Epilogue: Three-plus-years-later)
*******
Emily
“Who do you think Gram is up in heaven with right now?” Laney asked. “My bets are on Grandpa Harry.”
“It’s probably an all-out brawl right now. I think Gimpy will win out.” Jane was confident in her answer.
“It has to be Grandpa Jerry. They had been together for more than half-a-century. How can she not go back to her first and only husband?” My husband answered, slightly annoyed. “Emi. You may not remarry if I die before you. I do not want to fight for you up in heaven.”
The other men agreed. Donovan went as far as saying, “I’m going to make sure I outlive you,” he told his wife.
Gram and Grandpa Harry passed away two days ago and we were all on our way to London for their burial. They had lived to reach their five-year anniversary. With each passing day, they grew more in love. The two were fine examples for all of us on the cul-de-sac.
“I am heartbroken, but my heart is also filled with awe when I think of their love and devotion.” I told everyone on the plane.
“They lived a good long life and I’m happy they found one another in the end,” my husband added.
“
I can’t believe that they died within an hour of one another,” Jane stated.
Bee said, “There was no way Grandpa Harry was going to live without his bride.”
We found that Gram had passed away in the course of the night. When Grandpa Harry awoke to find that his bride had left him, he informed all of us, but stayed in bed with his bride in his arms. Gram’s death had struck Grandpa Harry the hardest.
It was to no one’s surprise, when an hour later, Jake discovered that Grandpa Harry had also passed. Most would believe His Grace died of old age; he had just celebrated his hundredth birthday. To the Reids and the Benningtons, we knew that he had died of a broken heart. He had fought to live so he could marry the woman he loved. He stayed healthy and continued to live and love that same woman. Now that his love was gone, his will to live was gone as well.
“Grandpa Harry had to go so he could lay claim to his bride. Had he stayed, who knows what Grandpa Jerry or Grandpa Roland might have done?” Laney said with a smile.
“Heaven must be awfully noisy right now. I can see all three men duking it out with one another.” Jane, too, couldn’t help but smile.
“We were lucky to have had them with us for this long. I’m glad they lived long enough to get to know all our children. Grandpa Harry saw all our youngest babies born, plus Michael and Chloe’s three. What a blessing.”
“You’re right, Emily. I hope our parents will live as long as Gram and Grandpa Harry so they can see our children grow up, marry, and have children of their own.”
“True, Laney. The question is—who will be the first of their generation to marry?” Jane wondered. “If we go by age, it would be Emily’s four, but I can see Lilah saying the hell with age and marrying before all of them.”
“Dear God, Jane! Must you curse us?” Donovan groaned. “I don’t need my baby finding a man before Ellie. Lilah is seven years younger!”
“Buddy,” my husband added his thoughts, “with your track record, you never know. Your wife did marry at twenty-two.”
Donovan and Laney both lamented at the thought.
“Time will only tell which child will begin the next Reid generation of love stories,” I said. “For now, let’s place Gram and Grandpa Harry next to Grandpa Jerry and Grandpa Roland. The future will come soon enough.”
Author’s Note:
It is with a happy heart that I let go of the Indelible Love series. When I started Emily’s Story, I never dreamed I’d end with nine stories and twelve books!
Estelle’s Story put a smile on my face the entire time I was writing it! It was such a happy love story. To think that three men vied for her attention, and during her long tenure on earth, she was able to find love and happiness with all of them. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Estelle!
Now that the matriarch and her grandchildren have spoken, it’s the great-grandchildren’s turn. I believe Elizabeth will start off with a blog in 2016, but the person who keeps talking to me is Lilah (as of this current moment while I’m sitting in Cabo San Lucas trying to make a Dec. 14th book deadline). Stay with me and you’ll find out soon enough.
Thank you, ALWAYS, for loving the Reids, Taylors, Davises, and Benningtons. I hope to bring you just as many smiles, tears, and drama with the next generation.
An honest review would be much appreciated.
A kind note/email would also be welcomed.
Reach me at:
http://www.dwcee.com
Come check out the next generation of Reids. It begins with Delilah Taylor and Nolan O’Shaughnessy in The Impossible Tale of Nolan & Delilah.
DW Cee
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