4 years later…

Both of them were apprehensive about going anywhere near Seabrook. Bree and Bonzo had shown them a quaint little neighborhood a half hour outside of Seabrook where they lived. It was in a whole different city but wasn't too far from where they grew up, where Addison's parents were. "And the storage unit where I put everything," Zed said.

And by everything he did mean everything. There were boxes filled with baby pictures and toys of Zed and Zoey and everything they owned. It was like the Necrodopolus house had been crammed into a storage unit.

"I thought you just threw all this stuff out," Addison said in disbelief.

"I sold anything I didn't care about," Zed said with a shrug. "But I didn't want to lose any of Zoey's stuff. Or, you know, some of my things. The baby stuff. All of it, I couldn't just get rid of but I also didn't want to carry it with me."

"At least we don't have to buy too much new stuff," Addison said. "Furniture wise and baby wise."

"Ah yes, let's reuse the old baby stuff from my childhood when we were too poor to even afford diapers."

"I don't like your attitude, husband," Addison pointed out.

Zed just smiled sweetly at her. "My apologies, dear wife."

Addison blew him a kiss before returning to rummaging around in the box before her. "I mean, look at these baby toys. And these baby books they're all in Zombie Tongue. Immersion in the language at a young age always helps."

"It's a very complex language," Zed stated.

"Twenty-three different words for 'brains'," Addison said with a laugh.

"You can't even speak Zombie Tongue," Zed pointed out.

"Complex language, husband," Addison stated. "No judgement, okay."

"Of course. Baby steps."

Addison smiled. "Where's Zander?" she asked. "I mean, I haven't gone through many boxes but I don't think he's here."

"You're right. I think Bonzo had him last."

"I guess I know where we're going next."

Zed shook his head. "We need groceries, remember?"

"Then…I'll go to Bree's and you buy groceries," Addison said with a grin. "Sounds like a deal!"

Zed chuckled and shook his head. "You are such a delight, Addy."

When Addison went to Bree's, she was moderately surprised to see Eliza there. Sure, her and Eliza had talked a few months after Addison got back with Zed and they had made up, and Eliza had even bee in Addison's wedding. But Eliza tended to keep out of the fifty mile radius of Seabrook.

Of course, Eliza was still Eliza. The minute Addison let herself in (with the key Bree had given her when they came back) and found her three friends in the living room, Eliza sized her up and whistled lowly. "Someone's pretty big," Eliza pointed out.

"Really. I had no idea." Addison deadpanned. "I wasn't expecting you here."

"You're due soon and I didn't plan on missing the birth of my goddaughter."

"You aren't the godmother and we don't know the gender." Addison sat down between Bree and Eliza.

"Whatever," Eliza said.

"What brings you here?" Bree asked.

Addison looked over at Bonzo and asked, "I wanted to see if Bonzo still has Zander. I mean, it's fine if you don't, but we were going through all of Zed's old stuff earlier and…"

Bonzo just reached into a cabinet and pulled out the stuffed dog with a proud grin. Addison beamed at him. "I can't believe you held onto this."

Bonzo smiled sheepishly. "Ig znek Zebala zijn zugaluh," he said. Addison grinned at him. She was still a little rusty with her Zombie Tongue, but she was pretty sure he'd said something along the lines of knowing Zed would be back.

"Are you sure I can take it?" Addison asked.

"Addy, it's not even his. It was Zoey's." Bree said. "Plus I know that Zander will make you and Zed and the baby very happy!"

Addison giggled and blushed. Bonzo offered Zander to her and she took ahold of the stuffed dog. "Zo kuig?" Bonzo asked.

Addison laughed and held the stuffed dog tightly. "I can't tell you, B! I gotta go now but thanks for giving me Zander."

"Of course," Bree said. "Just make sure I'm the first person to know when your little girl is born!"

Addison rolled her eyes. "You can't fool me. The only person who knows is the doctor who is also sworn to secrecy."

"Why would you ever want to be surprised with the gender?" Eliza asked in judgement.

Addison shrugged. "I can't explain myself to you. But I should probably head home, Zed's waiting."

Addison found Zed at the cemetery instead of home or even at the grocery store. She saw his car in the lot and pulled over. He was sitting on the ground, staring at Zoey's head stone when she found him. He lifted his head and smiled sadly at her.

"It's been a while since I've been here," he stated. "How about you?"

"What?"

"When was the last time you came to see Zoey?"

"A few years ago, like a few months before you came," Addison said. "Can I just ask if you even went to the grocery store?"

