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Tears are filling my eyes as I listen to how my girl spent the past decade thinking about me. Wanting me. I hate that she was sad but I feel relief knowing that I was as engrained in her story as she was in mine. We were meant to be together. Even with the distance and the pain…through every fucking challenge.
“I never stopped looking,” I croak, my voice cracking, “I wanted to know where she was. I needed it but I never found her. I was so angry…at her. I thought she just left me.”
Spencer gives me a soft knowing smile, “But now you know. She doesn't blame you for being mad…she understands.”
I let out a humorless laugh, “Of course she does. She doesn't have a mean bone in her body.”
If there is one thing I know for absolutely certain it's that Dakota is the best person I know. She doesn't harbor anger or resentment. She lives in the present. She loves and loves hard. I'm one of the lucky few in this life who gets to experience her loyalty. I won't take that for granted.
He chuckles and clasps a hand on my shoulder, his tone completely serious, “If you hurt her, I’ll fucking kill you.”
I nod and make sure my words come out completely serious, “I’ll let you.”
“I’m glad you’re here, Wolf,” he says earnestly, “I can't think of a better man for my sister.”
Just as Spencer turns to go, my sunshine walks into the kitchen. Her smile drops when she sees my red-rimmed eyes but I smile at her. Because I'm not sad, I'm just…overwhelmed. Overflowing with love for this woman. Drowning in regret that I know I will need to let go of. It’s a lot to deal with, especially when you just spent an entire decade pretending you didn’t have any fucking emotions at all.
She gives Spencer a tight smile and makes her way to me, throwing her arms around her waist. And resting her head against my chest.
“Are you okay?” She asks softly. I could laugh at that. I should be asking her, making sure she is handling everything that happened. But in true Dakota fashion, she is worried about me.
“More than okay,” I whisper, gripping her chin and tilting her head up toward mine, “I love you, sunshine.”
Her smile practically lights up the world as she whispers back, “I love you more.”
We seal our words with a kiss. Soft and delicate. It's everything to me. In this kiss, there's no beginning or end, just the eternal now that holds every promise, every whisperedI love you, every silent vow made in the quiet of our hearts. It's a promise of everything we are to each other.
As we pull away, the world comes back into focus, sharper and more vivid than before. But it's a world forever changed, painted in the hues of our love. She’s mine and I am hers.
Forever.
Epilogue
Dakota - Three Years Later
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” - Helen Keller
There are moments that stand out in life, threads of gold woven into the fabric of our existence, marking the milestones that define us. For us, those moments seemed to unfurl in quick succession.
We got married shortly after settling into a normal life. Right there in the cabin that brought us back together, we said our vows. We had the people we love the most surrounding us as we promised to spend the rest of our lives together. It was simple, marked by the laughter of our friends who became family and family who had stood by us through the hardest times. There was a rightness to it all, a sense that everything we had been through, every challenge we had faced, had led us to this moment, this commitment to each other, to our family, to a future we would build together.
Spencer, Maddox, and Wolf started a private security firm called Midnight Security. They decided to take on jobs that are difficult, with people who need protecting. Some of them are abused victims running from shitty relationships…some of themare being stalked. It doesn’t really matter…the guys have taken on the task of protecting those that they can. I couldn’t be more proud.
The same day that they opened the doors to Midnight was also the day that two little pink lines showed up on the test. The day I realized that my love with Damian had decided to sprout in the form of a little life.
Days spent with Aiden talking to my belly, overjoyed with the idea of being a brother. Moments spent with Wolf rubbing my stomach and staring at me with love-filled eyes. Doctors visited where we got to hear the beating heart of our child. Gifts being showered on us from Maddox…Sebastian…and Spencer. All three of them chose to start over, to create a life here in Colorado with us. All those things led us to this moment.
“Push!” The doctor orders from between my legs where he is staring at my vagina which feels like it is being torn in half.
I’m already in love our daughter…but right now she fucking sucks. Wolf is holding my sweaty hand beside me, his face unable to be stoic. He’s got the biggest grin on his face as he waits for me to give birth to our little princess. He’s been by my side since my water broke, rushing around like a goddamn headless chicken. You’d think the guy could handle the stress but I swear he was having a panic attack.
Maddox and Sebastian had rushed to the hospital and are sitting in the waiting room with Aiden. Wolf’s parents, who have become parents to me and loving grandparents to Aid, are on their way. They have taken on the role of in-laws in a way I never expected. I have text chains with my mother-in-law and my father-in-law. They fly out regularly to see us and I feel like I gained real parents.
Spencer is on my other side, holding my hand like he did when I had Aiden. Wolf and I knew that we wanted him herewith us. He deserved to be a part of bringing her into the world especially after he stood by me during Aiden’s entrance.
Wolf had said he wanted Spencer here to make sure he knew he waswanted. He didn't want Spencer to feel like he was standing beside me last time out of only necessity.
I swear my love for this man grows more and more every single day.
