"And its our privilege to do it," Brian smiled. He was pleased with the people he surrounded his new family with. "You know, a year ago, I came to see Robert because he sent for me. He sent me an urgent message to Paris saying he needed a healer--immediately. I had no idea it was Khaat, or that she was even pregnant, much less delivering her first child. And I had no clue I was going to become her delivery coach." He sighed, looking at Abbey, "And I had no idea whatsoever that night would change my life forever to something that I could never go back from. I had only ever seen myself as a single man--forever--like Michael. And you know what, I would not have missed one minute of this last year."
His mind was thinking of all the wonderful moments he'd had that he had valued so much. Bringing Abbey home from St. Mungos when Khaat was still in ICU. Bringing her home to his house. Moving Khaat's things in, duplicating Abbey's nursery here in the house, taking in Dakota just like he had Abbey. Bringing Khaat home. Watching her bond with her daughter. Feeding and changing the babies. Playing with them. Soothing them when they cried, walking the floors with them.
His first serious kiss with Khaat. Venice. Oh, Venice had been wonderful. And it was a place in his heart he couldn't come back from. Love. It had come when he had least planned for it. Hadn't wanted it, had planned to live a purely platonic life with Khaat. It hadn't gone that direction. And now she wore his ring, not Rob's. And he was going to do what? Manage Sparks? Really? Managing a restaurant was the farthest from his mind. And their family was going to be bigger soon. By Christmas they'd have at least four babies in diapers all at the same time. Four? That was a bit overwhelming.
"Brian," Robert said, "Come back. Where were you?"
"Do you know how much my life has changed from one year ago?"
"I do," Robert laughed. "Do you regret it?"
"Not for one moment of it. Do any of you?" Brian asked the rest of them.