Epilogue
SIX YEARS LATER
RORY
"Papa!" my daughter shrieks, her chubby little toddler legs carrying her to the front door and her pigtails bouncing as Parker steps inside. He crouches and she jumps into his arms. Then he's spinning her around and showering her with kisses, making her squeal even more in delight.
I have our son on my hip as I reach my husband and press up on my tiptoes to kiss him. He beams at me and presses a kiss to Ethan's cheek.
The twins, Emily and Ethan, are two now. We married four years ago, shortly after graduation, and having children early on was never something Parker and I hesitated on. We both knew we wanted them, and growing our family has been wonderful in so many ways. It's had it's challenges, too, of course, but I always knew that whatever we faced we would do it together, and we have.
My noise sensitivity has been a struggle with young kids in the house, like we knew it would be, but I didn't want it to keep us from having them. I've managed with my ear plugs, and our next door neighbor, Ruth, is a super sweet lady in her sixties who lives alone and watches them a couple of days a week so I can get a break and get some work done. She's amazing with them and they adore her. She also loves Parker's cooking, just like everyone else, so we pay her in cupcakes and cookies and the occasional dinner, and since we live only a few short minutes from my parents and my sisters, who are now thirteen, we have lots of people willing to babysit for us.
We've had to be very selective about the toys we purchase and that we allow our families to purchase for the kids so it doesn't make things harder for me, and they've all been supportive and understanding of that, which I really appreciate.
I try to make sure we have enough quiet activities throughout the day so I can relax. We read, and paint, and color, and go for walks, usually stopping for a visit with Ruth along the way.
The best part of the day, though, is when Parker steps through the door. He is the best partner a guy could ask for, and he adores the kids. He just started his fourth year working at the local elementary school as the physical education teacher, and he does some personal training on the side. He's busy, but he loves his work and we're always so excited to see him at the end of the day.
I work from home, doing illustrations for children's books, a couple of which have been Amazon best sellers and helped me gain more traction and a large and steady following on social media. I also do artwork for authors who reach out wanting character art done for one of their stories and I enjoy it very much. The twins keep me busy, of course, but I get in as many hours as I can while they nap and at night after they've gone to bed, or on the days they're with Ruth.
We visit with Parker's family a couple of times a year, and while I wish we all lived within ten minutes of each other, we have time with them every Christmas and spend a good deal of our summers in California.
Our house is a mess like always, because we're busy little bees and it's like they say, cleaning a house with a toddler in it is like brushing your teeth while eating Oreos. And with two toddlers it's nearly impossible. There's toys everywhere, and Peppa Pig playing on the TV when we make our way back into the living room.
Parker just grins at me as he surveys the mess and settles on the floor to play with the kids for a bit. I join him as we stack blocks, let the kids make a treat in their toy kitchen and rave about how amazing it is, and then read a story, before we let them entertain themselves while we make dinner. The open floor plan allows us to have a view of them while we cook, and I smell something that most definitely isn't dinner a moment later.
"I'll get it," Parker says, and moves to the living room to decipher who the culprit is. He pulls Ethan's pants back to check his diaper and then Emily. He wrinkles his nose and then scoops her up, hauling her over his shoulder to her bedroom and the changing station as she giggles and kicks her feet.
We eat dinner as a family, and then Parker tells me he'll clean up while I take a break. I hide in our bedroom upstairs and run a bath for myself, bubbles included. I stick my headphones on and listen to music as I relax and soak, knowing our children are safe and cared for by their Papa.
He is the best man I know, the love of my life, and I can't believe I get to spend the rest of my life with him. He proposed on my birthday our senior year, with all of friends there celebrating, and I'm pretty sure my squeal of "yes" was heard all over campus.
Who would have thought that a horrible first encounter in a bathroom stall when I was just trying to find someone to help me get over a sleazy ex boyfriend, would lead to where we are now? I'm thankful everyday that my eyes were opened to how much better I deserved and that I found someone who loved me for exactly who I am, who encourages me, strengthens me, cares for me and loves me in a way that I hope our children one day experience with their partners, should they choose to have them.
After putting the twins to bed that night we curl up on the sofa to watch a movie, me in one of Parker's T-shirts and him in the sweats he still has from college. We're both exhausted, and I'm nodding off on his shoulder an hour later. He turns the tv off and scoops me up. I sigh contentedly as my head rests against his firm chest, and I feel us moving up the stairs.
I curl up on my side when he lays me in bed, and hum as his warm body presses against mine, his strong arm coming around to hold me close.
He presses a kiss to my ear. "Goodnight," he murmurs, his warm breath tickling my skin. "Love you, little rabbit."
I grin at his use of the nickname for me. "Love you, too." I grip his arm and pull it tighter around me as we drfit to sleep, feeling safe and loved and so very happy.
The End
Thank you for reading Parker and Rory's story.