Epilogue

Laughter and chatter filled the air as my family gathered in the living room for our weekly game night, a tradition that had become a cherished ritual for all. Ella, now a little older and even more exuberant, flitted about the room with boundless energy, her laughter echoing off the walls as she regaled her three dads with tales of her latest insect discoveries.

"Look, Pop!" she exclaimed to Logan, using the name she'd chosen herself for him because it was decidedly unserious, her eyes alight with excitement as she proudly displayed a jar containing a collection of colorful beetles. "Isn"t it cool?"

I met my three men's eyes, mouthing a reassuring, They're fake. Logan, Nate, and Bennett seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, exchanging amused glances.

"It"s amazing, sweetheart," Bennett replied, ruffling her hair affectionately. "You"re quite the little explorer."

"I got them from the school book fair, Dad." She rolled her eyes. She was turning out to be just as practical as me, even when she maybe should have been allowed more childish whimsy. We were working on it. Before her dads had joined the picture, I'd had five years of raising her not to have her head in the clouds.

"Just make sure those don't end up in our bed this time," Nate reminded Ella with a wink.

"I promise, Daddy. I learned my lesson last time."

Watching the scene unfold, I felt a swell of warmth in my chest, grateful for the love and harmony that filled our home. Each of my guys wore a ring on his finger—a symbol of our commitment to one another and the life we were building.

Of course, we couldn't have a traditional wedding. Not one that was legally binding, anyway. But I wore a ring on my finger from them, too, and I was excited to have a triple ceremony to celebrate the commitment we all knew was for life.

Despite the chaos of construction that surrounded us—my mom's constant complaints about the unsightly mess and the disruption to her once-perfectly manicured lawn had been our constant companion through charades and The Game of Life—we were happier than we had ever been. Logan had generously funded the expansion of our home, adding extra bedrooms for our future kids and even a darkroom for me to pursue my passion for photography.

As the evening progressed, I couldn"t contain my excitement any longer. Taking a deep breath, I addressed my family, my voice filled with anticipation. "I have some exciting news to share," I announced, my eyes sparkling with joy. "I have an art show coming up, and I would love for all of you to be there."

I'd been working toward this for the past year since I'd left waitressing for good, and it was finally happening. I'd landed a gallery exhibition of my own, called Motherhood, as it fittingly included a lot of portraits of the little girl who had changed my life more than six years ago.

Their enthusiastic response filled me with warmth, their pride in my accomplishments evident in all the beaming smiles.

Snuggled close to Ella and my three soon-to-be husbands, I felt a sense of peace wash over me—a profound gratitude for the family I had found and the love that bound us together. As I looked around at the faces of those I held most dear, I knew that this was my happily ever after and that maybe it was okay to want such a thing, after all.

Loved Carly and her boys? Check out the next book in the series here.