Epilogue

epilogue

Noah – Ten Years Later

I grin at the crowd, the lights blinding, the noise loud as Diego plays a solo on the drums next to his uncle Cam, who’s there if he needs it.

Eleven years old, a picture of both me and his mom, and fucking amazingly talented. He can drum, guitar, and sing, yet he’s humble, knowing where I came from, and how his mom was brought up, despite having money.

He’s the perfect child, which is good because Caleb, our seven-year-old, is rebellious, just like I was at that age. He keeps us on our toes, and likes to get his five-year-old brother, Tatum, in on his rebellion.

Both boys are spitting images of me, right down to the black hair and dark blue eyes, while our three-year-old daughter, Hope, has my black hair and her mom’s dark green eyes. She is our little princess.

Life has been so fucking good, and I never take it for granted.

Our band has gotten bigger each year, and the tours are tough, but we have love it, and with Rose by my side, who is our main cheerleader, it is fucking amazing.

Today, we’re performing our final concert, and the boys and I have agreed to take a year off to be with our families; our fans are demanding we return, and we will. Heck, the boys bought the houses on either side of mine and Rose’s in Kingstonville to keep us close. We’ll work on new music, just not tour or do interviews.

We’re taking the time off so we can rest and spend time with our families.

While Barnett has settled down, with Natalie no less, marrying her two years after I married Rose in Vegas, where they apparently hooked up and fell pregnant, Cameron has decided to be a bachelor for life after realizing he liked both men and women, not willing to settle for just one, claiming to be the fun uncle to our kids. And I don’t blame him.

To each to their own and all that, as long as he’s happy.

Diego finishes his solo, and the crowd screams while I chuckle into the mic. “If he didn’t look so much like me, you’d think he was Cam’s kid….”

Cam bangs on the drums in agreement while the crowd cheers louder. Diego rushes over to me and hugs me tight, making me proud, before heading off stage, where his mom and our family are. Most likely, he’ll attach himself to his aunt Gina, as he’s protective of his future cousin.

She’s currently eight months pregnant with her first child with her husband. She got her degree and actually works at a school.

After realizing her mistakes, she’s done everything she can to make things up to me and to my girl. I am so proud of Rose for forgiving Gina, and I’m proud of the person my sister has become.

Al, the lucky fucker, has three kids, two boys and a girl, with his second wife, Fiona, who, yes, was his secretary.

After he divorced Van, who has not contacted any of us since she got shut down in court, he started going out for drinks with Fiona as friends, and they fell in love.

Van made the divorce fucking difficult but only came out of it with more debt from lawyer fees than anything else.

Last I heard, she was working in some diner five towns over.

I look to the side, my eyes catching my wife’s, who smiles wide. My sister stands next to her on one side, and Natalie is on the other, holding our daughter. Hers is most likely with my mom and dad in the green room. My parents are loving all the extra kids and demand they call them Gran and Gramps.

My eyes take in Rose’s small bump; our fifth child on the way. A sense of peace fills me.

Rose got her dream job, and in between pregnancies, she trained dolphins, and learned all about animal behavior. She continues to do what she loves while being a kick-ass wife, an amazing mother, and an overall perfect person.

Returning to her was the best thing that ever happened to me, and I’ll never take it for granted.

Things haven’t been easy, especially when Piper was given parole early, but Rose and I fought together, and came out on top, even after she tried causing trouble, making up lies to the press about us having an “affair” after she was released. She was arrested again, and more time was added to her original sentence for breaking her parole, by not just harassing me but the producers she’s blackmailed as well.

Rose and I stayed strong, unstoppable. Now, as promised in our vows on our wedding day, the boys and I are taking the year off because she deserves it.

I’ll write, and the boys and I will meet up to make music for when we return, but my sole focus will be on my family.

I send her a wink and she grins as Diego comes up next to her and grabs her hand.

I look out at the crowd and say, “This is our last show for the next year.” The crowd boos, making me laugh. “Alright, alright, calm down,” I say, and then continue, “How would you all like to hear an oldie but a goodie, dedicated to the mother of my children, my beautiful wife, Rose?”

The crowd roars in excitement, and I look toward my wife and announce, “Rose, you’re perfectly mine….”

Rose grins wide, wiping the tears that have fallen, causing Diego to hold his mom tighter. The crowd gets louder as I start strumming my guitar, Barnett following, before Cam joins in with the drums. I place my mouth on the mic, and the words about how much I love my wife flow through me.

“Girl, the moment we locked eyes, I knew I had to have you.

You were so fine, and I wanted you as mine.

You pretended not to notice, but we both knew you were mine.

You played hard to get, but I played harder,

Baby, you were fucking perfect, perfectly mine.”

I look her way and sing the chorus, keeping eye contact. She sings along, a massive grin on her face, as our family dances around her.

“I hear your heart beating to the beat of my song,

You made the most of my love.

I hear your heart beating to the beat of my song,

You made me fall harder than anyone.

I hear your heart beating to the beat of my song,

I’ll never let you leave; you’re my one.

You, baby, are perfectly mine….”

About an hour later, I thank the crowd for everything, and express our gratitude as a band for their support. Heading off stage, I grab several signed T-shirts and throw them into the crowd. The arena staff with T-shirt cannons shoot signed T-shirts into the upper levels, making the crowd scream louder.

I instantly go to my wife, gripping her cheeks before pressing my lips against hers as our kids all hug us.

“I love you, Noah Scott. Thank you for returning to me,” she murmurs against my lips as the crowd chants for one more song.

I grin and reply, “Not as much as I love you, Rose Scott. I’ll always return to you….”

Rose smiles wide before kissing me again, and I sigh in contentment.

As long as I have her, and our kids are happy, absolutely nothing else matters. I fought to get her back, I fought for her forgiveness, and in return it’s given me my family.

Returning home was the best decision I ever made.