Written in the Stars

Chapter 1: "Be Still"

(Chapter 1)
"Be Still"

Saturday, June 22nd
4:00pm

"You're pregnant?! You're going to have a baby?!" Shae shrieked.

"Yes, we are," Jillian laughed.

"Oh, my god! How far along are you?"

"A couple months."

"We have our first doctors appointment this week," Darren announced.

"Oh, my god! I'm going to be an aunt!" Shae cheered.

"Um... how'd you like to be a godmother?" Jillian asked.

"What?! Are you serious?!"

"We've already talked it over, and we'd feel really great if you'd be the godmother," Darren told her.

"Especially now that you're getting married, you and Jackson would be the godparents," Jillian added.

"That... would be an honour," Jackson said.

"You're my best friend, and you've done so much for me - for both of us - the last couple years," Jillian told her.

"Yes! Of course!" Shae hugged Jillian tight.

"Do you know when you want to get married?" Darren asked.

"Actually it's going to be in a just a couple months," Shae replied.

"That's pretty fast," Jillian commented.

"I mean, why wait? And, obviously you're going to be the maid of honour."

"I might be too big to fit in a dress."

"Oh, please, you're going to look gorgeous. So, you have your first doctors appointment this week?"

"Yeah, our first ultrasound."

"You have to tell me how it goes."

"We will."
~

"The baby is perfectly healthy. You're doing great so far," the nurse told Darren and Jillian.

"That's so good to hear," Darren said.

"So, would you like to know the sex?"

Darren took Jillian's hand.

"Absolutely," Jillian replied.

"Well... it's a girl."

"A girl?"

"You're having a baby girl."

"We... we're going to have a daughter," Jillian looked up at Darren.

"A little girl..." he repeated.

"Would you like to hear the heartbeat?" The nurse asked.

"Oh, my god."

"Could we?" Jillian asked.

The three of them heard the sound of a small heartbeat on the monitor.

"Wow..."

"That... that's our baby's heartbeat," Darren almost shook.

"I can't believe it."
~

August

I stood besides Shae as she and Jackson were married two months later.
Their wedding was so beautiful.
I had tears in my eyes the whole time.
Shae looked breathtaking.
I've never seen her so happy.
~

February

Five months later, our due date had finally come.
I gave birth to a baby girl.
We named her Cassiopeia, after the constellation.
Her middle name was Astrid.
The name meant 'gorgeous goddess' and it's used by the Swedish micro satellites for studying various features in space.
Cassiopeia Astrid Thompson.

We were in love with her, she was our perfect little baby girl.
Shae was overjoyed being the godmother.
She and Jackson loved her almost as much as we did.

"Be still.
Go on to bed.
Nobody knows what lies ahead.
Life is short, to say the least.
We're in the belly of the beast.
Be still.
Wild and young.
Long may your innocence reign.
Like shells on a shore.
May your limits be unknown.
May your efforts be your own.
If you ever feel you can't take it anymore.
Don't break character.
You've got a lot of heart.
Is this real or just a dream.
Rise up like the sun.
Labour 'till the work is done."

I looked down at her beautiful face as I sang to her every night.
~

Shortly after, we got to see another wedding - Brielle and Jason got married.

Emma was there with someone new - Talia.
She's a sweetheart - just like Emma.
She's kind, and beautiful, and obviously very in love with her.
It was so nice to see Emma happy again.
They're still going strong.
Probably more wedding bells in the future.
~

About two years later, we found out we were pregnant again - with twins.

I gave birth to twins - a boy and a girl.

We named our son Orion, after Darren's favourite constellation.
The brightest and best known constellation in the sky.
We gave him the middle name Sol, after the sun and peace.
Orion Sol Thompson.

We named our second daughter Titania.
Titania is the largest of the moons of Uranus, and the eighth largest moon in the solar system.
Her middle name is Miranda.
Miranda is also the name of one of the five major moons of Uranus.
The name Miranda comes from the Latin word Mirandus, which means 'she who must be admired.'
Titania Miranda Thompson.
~

Jesse and Luke became the godparents of the twins.

With a three-year-old already at home, and now our new baby twins, our perfect family was complete.

Patricia was also very in love with our children.
As their only grandparent, she made a large effort to be in their lives as much as possible.

"Be still.
One day you'll lead.
Fearlessness on your sleeve.
When you come back, tell me what did you see.
Was there something out there for me.
Be still.
Close your eyes.
Soon enough you'll be on your own.
Steady and straight.
And if they drag you through the mud,
It doesn't change what's in your blood.
Over rock, over chain.
When they knock you down.
Don't break character.
You've got a lot of heart.
Is this real or just a dream.
Be still.
Over rock and chain.
Over sunset plain.
Over trap and snare.
When you're in too deep.
In your wildest dreams.
In your made up schemes.
When they knock you down.
When they knock you down.
Don't break character.
You've got so much heart.
Is this real or just a dream.
Rise up like the sun.
Labour 'till the work is done."

Seeing the two of them smile as I sang to them made me feel like my heart was going to burst.
~

Two years after the birth of our twins, Shae and Jackson became pregnant.

A baby boy.
They named him Sebastian.
And Darren and I became the godparents.
~

Our lives were picture perfect.
We couldn't be happier.
This was our happily ever after.
Our story together has come to an end.

But with every ending comes a new beginning.
~

Thanks so much for the ride.

Love, Darren & Jillian

THE END