Zed laughed lightly and shook his head. "I got distracted. How did you know I'd be here?"

Addison shrugged. "I was going to see my parents," she said honestly. "I guess we both made tiny detours."

After a silent minute, Zed asked, "Are you gonna stay? You can sit if you'd like."

"I wanna stay, but I doubt I could get back up without being severely embarrassed."

Zed laughed and shook his head. "That's why you have such a handsome and amazing husband to help you."

"Alright, you gotta help me down too," Addison said. "Very pregnant here."

Zed laughed again, more calmly and quieter than before. He helped her to sit on the ground beside him, then wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his side. "I love you," he said softly. "Have I told you today?"

Addison nodded as she nuzzled her head on his shoulder. "I still like to hear it though."

"I wanna make sure I say it as much as I can," he told her. "You are the love of my life, Addison. And I am so happy that I get to spend the rest of my life with you."

Addison giggled and turned her head up to smile at him. "Sounds like your wedding vows," she said with a smile. "I know you love me, Zed. I love you."

Zed smiled softly and kissed the side of her head. "I know," he said softly. "I just…I still get scared that you'll get tired of my bullshit."

"Don't worry. We're married, so we get to deal with each other's bullshit and get over it. I'm rooting for us, ya know."

Zed laughed softly. He moved his other hand to rest on her belly and hummed the melody to Someday. "Do you ever wonder what it would be like if Zoey were alive?"

"We'd have been married a while ago," Addison stated. "Probably have a kid already."

"What? Addy, we're twenty-six."

Addison shrugged. "You were so infatuated with me, man. You would've put a ring on it by at least twenty. We'd get married after college, twenty-two or twenty-three. At the pace we already went, we'd be having a baby not long after."

"I-I guess you have a point." Zed sighed and Addison reached over to hold onto his shoulder.

"Hey, I don't regret the life we've got," she said. "We're together, and that's all that matters. Don't think about the 'what-if's', just think about now. And the future."

Zed nodded and Addison kissed his cheek lovingly. She got an idea and smiled slightly. "I have the gender envelope. We could open it, with Zoey here."

Zed brightened up and smiled at her in wonder. "Really? I thought we were gonna keep it a secret?"

Addison shrugged. "I never really cared, honestly. It's why I have it, in case you changed your mind."

He nodded at her and she pulled it from the pocket or her jacket, handing the envelope to him.

A few more years later…

There was a rule in the Necrodopolus house: at least five pages a day of a book per person. Even if Addison or Zed had to help their daughter read, it needed to be five pages at the least.

Of course, Angelica Zoey Necrodopolus liked to finish the books in one day with her mom or dad reading with her. In June Addison read to her everyday. June was the hardest month of the year for Zed. He spent nearly the whole month locked in his bedroom, away from his family.

Angelica was five now and curious and cognisant. She could tell something was up with her father, after six days of being standoffish and moody. Zed always jumped at the opportunity to read to her and yet he was off in his room, doing who knows what.

When Angelica asked, Addison had to explain to her what had happened all those years ago. It didn't hurt as much as it did before. And death wasn't a new concept to her daughter; Mufasa had died and Tiana's father died, Ellie had died. Literally all the children movies she had seen had involved a character death. And Addison had to explain what happened to Auntie Bree's baby (stillborn).

The only difference was that Angelica had gotten to know those people and Zoey was just a story. Addison made sure to tell her that Zoey had owned Zander. "Your daddy loves his little sister, and it hurts him a lot when he thinks of her and when she died," Addison said.

"Do you think if I make him cookies he'll feel better?"

She didn't want to lie and say yes but she knew Zed wasn't in the cookies mood. Then she thought of something else, something that might make him feel better. He'd always told her that Angelica reminded him so much of Zoey.

Five minutes later, Angelica was walking into her parent's bedroom. Zed looked up at her and raised an eyebrow. "Hey Angel," he greeted. When he noticed her rocking on her heels nervously, he asked, "What's up?"

"I asked Mommy for a puppy," she said. "She said no. She said you could pretend to be my puppy until I'm old enough. She said you used to play puppy with your little sister until she got a puppy. Will you play puppy with me Daddy?"

Zed looked at her in surprise. Addison, watching from the doorway, didn't know what he was thinking. Hopefully he wasn't angry or upset.

"Of course," Zed agreed hesitantly. He caught Addison's eye and slowly smiled. "Do you know how to play?" he asked his daughter without breaking eye contact with Addison.

Angelica nodded. "Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy!" She wasn't Zoey, not in the slightest. But this was a good reminder of her still.