Epilogue

ARTHUR

"Daddy! Come on!"

I chuckled, tugging the band t-shirt over my button up. Mine was special and had the word manager stamped across the back. I still worked in finance, but as the band got more popular, I was transitioning more and more to managing them full time. The studio had someone who was with them when I wasn't, but they wouldn't sign unless I was in the paperwork as their official manager. I loved it, and I was making plans to join them permanently soon.

"I'm coming, Princess. Did you text Zach?" Malakai's mate was nice enough to agree to watch Sophie during the concert. It wasn't her first, she'd gone to some smaller shows when they were first gaining traction, but they were bigger now, and she wanted a front row view. With Hendrix's friends watching out for her, I felt safe enough to let her stay up front. She was close enough that if there was any trouble, Hendrix could just grab her. He told me that when I mentioned how nervous I was. He always did everything in his power to make sure I was comfortable and happy.

"Yeah, they're already on their way. So we should go!"

Jogging down the stairs, I leaned down to kiss her forehead. "You're antsy today. You know we can't go anywhere until Hendrix comes to get us."

She waved her hand impatiently towards the living room and when I poked my head in, I couldn't help but laugh. He was lounging on the couch like a big cat, completely at ease, like he didn't have a huge concert to play in a little over an hour.

"So you're the reason she's losing it. Shouldn't you be at practice right now?"

"Let out early," he drawled. "Our manager said if we don't relax before a show, we'll overwork ourselves." He followed up with a wink because I was the one who said that. I was mostly backing him up since his bandmates still complained about his meditating, but I waved that away. He was here, and I was always happy to see him. I leaned over the couch, smacking a quick kiss against his lips.

"Alright, handsome. Just let me grab my camera and I'll be ready to go."

He sat up, snagging Sophie around the waist to fix her headband that kept slipping off her head. It lit up and flashed, which would make her easier to find in the crowd once Hendrix was on stage. "Hey, did Francisco talk to you about the next cover?"

We did eventually get the band to Hendrix's spot on the overlook. I was nervous if they'd like the picture, and we mostly just went up there for fun, but the band loved it, and Duncan went behind my back to show the management team above me so they could use it for a cover. Now, their next album was coming up, and the team kept asking me to take more photos for the next one. It made me proud and a little embarrassed.

"Yes, we're working on some ideas. They want to do something artsy, but they want a bunch of candid shots for the booklet and the collector items. I'll probably help with those."

"You can do both, you know!" he called as I walked away to get my camera. I fought back a grin, grabbing the case and a few spare batteries. Last time I got overzealous on the pictures of the band in the dressing room, and my battery died halfway through the concert. When I came back out, Sophie was on Hendrix's back, clinging to him like a koala. She was eleven now, and getting taller every day, but Hendrix and I had the same mindset. Until she asked us to stop, we'd keep picking her up when she wanted us to.

"Daddy!"

"Okay, okay. I'm here. Let's get going."

With one arm tucked behind him to support Sophie, Hendrix wrapped his free arm around me, drawing me in for a kiss. In a blink, we were at the venue for the concert, popping up right on stage. Sophie squealed and slid off Hendrix's back, waving at the staff who were finishing up. They would be letting people in soon, but for now, it was just us on that huge stage. Hendrix looked around, his eyes soft and a little misty.

"Still gets you every time, doesn't it?"

He nodded, leaning his forehead against mine. "Couldn't have gotten here without you."

"I don't believe that for a second."

It was a common argument, and one we would probably never agree on. He thought the opportunities helped him get here, but I knew with time, they would've gotten here eventually. They were just that good.

Hendrix closed his eyes, taking deep breaths. I watched him with a smile, keeping my energy low and calm so he could get in the right mindset for the concert. When his eyes opened again, I raised my eyebrows and grinned.

"Ready?"

"With you here with me? Hell yes."

HENDRIX

Electricity buzzed under my skin as the band and I finished our last song. We did two encores, but they kept shouting for more. Part of me never wanted to stop. But my voice was raw, and I was covered in sweat, and Art would kill me if I didn't take care of myself. I waved and bowed, grinning at Aliyah next to me. She was beaming and flushed from the heat of the lights over us. We made the right choice picking her. She was exactly who the band needed.

Instead of heading off the stage, I went straight for the crowd, putting my hands out for Sophie. She was sitting on Brandon's shoulders, and her lit up headband made her easy to find throughout the concert. She laughed as she got passed along from my friends to security and up to me. I set her on her feet next to me and jerked my chin at the crowd.

"You keep dancing, and this is what you'll see one day."

She laughed, shaking her head. She loved dancing, and it was a good hobby to keep her healthy, but she hadn't decided what she wanted to do yet. She really liked taking pictures with Art and helping him manage the band. She had a lot of options and she was smart enough to do all of it if she wanted to.

Art was waiting for us just off stage, and his smile always made me feel like I was on top of the world. It was better than the concert sometimes, because that smile was just for me. He grabbed my shirt, dragging me closer to plant a kiss on my mouth. The crowd screamed, but we were used to it by now. I had a plan to claim him publicly by proposing on stage, but he beat me to the punch on our one-year anniversary. He came out right as I was singing our song, and I was completely unaware that he was behind me, down on one knee. The crowd's screams were deafening, and when I finally figured it out, I may have accidentally cursed straight into the microphone. I got yelled at by upper management for that, but they let it go after a while. What person wouldn't forget their surroundings when their mate was proposing to them? Now, a year later, neither of us was shy about showing how we felt about each other. And the fans loved it.

With a final wave, I left the stage with my family, Art's arm around my waist and Sophie's hand in mine. It wasn't the dream I ever thought I wanted, but now that I had it, I couldn't be happier.

The band cheered when Sophie darted into the room. She went straight for Aliyah, who was teaching her how to play guitar in her spare time. Those two were close, and Ruby always watched on with a fond smile as they interacted. They weren't ever going to have kids of their own, but they loved being aunts to Sophie and teaching her new instruments. Val was fine with it because at least she was learning when she was with them. She was still a hardass, but she was so busy with her new babies that she wasn't as harsh as before. Between that and a lot of long conversations with Art, she let up a little on Sophie so she could really enjoy her childhood.

"Alright. Where to next?" I asked, pulling Art into my lap as I dropped onto the couch. That got me a lot of stuff thrown at me, and I laughed, using Art as a shield to dodge balled up pieces of paper. Tonight was the last night of our tour and we were all looking forward to a break. We were taking a few months off to work on some new music and just chill. We definitely earned it.

"Actually, I had an idea for that," Art interrupted. The band listened in because, as our manager, he actually had a say in where we were going.

"I know you guys are taking some time off, which is perfect and exactly what I think you should do. But I've been discussing it with upper management and after your break, we were wondering how you'd all feel about an international tour?"

My mouth fell open, and I wasn't alone. We all gaped at him. It almost felt like he wasn't speaking English. Because no way would he have actually said what we think he said.

"Wait… What?" Aliyah asked.

"I told you once that you're going to be big one day. Have I ever lied to you?" Art's smile was proud, and he locked eyes with each of us before he said, "Children of Myth. You're going international."