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Epilogue

Penelope – Two Years Later

I grin and stand as Taylor skates onto the ice, the crowd going wild while Hudson cheers, banging on the glass, trying to get his daddy’s attention but not realizing he can’t hear him.

I gently place my hand on his head and watch Taylor skates around the rink before stopping near our box and raising his hockey stick. This makes our three-year-old little boy squeal, “Daddy!”

Taylor grins and presses his hand on his heart then kisses two fingers. He lifts them my way as he normally does before a game, causing the crowd to go crazy.

I kiss two fingers and hold them back, my engagement and wedding rings shining in the light.

Taylor and I married two years ago today after he and his team won the Stanley Cup, and I haven’t looked back.

I've been with him for nearly three years, and I still react the same way I did when we first met. He still makes my stomach flutter and my pulse race, and he’s still the person I want to see when I wake up and go to sleep.

He’s my everything.

“The press are having a field day,” my dad mutters to Nico. “They seem to think the Red Lions will lose the cup this year, that their three-year reign is done.”

I smirk because I know for a fact that my husband will not allow his team to lose today. That cup will stay where it belongs for the third year.

“Momma, it’s my turn with Rose,” Kaylah whines, and I see her trying to take my one-year-old daughter from her mother.

“Nah, uh, it’s my turn, Kay,” Hannah says, doting on her niece, making my heart soften.

Last year, she found out she couldn’t have any more kids naturally, so she and Ezra are looking into surrogacy. Even though she wasn’t sure she could cope with seeing someone else carry their child, they’ve gone through with the process and are expecting a baby with their surrogate which made it a lot easier to announce our news – I’m currently twenty weeks because apparently, my husband can’t help but keep knocking me up despite me trying to advance my career.

My dad convinced me to go back to school and become a Nurse Practitioner, something I have wanted to do for so long. So now I’m trying to navigate being a mom of two, being pregnant, and going to school. Though Taylor has been amazing despite his training and the games, he’s been there for me, he’s been my rock. He was all for me going back to school, but that may be because I don’t have to work anywhere near Doctor James.

Despite nearly losing his job and somewhat changing his ways regarding women, Taylor still hates him with a passion.

Shaking my head at mother and daughter arguing over my little girl, I return to the game just in time to see the puck drop. Taylor grabs it instantly, causing Hudson to cheer as Dylan lifts him up to give him a better view, and I smile as his wedding ring is in full view.

With Xanthe, he didn’t wear one, refused actually, but with Bella, he’s obsessed.

He met the pretty brunette last year. She’s a librarian who had no idea who he was. He married her after six months, refusing to let her slip away. Last month, she gave birth to their son Cannon, who is currently in Crissy’s arms while she keeps an eye on Hudson, Kaylah and Rose being the amazing grandmother that she is.

“Have you heard from your sister?” my dad asks as he stands beside me, and I gently rub my growing bump.

“Yesterday, she called and wished Taylor luck today,” I admit, and he nods.

“She’s doing the right thing,” he mumbles, trying to ease himself.

I agree, “She is dad and Tony understands.”

He nods but doesn’t say anything else.

Four months ago, she and Tony got into an argument, and she ended up asking him if he was going to hit her, but not in a scary way. She asked sarcastically and actually goaded him.

Apparently, it wasn’t the first time she brought it up; several times, she kept stating that he and Harry, who is currently serving time after nearly killing his fuck buddy, shared the same blood during arguments when she didn’t get her own way, and it killed him.

He ended up moving in with us for a little while and demanded she get help, or she’d lose him. She’s been in a therapeutic center five hours away for two months so far, not willing to lose Tony, who goes to visit her often, not able to stay away from his wife for too long.

“I promise Dad, he understands. He sees her regularly, and they’re talking about traveling between games before settling down with kids. He doesn’t see a future without her,” I reassure him, and he nods and wraps his arm around my waist. I lean into him as he kisses my head and watch Taylor kick-ass, knowing my sister will be just fine. The fact she actually went and got help, proves that.

“Daddy, where’s daddy?!” Hudson complains in the crowd of reporters and fans, and I gently run my fingers through his hair as I gently jiggle Rose on my hip to keep her happy.

“He’ll be out in a moment, Huddy,” I mumble, ignoring the women's stares.

They hate that Taylor and I have lasted, heck, some still hit on him even with me here, but Taylor only has eyes for one girl, and that’s me.

Rose begins to get unsettled, I tense up, hoping I don’t have a screaming kid on my hands. None of the family has come down here this time, knowing I want to wait for Taylor alone, except for Kaylah, who wants to see her daddy when the door to the locker room opens.

I grin when Taylor walks out first with the cup, and Hudson runs over to him, screaming, “Daddy!”

He picks him up, and flashes go off but Hudson ignores them and gently places his palm on the cup like he has done for the past two years prior, and my eyes soften as I walk over to them. Taylor looks up when I’m close, and instead of smiling, he narrows his eyes and states, “You should not be carrying her Firecracker.” The paparazzi all chuckle, knowing how protective he is of me.

Last year, Elena tried to get early parole, earlier than the judge agreed on, and Taylor went in guns blazing.

Safe to say she didn’t get out, and the press had a field day over the whole situation.

“She isn’t heavy,” I say but he shakes his head and then hands the cup to a grinning Ezra as Kalyah runs into his arms. She copies Hudson and gently touches it, making me smile.

Ezra adopted Kaylah about six months ago and their relationship is amazing. The fact that they have a baby on the way, not how they expected it but on the way none the less, is only going to bring them closer and I can’t wait to watch their family grow.

Taylor takes Rose off me, who grins instantly, I chuckle and press against him as he holds our kids.

“Congratulations, Tay,” I murmur, and he grins and replies, “Thanks, Firecracker. " Then he leans down and kisses me gently.

Flashes surround us, but we ignore them and I pull back a little and lock my eyes on this man.

“Do you want to go out and celebrate with your team?” I ask, still smiling. He shrugs and then admits, “I’d rather order pizza, put the kids to bed, and have a nice hot bath with my wife.”

Everything softens inside me, and I nod, knowing that is exactly what I wanted and that I didn’t have to drag him away from his team when they’ve just won the Stanley Cup before pushing up on my tiptoes and kissing him again. This time harder as I grip his jersey before I pull back and whisper, “Then let’s go home,” and he nods. His eyes full of love and with Ezra following behind us holding Kaylah and the cup, we walk through the crowd, ignoring all the questions from the press.

Meeting Taylor at the bar, I never imagined this was how my life was going to go. My plan was to leave New York behind me, but instead, I fell in lust, feeling a connection like no other. Got pregnant and then fell madly in love, and now I have everything I’ve ever wanted, something I never thought I would get.

Life is going in the right direction. My parents and I are closer, my sister is healing and planning a trip with her husband before starting a family, my kids are healthy and happy, and my husband is my universe.

What more could a girl want?

Hmm, maybe two more kids and a dog…