Give Me Butterflies (Oaks Sisters #1)

Epilogue

Millie

One Week Later

“These look fucking beautiful,” Lena proclaims, setting the basket of homemade croissants in the center of Finn’s patio table.

I place a tray of espresso and two milk cups beside it.

There’s a cool evening breeze blowing through the gaps in my crochet sweater and upbeat Disney music coming from the speaker

in the corner. Stars are just twinkling into view in the sky as the sun dips below the horizon.

“Lena. There are children present. No bad words,” Emil scolds with a dark look in her direction.

Pepper skirts around my legs to settle on the floor below the table with Moosey, who she’s fallen in love with. The girls

let her have the little stuffed animal, and she brings it with her everywhere, hugging it with her teeth until she finds a

good spot to snuggle with it.

“It’s okay,” Finn says, wrapping his arm around my shoulder as I take the seat next to him. “I forget to filter myself all

the time.”

“Yeah, he said the s-word the other day,” Eloise informs us, eyes wide. “He hit his toe on a chair and said, ‘Stupid chair.’”

We all gasp on cue. The dreaded s-word .

“Oh, that is a bad one.” Micah grins as the first few notes of “Kiss the Girl” from The Little Mermaid drifts from the speaker.

“If you remember, El, you weren’t supposed to say it either.” Finn flashes a sly look in her direction, and she just mimics

it back to him.

“Can we please try them now?” Lena whines impatiently. “My mouth is watering. I might accidently curse again if we don’t dig

in soon.”

Emil passes the basket around, and we all take one. I inspect the flaky, golden pastry on all sides. “They’re beautiful, but

they’re a lot of work. Definitely a special-occasion thing.”

Finn takes his first bite and shuts his eyes. “Oh my god,” he mumbles with a full mouth.

The table erupts with a chorus of ooh s and ahh s and pleased sighs.

Micah swallows and smiles. “If you hadn’t gotten that promotion, I would’ve told you to ask Maggie if she’s hiring.”

Finn leans toward me and whispers along with the song, then plants a buttery, sweet kiss against my lips. I laugh as he nuzzles

into my neck, and Eloise takes advantage of the distraction by snatching a second croissant and escaping back to her seat.

When “Kiss the Girl” comes to an end, the introduction to “Let It Go” starts ringing through the backyard. Eloise, always

the first to start a dance party, meets my eyes across the table with a knowing smile. I nod, which is all the signal she

needs to abandon her croissant and bounce to the open area beside the table. She plants her feet, hands on her hips, and awaits

my presence, drawing everyone’s attention. I drop a kiss on Ave’s head as I pass and flank Eloise on our dance floor.

She starts singing along with Idina Menzel, swaying her shoulders to the beat. I join the chorus, my cheeks burning a little with all these eyes watching us, but soon, Lena sets down her croissant to dance along with us. I wave to Avery, who pushes her chair back and links her hand with mine. Eloise sings to the audience, like she usually does, putting on a show with big dance moves. But Avery keeps her eyes on me, like she’s singing and dancing just because I encouraged her to. That simple act always makes my heart feel like its bursting at the seams.

Emil drags Micah onto the makeshift dance floor, and when I meet Finn’s eyes, love shines from their blue depths. He sits

all alone at the table, but he looks so incredibly happy to be watching us. The connection between our gazes creates a swelling

tug between us, and before I know it, he’s rising. With his focus locked on me, he walks closer, his mouth moving quietly

with the lyrics of the song.

When he reaches me, he holds my face between his hands and kisses me hard, right through the words. Everyone around us lets

out a whoop of celebration, and Finn starts moving his body along to the beat, singing with us.

The seven of us finish out the song, jubilant smiles and loud voices and linked hands, and I know it’s exactly where I’m meant

to be.

I simply had to be brave enough to spread my wings and get here.

