Chapter 1.31: Epilogue

     After the longest nine and half hours of her life Rachael heard the first scream of her new son.

     Cerulean put off the talk with the cops until after the birth and she had a day to recover but she had to tell them her story for them to keep Grey and the henchmen in lockup.  Eve was already on her way back to the prison since she was an escaped convict so Rachael wasn't worried about her.

     The Palette Agency pulled some strings and kept Rachael in the hospital until the trial began and Rachael finally brought her baby home.

   

     "Let me see Ochre.  You're hogging the baby," River piped up from her spot by Rachael.

     "He's my brother I get to hold him first," Ochre countered.

     Rachael smiled as the two older children argued over who would argue the baby.  Cerulean finally settled the argument by telling them they could lay on the bed and watch the baby.

     Both children climbed up while Cerulean picked up the baby.  Just as he was about to put the baby between the children the baby began to cry.

     "Sounds like someones hungry," Cerulean said turning around to give the baby to Rachael.  

     Rachael hummed while she nursed the baby.

     "That's the lullaby you sang to me," River said.

     Rachael nodded, "It's the same lullaby mom sang to me and the others at night when we were little."

     "What's his name," Ochre asked.

     Rachael smiled up at Cerulean.  "Hunter," Cerulean said, "his name is Hunter."

     Ochre and River got off the bed and stood at Rachael's shoulder.

     "Welcome home, baby Hunter," River said.

     "Welcome to the family," Ochre added.

     Rachael kissed each child on their head before shooing them out of the room so she could put Hunter in his bassinet.

     She smiled at the yawning baby as she heard Cerulean and the children laugh as they pulled out food to cook for dinner.

     "I made a promise once," she whispered to the baby drowsing in his bed.  "I made a promise to protect our family and I've done that.  I'm going to make a promise to you now.  I will never let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do.  You can be anything you want to be and do anything you can dream of."

     "You'll be amazing Hunter.  I just know it," she said brushing her lips to the top of the sleeping baby's head.

     "Hi Mom.  Hi Dad." Rachael said later that day in her family's garden cemetery.  She looked down at the silent headstones.

     "Your first grandchild was born.  Little Hunter certainly has a set of lungs on him," Rachael chuckled.  "And your second grandchild will be born the beginning of next year."

     She sighed, "but so much has happened.  Rebecca's run away.  Lean and Mags are doing their best to track her down but she has learned the Palette way of secrecy and hiding well."

     "They'll find her eventually.  They always find their sim.  I'm sorry it got to this point.  When they find her I'll talk to her, try to understand why she ran away from her side."

     "Until they find her, can you watch over her from the otherside?  She needs family the most right now and she's not letting us be there for her."

     Silence was her only answer but Rachael felt lighter somehow.  As if the spirits of her parents heard her request and took that weight off her shoulders.

     "What did I ever do to deserve such faith?"

     Rachael smiled and turned around when her husband spoke.  He walked over to her and took her hands in his.

     "You were there for me when I was in pain and couldn't share it with anyone.  You loved me even when I was too scared to admit I felt the same way."

     "You kept secrets from me but when they became dangerous you trusted me with them."  She shrugged then, "and you've always kept your promises to me.  Why wouldn't I have faith in you?"

     "I'll spend the rest of my life ensuring you never have a reason to doubt me, Ray.  I love you."

     "I love you, too," Rachael said.

                                                                                                            

Random Rambling

   So this is the end of Rachael's story arc.  I'm torn between two paths right now.  Play and write about the years between now and the heir's story or just jump to the heir's story. Any opinions?