Page 100 of Accepted Precedent
“You have a deal.” She smirks and cocks an eyebrow in challenge. “But… you get your wife every night. Can I spend time with my sister while you’re busy edging Andy? It’s been ages since I’ve had girlfriend time with her.”
“Um, excuse me? I’m right here,” Evie huffs, with no malice behind it, then offers me a sweet smile. “You can punish me tomorrow. I’ll have a movie night with my sister while you have fun with my best friend.”
“Then it’s settled.” Kristin takes the cake and calls over her shoulder as she leaves the kitchen, “Oh, and thanks for making me an auntie again.”
Resting my forehead on Evie’s, I breathe, “Are you sure about changing their names?”
“We all love you so much, Mick. It’s time you get your happy ending—just like Captain Wentworth.”
Epilogue — Kristin
SIXTEEN MONTHS LATER
Ileah wraps up her acceptance speech introducing President-elect Jaclyn Taylor, and I’m genuinely impressed they pulled this off. These two have been on quite a wild ride. If you’d asked me years ago if I thought it was possible, I would’ve said there’s a better chance of hell freezing over. As their campaign manager, I should’ve been more optimistic—but they truly pulled off the impossible.
The Gallaghers always get what they want, even if it’s quietly in the background with donations.
In the audience, Mickey’s seated with Andrew, my two nephews, and my niece. Evelyn’s seat is empty, and worry overcomes me. So help me, if she’s in the bathroom throwing up because Mick knocked her up again, I’m going to…
Do nothing.
I’ll do absolutely nothing.
If she’s pregnant, she has an entire village to help, and the kids have the most supportive stay-at-home father anyone could ask for.
Mick isn’t only a great dad, he’s also an amazing husband to my sister. He gave Evie her dream wedding at a cabin in the snow. In true Gallagher fashion, he bought it as a vacation home for her as a wedding gift. I adore my brother-in-law’s generosity, but sometimes it’s a little over the top.
Evelyn has spent the last year lobbying for nationwide STD testing to be covered by insurance—and free to anyone who can’t afford it—as well as restoring funding for childhood cancer that was previously cut by the current administration. She’s also convinced several politicians to back a bill funding women’s health clinics nationwide, and even pushed through a federal change lowering the waiting period for tubal ligations from thirty days to fifteen. Evie’s done so much in so little time, my heart aches that she was stifled for so long—but she certainly made up for lost time.
“Where’s my sister?” I whisper to Ned, standing in the wings with me as we listen in to Jaclyn’s speech.
“She’s been… busy.”
“Ned,” I seethe through gritted teeth, “what do you mean she’s busy?”
He chuckles and shows me a news alert. Evelyn’s celebrating at a crisis call center for youth in Maryland that includes counselors specializing in at-risk LGBTQIA+ young adults and teens. The headline states that it is now fully funded for the next five years. Chills dance down my limbs. My sister has always had side projects, but I didn’t realize she was trying to help fund this. The program was on nearly every ballot nationwide, and I hold back my tears as I ask, “Where else did it pass?”
“All but two states. Mr. Gallagher has assured me he’d take care of anything that didn’t pass.”
“Fucking Mick,” I laugh through the few tears that refuse to stay in my eyeballs. “Of course he did. Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
“Well, it wasn’t Mickey initially; it was Finn. He saw what your sister was doing, and it was important to them to back it. But it’s time you celebrateyourwin.”
“My win?”
“Yes,” he chuckles. “You gave us our first woman in the Oval. Celebrate. But maybe you shouldn’t have suggested to a presidential candidate that vibrating toys could be fun during an acceptance speech.”
“What are you talking about?” I glance over at Jaclyn, who’s struggling more than usual with her delivery. As I look to the other side of the stage, Ileah is fiddling with what looks like some sort of remote. “Fuck! You have to know I had nothing to do with this. It has Evie or Alex written all over it.”
“Let them have their fun. It could always be worse.” His phone continues lighting up with news alerts, and all levity is lost in an instant.
“What’s wrong?”
“I spoke too soon.” Ned shows me the headline, and my heart leaps into my throat.
“It’s not possible. We took care of it.”
“This is what I get for outsourcing someone to clean up a Gallagher mess,” he growls to himself.
