All eyes focused on Toots. "Just a little bit of her dream, you know, to hang on to. Just in case."

The baby shower was so much more than a baby shower. It was a life changer, and Abby knew she and her children had many material possessions, but, more important, they had love.

And Abby truly loved the ones she was with.

Epilogue.

November 2013 Abby and Chris could hardly keep their hands off Amy and Jonathan. At four weeks, they were already two separate individuals. Abby knew their cries without looking. She knew who would wake up happy and who would wake up cranky because his or her diaper was full. She knew exactly how long it took them to fall asleep, exactly how many times they blinked their eyes before their soft eyelids would flutter and they finally gave up.

They looked exactly like Abby. Both were born with curly blond hair, and she was sure their eyes would remain the same light blue as her own. Unlike some babies, Amy's and Jonathan's eyes weren't dark at birth. They were as clear blue today as they had been the day they were born.

On Tuesday, October 15, 2013, Amelia Sophia "Amy" Clay was born at 2:19 PM. Jonathan Christopher Clay was born at 2:37 PM. Exactly eighteen minutes apart.

Chris and Abby knew Amy would never let Jonathan forget that she was the big sister by a whole eighteen minutes.

Abby had been downstairs in the kitchen, making herself a light breakfast, when she felt her water break. Chris was at the airport with Goebel and Phil to pick up two dogs that had been lost and injured in a flood. A good citizen found the dogs cold, scared, and hungry, and remembered Abby's flyer from The Canine and Feline Cafe. She made the call, and 3Ds arranged to have the animals flown to Charleston.

Knowing Chris wouldn't have time to come home, then drive her back to the hospital, she called her mom. Looking back, she thought it was a funny day, but it certainly wasn't at the time.

"Mom, you are not going to believe this, but Chris is at the airport with the guys picking up two dogs, and here I am stuck in the middle of my kitchen standing in a puddle of amniotic fluid, which I know means that my water has broken. I'm going to need a ride to the hospital. Then I need you to call Chris. Mother? Did you hear what I just said?"

Toots had taken a couple seconds to get her bearings. Phil-whom Toots had agreed to marry, though they had not yet set a date for the wedding-was at the house, and she told him what had happened. He made a phone call; within six minutes, a helicopter landed on the road in front of Abby's house. Phil and Toots drove to Abby's like a bat out of h.e.l.l, and Toots ran inside and helped her to the helicopter.

Abby had the first hard labor pain as soon as they lifted off the ground. "The hospital is just minutes away, Abby. Hang on, sweet girl, just hang on." Toots had a death grip on her daughter. Any movement from the chopper scared her; then Abby would have another labor pain, and she would scream louder.

"Mother this isn't like I learned in my Lamaze cla.s.s!" Mother, this isn't like I learned in my Lamaze cla.s.s!!!!

"Phil, something isn't right."

Toots grabbed Abby's hand. Abby squeezed hers so hard Toots was sure she'd have broken fingers when this was over.

"These babies are not going to wait they are coming now!" These babies are not going to wait; they are coming now!

By the time the chopper landed at the hospital, Amy was in her mother's arms, delivered by Phil. As they raced her to the delivery room on a gurney, Jonathan decided he wasn't going to wait any longer, either. Phil stopped the staff and delivered Jonathan in the hallway in front of the elevator that led to the psych ward. Abby was in hard labor for less than an hour.

And Chris arrived just in time to see his beautiful son and daughter after they were cleaned up and swathed in their pink and blue blankets. Abby cried because he missed the delivery, but Phil promised to give him a very descriptive play-by-play.

And today was their christening. Abby had wanted something simple, nothing quite as elaborate as a traditional Catholic baptism. She and Chris had spoke at great length to Father O'Neil, and they simply wanted the children blessed in the name of their loving Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Abby dressed Amy, and Chris dressed Jonathan, in the christening gowns that her mother had given to her at the baby shower. The babies looked like innocent angels in their creamy white, delicate lace clothes. The gang planned to meet Chris and Abby at the church, a small Catholic church that Abby had attended when she first lived in Charleston. Father O'Neil remembered her from her Sunday school days. Abby liked that, the beginning of a tradition for her children. Family was so very important to her and Chris, since both were only children. And now it was time to go, to meet the family, and come back here for one more celebration.

The church was only a ten-minute drive. Amy and Jonathan were sound asleep in their car seats in the back of Abby's new minivan. She had kept her MINI Cooper; but for a while, she'd need the van to get the babies and all their equipment to and from wherever they needed to go.

The gang was waiting outside the church. As soon as Chris and Abby took the babies out of their car seats, the whole gang rushed over like a fast wind.

After everyone kissed and smooched the babies, leaving their plump little cheeks covered with lipstick, they took the children inside, where Father O'Neil was prepared to perform a brief baptism. She and Chris made a nice donation to the church and promised to raise their children in the Church.

The inside of the church was small, but beautiful, with stained gla.s.s and beautiful wooden pews. The scented candles provided an ethereal presence.

Abby held Amy, while Father O'Neil sprinkled water over her precious face, causing her to cry. After he blessed her, he followed the same procedure with Jonathan-though, brave soul that he was, he didn't cry.

They prayed and were all blessed. As everyone got ready to go over to Abby's, Sophie insisted that the G.o.dmothers ride with Toots because she had something important to tell them. After they settled in, Ida asked, in her usual b.i.t.c.hy way, "What's so important that I have to ride with you old fogeys instead of with Daniel?"

Mavis, always the peacemaker, tried to keep the peace. "Come on, Ida, if Sophie says something's important, we need to hear it. Back off. I'm sure Daniel will understand."

