Epilogue
Eight weeks later
The vision wokeme up out of a sound sleep. I jolted upright in bed, startling Lucas and knocking over the glass of water I usually kept on my nightstand.
"Shit," I muttered, though it came out garbled because of my dry mouth. I swung my legs out of bed, grabbed my cell and dialed Helen Reaper.
She answered, but I knew I'd woken her up.
"This is Grace Banner. I don't know what the hell is happening, but something is opening up over this town. And soon." I unlocked the front door and stepped outside. Everything looked normal.
"What? What did you see?"
"Some kind of rift, Helen. And it didn't look good. Whatever it was, there are...things coming out of it." I stepped off my porch and looked for anything amiss.
"Shit," she muttered. "It's happening sooner than I anticipated."
I remembered the vision I'd given her months prior. Things roamed the streets. Battles took place everywhere. It was a deadly, apocalyptic scene. But I thought we'd had a lot more time.
"Whatever this is, you won't be able to handle this yourself."
"I know," she said. "I've extracted...promises from certain people for help. I hope I can count on you if I need to. We can't fight this on our own."
My husband came outside, his footsteps light. He wrapped a hand around my waist and pulled me closer. "I'll do what I can."
I wasn't sure what that would be, though. My hand gently swept over the front of my gown and down the brand new swell of my stomach. It was just barely there, but I knew what was happening.
Lucas and I were having a child. I hadn't told him yet. In fact I wasn't sure how I was going to. This happened before we were married and against all odds. The vision I'd had did not bode well for the state of our town, but it was the only place I'd ever lived and the only place I ever wanted to raise my children.
"That's all I can ask. Go back inside. We still have some time."
"Call if you need us, Helen."
"Thanks."
We disconnected and I wrapped my arms around my husband's neck. He ran his hand through my hair and placed a kiss on my forehead.
"How do you feel about the name Rhys for our first child?" I asked.
His brow furrowed. "Already thinking about that?"
I gave him a soft smile. "Well...in about six months we're going to have to figure it out."
Lucas' eyes went comically wide. "Grace?"
My smile grew wide. "Yes?"
His gaze drifted to my stomach and back up to my eyes, a questioning look in them.
"Holy...crap." He lifted a tender hand to my stomach and touch the tiny bump there. "My mother is going to be ecstatic." He crushed me to him. "Hold me. I think I'm going to faint."
We stood that way for awhile.
"I was thinking more like Maximum Rex Enzo Marsh II."
"No," I said. "Your naming privileges are revoked."
"That was just my first try," he squawked.