Epilogue

Five Years Later...

"Alright," Dean pants, his breath coming in quick bursts as he glances over his shoulder, his eyes alight with the thrill of the chase. "We need to be strategic here, babe. Let's face it, we're outnumbered, and they're getting smarter every day." His voice drops to a conspiratorial whisper. "I'll go left, you go right, and we'll catch them in the middle. Got it?"

I nod, placing my hands on my knees as I try to steady my breathing. A part of me wants to laugh at the absurdity of it all, but another part—the part that knows these three little terrors can't be underestimated—takes him seriously. "Dean, I don't know… this isn't going to work," I warn, my voice tinged with scepticism.

He grins, that charming, confident smile that's managed to get us through more than a few tough situations. "Trust me," he says, his tone so assured it's almost impossible not to believe him. With a resigned sigh, I straighten up, my eyes locking onto his. We've faced much bigger challenges than this together, and if Dean believes in his plan, then I'm willing to follow him into the fray.

"Now!" he shouts, and we both spring into action, splitting up like a pair of seasoned soldiers executing a well-rehearsed manoeuvre. I dash to the right, moving swiftly and silently through the hallway, while Dean takes off to the left, his footsteps quick and light. The house, usually so calm and orderly, erupts with the sound of giggles and the frantic patter of tiny, bare feet.

"Gotcha!" I exclaim triumphantly as I dive forward, scooping up a naked, wriggling bundle of pure energy. Kaia squeals with delight, her tiny body flailing in my arms as she tries to escape my grasp. "I caught one!" I announce, struggling to keep hold of our giggling little gremlin.

Dean comes around the corner a moment later, grinning from ear to ear. He's got Dean Jr. tucked securely under one arm, and Atlas under the other, both of them laughing so hard they can barely breathe. "Phase one, complete," he declares, his voice dripping with smug satisfaction. "See? Told you it would work."

"Yeah, yeah, you were right," I concede with a playful roll of my eyes. "But that was the easy part." I adjust my grip on Kaia, who's now trying to wriggle free and run off again. "Now we have to get them into the bath long enough to actually wash them."

As if on cue, Kaia looks up at me, her big eyes sparkling with mischief. "Mommy, I pee," she announces proudly, her voice full of innocent glee. Oh God, where has she peed. Before I can react, she slings her little arms around my neck and, without warning, licks my face with all the enthusiasm of a puppy.

I wince, half laughing, half grimacing. "Okay, Kaia, what did Mummy say about licking? We've talked about this, sweetie—you can't just lick everything."

"Coco licks!" she counters with the logic only a three-year-old could muster, her giggles turning into full-blown laughter as she continues to slobber all over my cheek.

"Yes, but Coco is a cat," I explain patiently, feeling like I've had this conversation a million times. "Cats lick themselves to stay clean. But you, my little love, need a bath to get clean."

"No, Coco licks!" she insists stubbornly, her tiny voice filled with the kind of unshakable conviction that only comes from being three years old.

Behind me, I can hear Dean's deep, infectious laughter echoing through the hallway as he follows us toward the bathroom. Every night, it's the same delightful chaos. Our home, once a place of serene order, has become a battlefield of toys, bubbles, and endless giggles. And honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.

When Dean and I first talked about having more children, we never imagined just how much our lives would change. We certainly didn't expect to get twins on the first try, but life has a funny way of surprising you. Now, here we are; a family of five, with two mischievous cats, living in a house that's always buzzing with activity and love.

After we decided to expand our family, surrogacy seemed like the best option. My eggs were still viable, and, well, Dean's sperm was as formidable as ever. But the journey was far from easy. It took us over a year to find the right surrogate. We went through two different agencies, interviewed countless women, and faced more setbacks than we ever expected.

Each disappointment was like a punch to the gut, making us question whether this dream of ours was meant to be. There were days when I felt like giving up, when the hope that had once burned so brightly seemed to flicker and fade. But then we met Molly.

Sweet, kind-hearted Molly. From the moment I met her, I felt an instant connection. There was something about her—a warmth, a kindness—that made me feel like she was the one. It's hard to explain, but it was like she was an angel sent to us after all the heartache we'd been through. The moment she smiled at us, I knew she was the person we'd been searching for.

