Epilogue

The first few days after the LJs were born went by in a flurry of visitors, baby gifts, phone calls, and telegrams. By that weekend, however, it was down to just the four of them. They worked out a routine for feeding, and Hath’s earlier fear that she’d never be able to breast-feed twins was put to rest. David took great pleasure in watching the intimate bond between his wife and his children, and took several tasteful pictures of the beautiful sight.

When the babies were six weeks old, and Hath had been “cleared for relations”, as Darcy put it, David gently took Hath into his arms and made love to her. Their climax was immediately followed by the squall of hungry children. Hath laughed. “At least we got the chance to finish,” she said, as they got out of bed to take care of the babies.

At Halloween, David and Hath dressed their children up as tiny pumpkins, and took them to Jon and Sam’s for a small family gathering. David’s other kids were there, as were Jon’s, though both exes elected to stay behind. Richie and Lucia were on another trip together, this time to Turks & Caicos, putting in “lots of practice in the baby-making department,” as Richie told them.

The Rashbaums spent lots of time in the fall traveling back and forth to the city so David could work on his musical. Hath spent hours walking the twins on the streets of NYC, which was not an easy task in a double-stroller. She fell in love with the city, and talked David into taking an apartment in Manhattan so they didn’t have to stay in hotels when they came out.

When Toxic Avenger opened the following March, Hath was there in the front row, beaming proudly at her husband, dressed in a Toxie T-shirt, laughing her ass off. Mama G came up to take care of “her babies” as she called LJ.

The holidays were a grand time, with both families descending on the Rashbaum’s house for both Hanukkah and Christmas. The house was alive with the sounds of laughing and cooing babies, laughing and cooing grandparents, and the steady click-click-click of the camera.

Laura did everything first. Just before she and her brother turned a year old, she started walking. John copied his “big sister” and soon the two were toddling all over the house. A week later, Laura pushed John down when he wouldn’t get out of her way. He pushed back, and they had their first real fight.

They started speaking at around eighteen months old. Their first word, other than Mama and Dada was piano.

The twins loved all of Daddy’s “brothers”. Laura was still enthralled by Richie’s voice, and would turn to him whenever she heard it. She fell in love with Jon’s eyes and would reach for them when she saw him. John favored Tico, and would follow the drummer around, chattering and slapping his palms on every flat surface he encountered.

The children were nearly inseparable. Where one would go, the other would never be more than a few steps behind. The few times that Jon would take Lyndsay and Laura for walks together talking to them about the trees, or the flowers around them, or anything that caught their fancy, John would miss his sister and sulk until she came back. If Teek took John off on a “Grand Man Adventure”, Laura would look for him, calling, “Jaw, Jaw, Jaw” as she walked around the house.

The July Lyndsay turned two, the Harem was gathered at Jon and Sam’s to celebrate. The women were sitting together under a huge tent Jon had rented for the occasion, and the men, Jon, Rich, and Dave were watching the little ones as they splashed and played in a kiddie pool. The older ones, Ava and Michael, were in the big pool, being watched over by Matt.

“I can’t believe all our wives are pregnant,” Richie commented.

“I can’t believe we’re all due around Thanksgiving!” David added. “I guess I know how all you losers spent your Valentine’s Day.”

The men had a good laugh and smiled down on the children splashing in the water. Laura beamed at her father, then shoved her brother over, making him cry. “Laura, no!” David said sternly, making her cry, too. He sighed and scooped up his kids, bringing them to his wife.

“Don’t look now,” Sam said to Hath, “but here comes your lovely husband. Looks like the twins are at it again.”

Hath scratched her belly, significantly smaller than the last time she was 5 months’ pregnant, and stood. “I swear, they do it on purpose. They know I’m relaxing, and they get pissed.” She smiled. “I hope Patty doesn’t act like that when she comes.”

“Patty?” David said, coming up behind his wife and kissing her neck. “I didn’t know that was on the table. I thought we were still on Noel.”

Hath and the girls laughed, recalling David’s handle on the Football Forum when he was trying to be a smart ass and get under Jon’s skin. The guys meandered over to sit with their women, tired of being away from them, and wanting to know what was so damned funny. Ava and Michael were wrapped in towels, and sat apart from the adults, chatting softly.

The Football Forum.

How much things had changed since they were on the forum. It’s been almost a full year now. Hath still found it hard to believe that thanks to a small online forum, and a stupid little bet, she met and married the most wonderful man, and had two beautiful children and a third on the way. She checked in on the forum every now and again, but there wasn’t much action. Most of the players had moved on to bigger and better things.

Much like her extended family.

Sam had her life full with Jon and Lyndsay, and the little boy that was growing in her womb. They weren’t sharing names yet, but had been emphatic that they would NOT call their son ‘Robin’. Sam was consulting with the local DA’s office, and once her son is born, has a job waiting for her if she wants it.

Stephanie and Matt were expecting their first child together, and Michael couldn’t wait to be a big brother. They wanted to be surprised as to the gender of their baby, but also swore that even if it were a girl, ‘Robin’ was off the table.

Richie was so attentive to Lucia that she thought she’d have to kill him. After two miscarriages, Richie was taking no chances with his lovely wife. He would let her do very little for herself.

The guys had been in the studio for months, laying down a record that would be out in the fall. After that, there’d be a tour, though this time Jon swore that he wouldn’t do anything until after their son was born. Sam didn’t believe him for a second. Not after what happened with Lyndsay.

As Hath took her daughter from her husband, she looked around at her friends, her family, and smiled. “Have I told you yet today that I love you, Joker?” she asked him.

“Yes, but I never get tired of hearing it,” he answered. “I love you too, Hath,” he said, kissing her gently. “Forever.”

~*~ THE END ~*~