Epilogue

"UNCLE PAPA,do you really have to go?" Carl asked, looking up at him with those big blue eyes. Lucas knew the five-year-old had him wrapped around his little finger. Damn, every time he called him that, Lucas wanted to give the little scamp anything he wanted.

"I do, buddy. They need me back in Hollywood because tomorrow is the opening of Superboy 2 and everyone wants to see me fly again." He turned to Matthew, who nodded.

"I'm gonna miss you," Carl said, running over for a hug, which Lucas readily gave.

"But you don't have to." He lifted Carl into his arms. "Because you're all going with me. Uncle Daddy wanted it to be a surprise. We have to leave in an hour. Uncle Daddy already packed your stuff."

Carl put his arms around his neck. "Really?" He fidgeted, and when Lucas put him down, Carl ran out and down to his room under the stairs. Lucas had originally thought it would make a good workout room and office for him, but it ended up as Carl's bedroom so that he would be on the same level as him and Matthew.

"We're really going to a movie premiere?" Gregory asked.

Matthew grinned. Lucas loved making him smile. Nothing set his heart racing like that expression. It had for the past year, and Lucas hoped to get that reaction for the rest of their lives. "Yes. Lucas and I already worked it all out, and since the last day of school was yesterday, we're going to spend two weeks at the house in LA. Lucas has the premiere and some work to do, and then we're all going to Disneyland."

Carl came back, and Lucas doubled over. He'd pulled on his arm swimmies. "I'm ready to go." The water in early June wasn't warm enough to swim in, but apparently their own water baby remembered about the pool.

"I already packed your suit and a set of swimmies for you to take, and everything else you'll need. So put those back so you have them when we get home." Matthew could be stern, where Lucas just couldn't seem to manage it. "Rachel will be back in a few minutes, and we need to be ready. So get your shoes on and light jackets. She's going to drive us to the airport, and then we'll be on our way." Rachel had taken a job providing security for the house here in Michigan, as well as keeping their family safe in LA. Definitely a full-time job. The kids all took off to make sure they had everything, and Matthew moved into Lucas's arms.

"You owe me twenty bucks," Matthew said. "I kept it a secret and even managed to pack for them without giving it away." He smiled, and Lucas kissed him hard, wanting more but unable to have it right now.

"I owe you a heck of a lot more than that." The past year had been amazing. Lucas had spent more time away than he wanted, but after a lot of work and flights home whenever he could, his schedule was manageable now, and he spent more time at home. There were a lot of work sessions and Zoom conferences, but he could live with those as long as once they were over, he got to walk out of the office he'd added to the side of the house and be with Matthew and the kids. He had previously lived for his career. Now he had something much more important to spend his time and energy on.

"Rachel is here," Brianna reported as she hurried back. To his surprise, the kids were dressed and ready, except for Carl, who had decided he was hot and returned in only his underwear. Matthew got him dressed again while Lucas and the others helped Rachel load the car. Then Lucas, Matthew, and their entire family set off on a new adventure. Hollywood needed to look out, because the Reardon-Wilsons were coming, and the town was never going to be the same.