The surrogacy process is gruelling in ways you can't fully understand until you're in it. It's a rollercoaster of emotions; hope, fear, joy, and sorrow all rolled into one. But when Molly agreed to carry our children, it felt like everything had finally fallen into place. She wasn't just a surrogate; she became part of our family, someone we'll always be grateful to.

Now, five years later, I can't imagine our lives without the chaos, the laughter, and the love that our three little ones have brought into our home. It's not always easy—far from it—but every challenge, every sleepless night, and every frantic bath time is worth it.

As I carry Kaia into the bathroom, her giggles filling the air, I catch Dean's eye. He's smiling at me with that same look he's always had, the look that says he'd go through anything as long as we're together. And in that moment, surrounded by the beautiful chaos of our family, I know we're exactly where we're meant to be.

An hour-long bath time play and three bedtime stories later, the children are finally asleep and Dean and I hit the bed with an exhausted sigh. "I'm fucking exhausted," Dean grumbles.

"Can you check if my legs are still there? I think they might have fallen off." Dean guffaws, reaches over, hooks his arm between my legs and drags me toward him so I'm half draped across his muscular body.

"Still very much there, baby girl," he announces, giving my arse a playful spank before he presses a kiss to my temple.

I wrinkle my nose in distaste, "You might not want to do that, I'm all sweaty and covered in Kaia's saliva and God only knows what else right now."

Dean smirks, grips my face and turns it to the side before he gives my face a long-wet lick. "I would have you no other way, baby girl."

With a disgusted squeal, I wipe the trail of saliva onto his shoulder. "Ugh, that's so gross." I laugh. Dean's brows go up in surprise.

"Oh, it's gross, is it?" Dean intones and rolls me over onto my back, pins my arms over my head and starts licking my face all over. I wriggle and thrash trying to escape, but he lays down on top of me, his delightfully muscular weight keeping me in place. "I don't hear any complaints when I'm licking your sweet cunt. Or when I'm licking down here..." Dean explains, lowering his head to lick down my throat. Despite my exhaustion, a spark of desire ignites in me right away. "Or right here," I hear him murmur as he licks the sensitive spot behind my ear.

"That's different!" I half giggle, half moan. "Let me lick your face and see how you like it."

Dean stares down into my eyes, a broad grin on his gorgeous face. "Go on then, you can lick me all you want, anywhere your heart desires, baby. I'll never complain." I stare up into the emerald eyes of my gorgeous husband and I can't help but feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

My arms snake around his neck and I draw him closer, my eyes lowering to stare at that delectable mouth. The tip of Dean's tongue darts out and he wets his lips before they slowly inch toward mine. "Do you remember the first time you kissed me?"

"Which time?" Dean queries, resting on his elbows and using his thumbs to caress my temples while he gazes down at me affectionately. "We had two first kisses. One at Shannon's birthday party and the other when I picked you up at that bar."

"What?" I gasp. "You did not pick me up. I picked you up."

Dean's brow goes up and he shakes his head. "No, you absolutely did not. I remember very vividly. I asked you to dance and then I fingered you on the dancefloor. I knew right there and then that I was fucked. I would be obsessed, because I never felt that connection with anyone else and I was right, because until I saw you at Shane's party I couldn't stop thinking about you."

"Actually, you need to back up there, bucko. If I recall correctly, I dared you to convince me that you were a worthy playmate because I was on the prowl for a meaningless hook-up, which is when you asked me to dance and then after we ate McDonalds, I kissed you. So technically, I picked you up." I didn't. I was putty in his hands the moment I laid eyes on him, but, I love to tease him about it.

Dean's eyes narrow and he licks his lips. "All right mysterious girl. You picked me up."

"And picking you up that night in the bar was the best thing I ever did, Lieutenant Dean Reyes." I avow, brushing my fingers through his messy hair.

Dean groans, "Baby, you were going to be mine either way. Now shut up and kiss me just like you did that night."

And I do.

I press my lips to his and kiss him with every bit of love I have in my being. Our relationship hasn't always been easy, but if I had the choice to start all over and choose a different path, have a happy life with no heartache or choose to relive it all again with him.

I would always choose him .

To love, to hate, to belong to... forever.

Some people never meet their hero. I was lucky enough to marry mine.

The End