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He smirks. “What was that about perfect?”
EPILOGUE
FIVE YEARS LATER
Miles
I sit in the yard, smiling across at Noah. He’s watching Jack and Isaac kick the soccer ball around.
Isaac—Noah’s adopted son, my nephewandcousin—was the perfect addition to our family. They adopted him when he and Jack were two years old, and they’re having so much fun growing up together.
Sadie sits at my feet, our three-year-old playing with her building blocks. Beside me, Layla sits with her hand resting on her belly, a contented smile on her face. I’m still reeling from the news, in the best possible way, that we’ve got another little bundle of joy coming to join us soon.
From behind us, in the house, Tess and Elena laugh together. Sebastian’s laughter joins them a moment later. There’s quite the story between Tess and Sebastian. He was her dad’s best friend. I remember the drama the night before Tess told her dad, with Layla filling me in on all the details and the happiness which came after, especially recently when Tess discovered she was pregnant.
“Room for one more,sis?” Elena says, walking into the yard and grinning down at Layla.
Layla shuffles up the three-seater. “You’re never going to get tired of that joke, are you?”
Elena laughs. “It’s not a joke. Youaremy sister-in-law.”
Layla chuckles, throwing me a look. I return her gaze, though staring at her for too long is difficult. She’s already getting the pregnancy glow again. She’s cut her hair into a stylish bob and is wearing a summer dress that hugs her curvy body perfectly. She’s become more beautiful with each child, and her body has become curvier, more enthralling.
“Daddy,” Jack says, rushing over. “Can we go in the pool soon? Please?”
Layla arches her eyebrow with a knowing curve to her lips. She told me it would only be a matter of time before they wanted to swim and splash around.
“Okay, but only if you race me.”
“Daddy, run, Daddy!” Sadie giggles behind me as I climb to my feet and race across the yard.
Jack and Isaac follow close behind, laughing, their happiness infusing me as always. When I leap into the air, Jack yells and then jumps in after me as I rise to the surface.
I look over at the others, Tess with her hand wrapped around Sebastian, the other on her belly, resting there just as Layla rests her hand on her soon-to-be bump.
Then Jack leaps onto my back, wrapping his arms around me. “I got ya, Daddy.”
“We’ll see about that, little man.”
“Let me help!” Isaac yells.
Isaac jumps and latches onto my arm, and I roar, carrying them around the pool. A moment later, Noah climbs to his feet.
“Better watch out. I’ve got backup.”
Isaac lets me go, paddling across the pool. “Yeah, Daddy! Help us!”
“Helpyou?” Noah laughs, making monster noises of his own. “I’m here to help my son-in-law!”
I grin at him, and he beams back, water dripping down his face. Gone are the days when we linger in the darkness of our childhood. We talk about it sometimes, but only in passing. Mostly, we’re too filled with the bliss of our lives to think about it.
Noah strides through the water with his hands out toward Isaac.
“Better… start… running.”
“Daddy, no!” Isaac yells in delight.
Noah grabs him, throws him into the air, then catches him in a heap of giggles.
