Epilogue 2 - Natalie

5 Years Later

"Mama, Mama!" The excited squeals of my three-year-old daughter, Amélie, echo through the house. I look up from my laptop just in time to see her bounding into the kitchen, her chubby little legs moving as fast as they can.

"What is it, sweetie?" I ask, scooping her up into my arms and peppering her face with kisses.

"Papa"s home!" she announces gleefully, pointing toward the front door.

Sure enough, a moment later Luc walks in, looking as handsome as ever in his suit. Even after five years of marriage, the sight of him still makes my heart skip a beat.

"There are my girls," he grins, crossing the room to give me a kiss.

Amélie squirms in my arms, reaching for her daddy. "Papa, up!"

Luc laughs, taking her from me and tossing her up in the air, much to her delight. "How"s my little princess today?"

As I watch them together, my heart swells with love. Luc is such an amazing father, just as I always knew he would be. He"s patient, loving, and always ready for a game of make-believe or a tea party.

"How was your day?" I ask him as he settles Amélie on his hip.

"Good. Productive. We finalized the plans for the new youth hockey program."

Since retiring from professional hockey at the ripe old age of thirty-eight last year, Luc has thrown himself into coaching and mentorship. He"s passionate about giving back to the community and helping young players achieve their dreams.

"That"s fantastic, honey. The kids are going to love it."

He smiles, his eyes crinkling at the corners in that way I adore. "What about you? How"s the new menu coming along?"

I glance back at my laptop, which displays the half-finished menu for my newest restaurant venture. "It"s getting there. I"m stuck on the dessert course, but I"ll figure it out."

"You always do," Luc says confidently. "You"re the most talented chef I know."

I lean in to kiss him, my heart full. "Thank you, baby."

Just then, the oven timer dings. "Oh! That"ll be the lasagna."

Luc sets Amélie down. "Why don"t you go wash up for dinner, princess? Mama and I will get everything ready."

As she scampers off, I move to the oven, pulling out the bubbling dish of lasagna. Luc comes up behind me as I set it down to cool, wrapping his arms around my waist and hooking his chin over my shoulder.

"Smells delicious," he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my neck. "Just like you."

I giggle, shooting him a playful glare over my shoulder. "You"re just saying that because I literally smell like this lasagna."

"Well, that certainly doesn"t hurt," he replies, his grin as wicked as always.

Dinner is a warm, lively affair, just the three of us at our oversized kitchen table. Amélie chattering on about her day at preschool, Luc and I chipping in with stories from our own days. It"s ordinary, but it"s ours, and I love everything about it.

I squeeze Luc"s hand under the table, overcome with gratitude for the beautiful life we"ve built together. Who could have predicted my stubborn heart would be captured by the very hockey player I used to crush over and never thought I'd come close to landing? Yet here we are, five years of marriage, a hockey career, a growing restaurant empire and a baby girl later, still laughing over dinner and stealing kisses in the kitchen. Not many people get to say this, but my life is perfect. And I can't wait to spend the rest of making memories with the wonderful man by my side.