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EPILOGUE TWO

Five Years Later

The house is silent, and I know why. Taylor sent our three children to Athanasios and Brooklyn’s place because she wants us to have a “date night,” as she calls our breaks from the kids.

I take a few steps toward our suite, and along the way, I step on a rubber duck belonging to my youngest daughter, Casey. She, along with Betina and my middle son, Dean, cause chaos wherever they go.

Five years later, I’m living a life I never imagined possible.

Instead of the perfectly polished furniture from my old apartment, there are toys scattered everywhere, and sometimes you’ll find just one slipper instead of a pair.

Instead of crystal glasses, we have plenty of plastic cups with straws strewn about, even on my desk in our home office.

Vacations are also chaotic. We need to organize a veritable army of babysitters to manage it all.

In the past, if someone had told me that one day I’d want a life like this, I would have called them crazy.

Now, if anyone dared to stand in my way and threaten to take any one of them from me, I’d kill them without a second thought.

A year ago, Maryann passed away, and our family now consists of just the five of us: me, my wife, and our three children.

I haven’t spoken to my mother since, because she refuses to acknowledge Taylor or the kids. Anyone who denies my family is denying me as well.

Finally, I enter the bedroom.

I hear the shower running and smile as I start removing my clothes.

She likes waiting for me like this, almost as a callback to the first time we ever saw each other.

When I step into the bathroom—just like that first time we met—my breath catches at her beauty. “I will never get used to this.”

She glances back at me. “Get used to what, husband?”

“The way you make me feel. You’re like a fever, Taylor.”

She opens her arms, welcoming me. “Call me whatever you want, , just don’t forget that I’m yours.”

THE END!