Chapter 78 Epilogue

Six months later Anna still woke up screaming. The counselor said that as time went by and with therapy that the trauma would fade. Anna stared into the mirror and could almost see the bruises that had encircled her neck for two weeks after the accident. She ran her hands over her neck and shivered as the memory of that rainy night came back to her. The times when she woke up screaming were awful but thinking about them while awake was worse. Tears began to fall slowly and she tried to shake them off. Isabel had been damaged in many ways but she was the last member of her family she had and now she was gone. Anna knew she shouldn’t cry for her but found herself doing it anyway.
“Princess, please don’t cry,” John begged as he slid the door open and wrapped his arms around her. He sat behind her on the bench in front of the mirror encasing her with his body and she leaned back with a sigh.
“I know I shouldn’t but I just can’t help it when I think about it.”
“I’m so sorry, I wish I could make it go away. I worry about you, about you both.” John ran his hands down her arms and cupped the slight bulge of her stomach that held their child. Anna covered his hands with hers and found herself smiling despite the sadness lingering in her heart.
“I’m going to be fine, Dr. Myers said so.”
“Do you feel better?” he asked her in the mirror. “Really?”
“Most of the time, but it sort of sneaks up on me from time to time you know?”
“I understand, I have nightmares sometimes about you going over with her.”
Anna put her hands over his where he cupped her stomach and gave them a squeeze. “but we’re here and safe because of you.”
“Thank God,” He muttered nuzzling her neck.
Anna smiled and tilted her head giving him better access. She let him distract her from her sadness. Her eyes watched in the mirror thinking about how their life had changed in the last six months. They had bought out his mother and sisters shares in the company shortly after Isabel’s funeral, followed quickly by their exit from town. They’d suddenly become very interested in the south of France when they’d heard about Isabel’s death. Luckily they had not heard from them since.
Isabel had been buried beside her mother in a small private ceremony. Anna had attended even though Isabel had made her life miserable. No one else but John had come and it had been dismal. Anna couldn’t help but think that this was a sad end to a misused life.
The baby had been a sweet surprise. They’d found out about the baby thanks to a battery of tests after the accident to check her vocal cords. No one suspected that a high amount of HCG would show up in her random blood work. They had never been happier, but now Anna had one more secret to tell him
“Anna,” He whispered against her ear “where were you just now?”
“Thinking about surprises like this little one,” She said rubbing her belly.
“You aren’t kidding, with everything going on to find out that we had a baby coming was a shock, to say the least. I can’t wait to find out what it is.”
Anna turned and looked at him with mock severity “I thought you didn’t want to know?”
John shrugged and smiled “I don’t think I can wait.”
“Well, I guess it’s good that I found out already then right?”
“You were supposed to wait for me!” he said with mock severity.
Anna stood and turned to face him fully. She looked a little sheepish “I couldn’t wait either I had to know.”
“Well are you going to tell me?” he growled standing and putting his arms around her. “Tell me, woman.”
“Well what do you really want, you keep dancing around it but I want the truth”
“Honestly I don’t care as long as you and the baby are healthy.”
“Well, that’s good then because we got one of each.”
John stood for a moment as shock sat in. His head swam but he couldn’t stop the wide smile that split his face. “Twins”!” he shouted as he hugged her close.
“Yes,” She laughed “I guess we are going to be a family of four.”
“I love you,” John shouted so loud she was sure they heard him in downtown Asheville.
"I love you too." She said with a laugh as he picked her up swinging her around. Anna felt her heart lighten. Some of the misery that had hung onto her heart slipped away as she smiled down at John and looked forward to their future. She may have had to travel through time for this but in the end, love was worth it.