She fit perfectly into the family.  Geno liked her fiery personality and tendency to tell a man off if he looked at her the wrong way.  He liked to say now he had two new daughters, one like fire and one like ice.  In short, as unlikely as it would have sounded a year ago, they had gotten their own happy endings.

“Meena!  God, you really did pop, didn’t you?  Please tell me you’re taking care of my little goddaughter.”     

“You know I am.” Meena laughed, kissing both her and Tyler on the cheek as she sat at the kitchen island.

“You look great, babe,” Tyler grinned, pulling Kyra into him and smacking her playfully on the ass, “hardly look pregnant at all.”

“Jesus, Tyler, you really are the dumbest guy alive, aren’t you?”

“Nice to see you, too, brother.  And don’t be cranky.  I was just admiring your handiwork.”

“Oh yeah?  Well then, thanks, I do what I can.  Now, are you gonna tell us what all the fuss is about?”

“What fuss?” Kyra asked with the phony innocence Meena knew full well meant she was lying through her teeth. “Who was making a fuss?”

“Seriously, tell me what’s happening.  Meena being pregnant is just about all the excitement I can take.”

But Meena didn’t need to be told anymore.  Not after she caught a glimpse of Kyra smoothing her hair out of her face.  She squealed so loudly both men covered their ears. Meena ran forward, throwing her arms around Kyra in jubilation.

“Oh my god!  I can’t believe you’ve been standing here for this long without saying anything.”

“About what?  What are you talking about?  What did I miss?”

“God, men are so dense.  How do you not see that huge ring on her finger?”

“Sh*t!  No way, man!  Bring it in, brother.  Congratulations.”

Caleb looked stunned but also thrilled and he closed the gap between him and Tyler with what looked like just two steps and clapped his hand squarely on his back.  Meena stood back and looked at the two of them, just watched them in their shared joy.  Her beautiful lions.  How strong they looked together, how much more grownup than when she had first met them. 

She was happy.  Theirs was a strange world, these four friends, but now it really and truly belonged to them.  As unlikely as it was, and it was very, very unlikely, they were happy.  All four of them standing here, this ragtag group of abandoned and forgotten souls, they were happy.  They had the family they had always wanted and they knew nobody was ever going to take it away from them again.

The end.

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