AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Epilogue
Casey
Three years later
I’mtappingmyfootfrantically against the floor of the car when Emmett’s hand comes down onto my knee, forcing me to stop. I chuckle and give him a small smile. “Sorry, I’m just excited. She loves the place, and I have no doubt Jasper will too.”
When we first came to look at the house, Everly was with us and squealed at the large backyard. She’s been asking for a puppy, so it didn’t surprise me that she started pointing out everywhere he or she could run while running through the grass herself. A puppy is a long way away right now, and I’m sure she’ll understand that later on.
Emmett pulls into the long driveway, which is closed off with a large iron gate, and slowly inches closer to the house. I’m not one for extravagant purchases, preferring to focus on things we actually need, but this is one thing I’ll never regret getting. My lips tip into a wide smile as we come to a stop in front of our new house, the dark green looking beautiful against the pale morning sky.
Everly giggles behind us and claps her hands. “We’re here, we’re here!” She tries to push on her straps to unlatch them but fails and looks ahead of her with a frown. “Daddy, I need help.”
Emmett leans forward and gives me a quick kiss on the lips before slipping out of the car and opening the back door on Everly’s side. It’s not the least bit surprising that Everly is a daddy’s girl, always wanting his help with everything, falling asleep on him most of the time. I cherish being able to watch them together and love every minute of it.
While he pulls her toward the front door, I hop out of the car and reach for Jasper who’s fast asleep in his own car seat. He was the perfect and final addition to our family. I smile when he scrunches his nose as I lift him up, then rests his head on my chest without popping even one eye open. Everly rushes through the front door ahead of Emmett, excited to finally be in the home she fell in love with a few months ago, and I shake my head at her energy. I’m not sure where this girl gets it, but it’s definitely not from me. The gravel crunching under tires forces me to glance up, and I wave at my brother’s car as he pulls next to ours. He’s helping us get some things situated in the house today.
He groans as he lifts from the car, shielding his eyes with the back of his hand, and I roll my eyes at him. “Seriously, are you ever not hungover anymore?”
Dominic narrows his eyes at me, not uttering a single word, and pushes past me into the house. “Where’s my favorite niece?”
Everly gets a kick out of this every time he says it, mainly because she’s excited to be his favorite… even though she’s his only niece. She’ll figure that out later on, though. I watch as my brother spins her around until both of them are dizzy, then he tries walking with her through the house and almost stumbles into the staircase.
I walk through the opened door and shut it softly behind me, not wanting to wake Jasper, and smile at my brother for a brief moment. “Maybe you should have your own.”
He shakes his head dramatically. “I’ll stick to seeing your kids every other day, that’s good enough for me. I’m not father material anyway.”
Emmett comes into the living room with two bottles of cold beer, handing one over to Dominic, but he pulls it back when I clear my throat and glare at him. He clears his throat and runs a hand through his hair, giving Dominic a nervous chuckle. “The wife has spoken, sorry man.”
Dominic growls in frustration and spins to face me. “I’m the older sibling, perfectly capable of making my own decisions.”
“When you aren’t drunk every single day, then you can make your own decision. Until then, you’ve got me to do it for you.” I’m not sure what’s been up with him the last few months, but all he does is drink his life away now, and it hurts seeing him like this all the time.
He doesn’t answer, only goes back to playing with Everly on the living room floor while giving his back to me. I jump when Emmett’s arm comes down over my shoulders, and he sighs. “He’s okay, baby, just give him some time to figure it out.”
“How long do you think that will take?”
He shrugs. “As long as it needs to. Let’s focus on our family, though, okay?” He presses his lips against my forehead before he walks into the living room and lifts Everly from the ground. She smiles brightly when he places her on his lap, giving him a kiss on the cheek before talking eagerly to her uncle.
Meanwhile, Jasper is still passed out on my chest. I run my finger over the soft patch of hair on his head and give him a tender kiss, smiling at the family I’ve created. This is all I’ve ever wanted, and I couldn’t be happier.
***
Emmett
Everly rushes ahead of me, laughing as I chase after her through the backyard, and pulling at the t-shirt I’m wearing.
“Give up!” she squeals from the swingset I built a couple weeks ago.
“Never!” I say with a smile, loving this game we’ve been playing. She thinks I’m losing, but I’m winning as long as her giggles continue piercing through the night.
“Everly,” Casey says from the back porch, Jasper resting in the crook of her arm. “It’s time for bed, sweetie, tell your dad goodnight.”
Everly groans, but rushes over to me for a hug and kiss. “Love you, daddy. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, pretty girl.” I follow her inside and hold my arms out for our son, letting Casey take over the nightly duties for tonight. We normally go back and forth with the duties – she stayed up all night with Jasper last night, so it’s my turn to take over tonight. Same thing goes for Everly, since I put her to bed the night before, Casey will put her down tonight.
Jasper lets out a small whimper, and then he tucks himself into my chest until he’s comfortable enough, and I smile down at him. This boy could sleep all day but ends up being up for most of the night. He really loves messing with our sleep schedules.
