Mac grinned. “If the kids are the spitting image of you, Delilah, we can have a hundred.”
“Oh Donahue. You are quite the charmer,” she crooned. “If we have one or one hundred, they are going to be the most loved kids in the world. Mostly because I love their father like nobody’s business.”
Delilah stood on her tippy toes and pressed a romantic kiss against Mac’s lips. Mac ran his hand down the length of Delilah’s hair. As they broke apart from one another Mac rained kisses all along his wife’s cheeks, forehead and nose. Delilah let out a contented sigh. Their love story was just beginning.
**
An hour later the Donahue living room was packed with the entire family. Good news flowed like a rushing river.
Seth had just gotten the news that he was being offered a full academic scholarship at Emmanuel College in Boston. Through shouts of congratulations, Tess managed to keep a stiff upper lip, even though everyone knew she had mixed feelings about her baby brother moving away for four years. Seth vowed to return to Breeze Point for all of his school breaks. He had no interest in straying far from the only real home he had ever known.
Layla and Nick had decided to adopt after being unable to conceive for more than a year. They were waiting for word from the other side of the world where a baby was within weeks of being born. As soon as they got the official word they would be traveling to Jakarta to pick up their precious bundle. The Cove Restaurant was more popular than ever. Layla’s Dance Studio was doing very well and she had just signed a deal to lend her name to a line of dance-related products. Nick joked about her becoming a superstar.
Rose’s baby bump was on full display. Brandon couldn’t resist patting her belly every five minutes. AJ couldn’t stop raving about his soon to be baby brother. He’d already picked out a name. Malec. A combination of his grandparents’ names—Maggie and Alec. His parents knew there couldn’t be a finer name for their new addition. Rose still hadn’t decided if she was giving up her full-time job as Brandon’s secretary to be a stay at home mom.
Tess was giving Rose a run for her money in the baby bump department. They were due mere weeks apart. Ryder and Tess had decided to keep the baby’s gender a secret until the delivery. And they hadn’t told a soul that they were expecting twins.
Kaitlyn and Wyatt had tied the knot in a romantic beach wedding and were anticipating a seasonal move to Boston. Wyatt’s hard work was paying off and he’d been given the go ahead to return to the Bay State Bombers. Kaitlyn would be working in Boston with athletes who had suffered sports injuries. During the off season they would return to their home by the sea in Breeze Point and enjoy being in the Donahue fold.
Gabrielle was working on getting her college degree and traveling the world with Remy from time to time as he continued to earn rave reviews for his art pieces. Maggie and Alec had made Gabrielle an equal partner at Sweet Treats. They trusted that someday she would be the one to continue their bakery’s legacy. Remy and Gabi had decided to build a beachfront home not too far from Wyatt and Kaitlyn’s house. The sea was a constant inspiration for both of them.
Blue and Sarah were enjoying life with their precious one year old, Faith. Although Sarah and Blue wanted to grow their family, Sarah had suffered a miscarriage a few months ago. Inspired by Maggie and Alec, they had brought home a newborn baby who would be part of their family through the foster care system. They were hoping that baby Dahlia would one day be their very own through adoption.
Maggie’s dementia continued to decline at the same time as Alec’s health continued to steadily improve. There were days when Maggie couldn’t remember where she lived or how many children she and Alec had raised. Her driving days were over. Leaving her alone was far too dangerous. She had her good days and her bad ones, but with Alec and her family by her side and being constantly vigilant, they were dealing head-on with the situation.
Alec stood up in the middle of the room and clapped his hands together. He cleared his throat for emphasis. “We have an announcement to make.”
The room stilled and hushed.
“We’re going away. Your mother and I will soon be embarking on a trip to Ireland.”
“Hey, that’s great,” Blue said. “You two deserve a break.”
“Isn’t it exciting?” Maggie cried, her face lit up with joy. “I’m going back to my roots.”
Remy let out a whistle. “That’s amazing news. It’s about time you went back to the Emerald Isle.”
“You two deserve a vacation,” Tess said. She jutted her chin in Ryder’s direction. “I’m hoping the old ball and chain will take me to Europe after the babies are born.”