Epilogue

EPILOGUE

AIDAN

Four years into this whirlwind marriage, and I still thank my lucky stars daily. I can hardly believe I ended up here, happily married to the woman who rocked my world and turned my life upside down. Elysa is everything I never knew I wanted, and now that we’ve settled into this chaotic, wild family life, I wouldn’t change a damn thing.

The morning chaos is in full swing as I stumble into the kitchen, bleary-eyed and in need of a caffeine infusion.

Elysa, the saint that she is, lets me sleep in after my monthly poker marathon. She knows I need those precious hours to recover, just like I make sure she gets her sleep after her book club meetings. It's a solid trade-off, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Speaking of her book club, I’ve found myself looking forward to those meetings more than I ever thought possible. It turns out the ladies have a knack for picking spicy stories that light a fire under my wife’s imagination. Watching Elysa dive into those books gives her all sorts of saucy ideas to try out on me, and man, do I love being her guinea pig.

I glance around and see Eli, our three-year-old tornado, making an absolute mess of his breakfast at the table. With his little hands covered in yogurt, he looks up at me with a smug grin plastered across his face. He’s the spitting image of me but with Elysa’s killer charm. The little stinker is brash and exuberant and a perfect mix of mischief and misbehavior.

“Hey, buddy, can we keep the yogurt in the bowl this time?” I grumble, ruffling his tousled hair as I pass. Conversation isn’t a priority during breakfast, so he just giggles, unfazed. I roll my eyes, unable to suppress the affectionate smirk creeping onto my face.

In the corner of the kitchen, Vincent, our fourteen-month-old, sits in his highchair, arms flailing as he tries to get food where it needs to go. “Dada!” he squeals, a sticky fist reaching out toward me.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m on it, champ,” I say with a teasing huff, pouring myself a much-needed cup of coffee.

Elysa emerges from down the hall, her beauty striking me like a two-by-four to the head. With her hair cascading wildly around her shoulders, her casual elegance reminds me what a lucky bastard I am. "Morning, Daddy," she says, and the way she grins sets my heart racing. My goddamn cock should be down for the count after the early morning workout we had, but the fucker is never satisfied when my wife is around.

"Mornin', baby girl," I reply, my usual gruff tone softening under the weight of my love for her. "You look stunning, as always. My heart can’t take it."

She rolls her eyes playfully. "Flattery gets you everywhere, Steele. Now help me wrangle these two before they turn the kitchen into a crime scene."

I chuckle, instantly obeying her command. This is us: partners in the mess of parenting, navigating life one sticky finger and spilled bowl at a time. As I help get Vincent’s breakfast sorted, I glance over at my stunning wife and wonder how I got so goddamn lucky.

Back when she first challenged my grumpiness with that fiery spirit of hers, it felt impossible to imagine life having anything but endless business meetings and lonely nights. Now, I’m a husband and a father, a guy who comes home to the greatest chaos and warmth, and I love every goddamn second of it.

But lately, I’ve come to the conclusion I need one more thing to make my life complete—I want a little girl, someone who looks just like her mother, with those cornflower blue eyes that can bring you to your knees and draw you in all at once. I can already see her tiny hands and hear her giggles flowing through this home. The fantasy warms me from the inside out, fueling the desire deep within.

“What do you think about adding another little one to our crew?” I call, trying to sound casual and smooth, not fooling my wife in the least. She knows me better than I know myself.

She turns to me, eyebrows shooting up in surprise, but there’s a soft smile tugging at her lips. “Another baby?”

“Yeah. But I want a girl this time,” I say, confident the universe will grant my request. “I want a mini-you running around here. We already have our sons to help me keep all the little bastards away from her, so it’s the perfect fucking time.”

Elysa’s laughter, light yet tinged with love, fills the kitchen. “I love the idea. It would be great to have an ally to help me deal with all the testosterone in this house.”

“Then it’s a win-win situation for both of us.” I pull her curvy body against mine, causing electricity to flow down my spine.

The moment Elysa agrees to the idea of having a little girl, a pulse of exhilaration races through me. It's like a lightbulb has sparked in my chest, illuminating everything I've ever wanted while wrapping it in the warmth of her smile. I catch her eye, and the world around us fades away, leaving just us, two hearts tethered by shared dreams and undying love.