Chapter 25 Epilogue:

Marley was scooting across the floor as fast as her eleven-month-old crawl could take her. Yeah, we have a fondness for 'M' names for girls—Marley, Maddie, Mae—but Marley was our youngest and the most determined crawler in the house. Tomy, sprawled across the rug in his favorite lounging position, rolled his eyes and saw her coming. He snorted a little, more amused than annoyed, but didn’t move anything other than his eyes. She reached him, giggling with a high-pitched joy only babies have, and placed both her tiny hands on his soft belly. Tomy lifted one leg, the bare foot flopping lazily in the air, as if giving her space, being careful not to knock her over. She wobbled slightly but pressed upward, her legs shaky and unsure. Slowly, Marley rose, using Tomy’s belly like a piece of playground equipment. She stood there for a triumphant second, swaying slightly with wide eyes, then plopped down on her padded bottom with a satisfied squeal.