With everyone settled in, Sophie told them about a dream she had the night before. The five of them were sitting around the dining-room table at Toots's. The guys were out doing some deep-sea fishing, a hobby they had taken up since the day of Abby's baby shower. They were all filling out what looked like applications of some sort. And from the snippets of conversation she could catch, they were applying for membership in that d.a.m.ned Vigilantes organization.

"What?" Ida said. "Are you saying that's something in our future? The Vigilantes?"

"Ida, I'm not telling you anything. I think the dream may have come from the interview I gave the Washington Post. There were these two reporters, Maggie Spitzer and Ted Robinson, and that good-looking photographer, Joe Espinosa, all of whom produced stories about the Vigilantes back in the day.

"And that same day I met the Post's owner, Annie de Silva, who was one of them. But given my track record with dreams, I just thought you all needed to know about it."

"Okay, Sophie. You've done your duty and told us. Now can we go back to celebrating the christening of my grandchildren?" Toots asked.

"Sure, Toots, anything you say."

In less than half an hour, they were back at Abby's to celebrate. Both babies were sound asleep when they arrived. Toots helped Abby change them out of their delicate gowns and into their little nightgowns.

Downstairs, Abby and Toots placed the sleeping babies in the ba.s.sinets in the kitchen, where Mom and Dad could keep watchful eyes on them.

"So, why didn't we do the G.o.dmother and G.o.dfather announcements at the church? I thought that's how it worked," Bernice said.

"We wanted to do something a little different. Daniel took care of all the legal papers and it seems that Amy and Jonathan have four G.o.dmothers and four G.o.dfathers. Officially."

Before they'd made it legal, Chris and Abby asked Mavis and Wade, Bernice and Robert, Sophie and Goebel, and Phil and Ida if they would consider being the twins' G.o.dparents. Of course, they'd all said yes. But Abby wanted to make sure. She'd had three G.o.dmothers and had never thought it was strange at all. Now her children would have eight G.o.dparents: plenty of people to love her precious children.

Chester, who'd been feeling a bit left out, was allowed to look at the babies in the ba.s.sinets. Today, for the first time, he stared at Amy, and then licked her face. He went to Jonathan's ba.s.sinet and did the same thing.

"They've just received the Chester Simpson lick of approval."

Abby had hired a caterer for the day because she wanted to spend it with all the people she loved. After they'd served tray after tray of finger food, then little desserts plus drinks, Abby felt so full, all she wanted to do was lie down with her precious babies and husband. She whispered this to Sophie.

"Okay, we're finished here. Time to go. Abby's tired, the kids are tired, and I am tired." The caterers cleaned up quickly, and the gang hugged and kissed the babies. Before her mother and the G.o.dmothers left, Abby asked them to come upstairs for a minute. The guys guarded the babies while they went upstairs.

"Is something wrong, Abby?" Toots asked her daughter.

"No, nothing at all. I just wanted to know if we could . . . you know, do the secret handshake. Kinda like putting the icing on the cake. Today's been so special for all of us, I just thought it might be fun to end on a fun note."

"Girls, you game?"

They all agreed that they were. "Bernice, you want to be a true-blue member of the gang?"

"I thought I was," she said.

"Nope. Not until you've completed the official G.o.dmothers' secret handshake. You sure you want to do this? We do it a lot and in secret."

"Heck yes, I want to! Now tell me what to do."

"Just follow us."

Toots placed her hand out, and Sophie placed her hand on top of Toots's. Mavis placed her hand on Sophie's; then Ida placed her hand on top of Mavis's.

"Abby, you're next," Toots instructed. Abby placed her hand on Ida's; then Bernice followed suit, placing her hand on Abby's.

"Okay, on the count of three. One, two, three . . . 'When you're good, you're good!' " They lifted their hands high in the air.

And they all knew that life was good.

THE SWEETEST THINGS BUBBLE GUM CUPCAKES.

Ingredients.

One boxed white cake mix (with oil, eggs, and water to make, according to package) [Jamie says it's perfectly okay to use your favorite mix.]

Pink food coloring (I use Wilton's icing for bright color, which doesn't change the consistency of things.) One packet of Frosting Creations Bubble Gum Flavor.

1 stick of salted b.u.t.ter.

1 stick of unsalted b.u.t.ter.

1 c. powdered sugar.

1 t. vanilla.

1824 gumb.a.l.l.s.

DIRECTIONS.

Make cake mix according to package, add food coloring and fill 1824 cupcake liners (in a cupcake tin) with batter. Most cake mixes say they make 24 cupcakes. I like big cupcakes so I usually aim for 18!

Bake according to package and cool completely.

Beat together (softened!) b.u.t.ters with vanilla and powdered sugar. Beat on high, until light and fluffy frosting develops.

Add bubble gum flavor packet to frosting and beat until well combined.

Cut a corner off a large zip-top bag and press a large star-shaped decorating tip into the hole.

Spoon frosting into bag and seal top.

Carefully pipe frosting evenly over cupcakes. (This recipe frosts 18 cupcakes perfectly. You will need to use a little less per cupcake to cover 24.) Top each cupcake with a fun and colorful gumball.

FERN MICHAELS is the USA Today and New York

Times bestselling author of the Sisterhood and

G.o.dmother series, The Blossom Sisters, Tuesday's Child,

Southern Comfort, Betrayal, Return to Sender and

dozens of other novels and novellas. There are over

seventy million copies of her books in print. Fern

Michaels has built and funded several large day-care