***

Finn

Two Months Later

“Is this really necessary?” I wonder aloud, tugging at the collar of my blue synthetic shirt. It’s itchy and stiff, but I’ll

endure this costume for a few hours for Millie.

“Absolutely. You aren’t Spock without the hair.” Millie’s brows knit in concentration as she runs a small black comb through the front of my hair, plastering it down against my forehead.

Grasping her hips, I pull her a little closer until she’s standing between my thighs. The bright colors of her childhood bedroom

fade away as I watch her teeth dig into her bottom lip. My hair must not be cooperating, because she lets out a frustrated

huff before tossing the comb to the mattress beside me and smoothing it with her hands.

I let my gaze trail down the white fabric that flows smoothly and tantalizingly over her curves. She has two Halloween costumes

this evening. One is a long white Princess Leia robe, complete with buns over her ears and a hood on her head. But the second

costume is the real reason I’ll put up with this silly Spock outfit. Because the second Princess Leia costume is just for

me when we get back to our house later tonight.

Our house. Those words still feel surreal.

Millie moved in with us a few weeks ago, and I still can’t get over the fact that I have the privilege of waking up with her

every morning. She has fit so seamlessly into our world that it’s like she was meant to be there all along. We were just holding

the spot open for her.

“Okay, I think you’re ready.” She tries to pull back, but I keep a tight hold on her hips, so she drops to my thigh. “I know

we’ve crossed two space worlds here,” she says, pointing between us, “but I have to say, I think Spock and Leia would’ve gotten

along great.”

“There’s probably a fanfic about it somewhere. We should read it later.” Tucking my fingers into the fabric at her neck, I

try to peek down the front of her dress, but it’s too tight to grant me the view I’m hoping for. “Do I have to wait until

we get all the way back home to see the second costume?”

She swats my hand away. “It’ll be more satisfying if I draw out your suspense for a while.” With a devilish smirk, she wiggles on my lap, grinding perfectly against where I’m already hard for her.

I tighten my grip to hold her still as I grit out, “Do that again and I’ll tear this dress right off you and—”

“You kids hurry up,” Dave calls up the stairs, a smile bleeding through his voice. “These girls are getting antsy.” A short

pause. “And I am too.”

Millie snickers as she jumps up and looks suggestively at my lap. These thin black pants aren’t hiding her effect on me. Closing

my eyes, I try to think of something scary and Halloween-y to get my mind off tearing through that white dress.

Creepy clowns. A room full of spiders. Freddy Kruger mask.

That should work.

Millie pulls me to stand and surveys my outfit. “Absolutely perfect.”

I raise my hand in the Vulcan salute. “Live long and prosper.”

Her mouth drops open and she fans herself dramatically. “Oh, Spock, you know what that does to me,” she purrs, wrapping her

arms around my neck.

By the time we’ve kissed again and made it all the way downstairs, our little girls are antsy by the front door, way past

ready to fill their buckets with an obnoxious amount of candy.

This weekend will be the girls’ first time staying overnight with Millie’s parents, and all four of them have been looking

forward to it for weeks.

Leaving the girls with them is a big step, but I have no doubts.

After a few difficult conversations with my parents, we are officially no-contact. I expected to feel a sense of sorrow or

guilt, but instead it has felt like a relief. Like fresh oxygen in my lungs after a lifetime of breathing stale air.

Thankfully, Mary and Dave have stepped flawlessly into the role of grandparents. They were cheering louder than anyone else in the audience when Eloise finished her first dance recital. They were an hour early to the kindergarten art show last week, and then proceeded to stand beside Avery’s watercolor painting the entire time, proudly informing everyone who walked by that their granddaughter was the artist.

Their love for the girls is so obvious, so unconditional, and I could never express to them how grateful I am for it.

“Let’s go,” Avery whines, her butterfly wings flapping as she bounces with excitement. Millie and I made her costume together,

complete with giant, colorful wings that hang down to her feet.

“Sorry.” Millie sighs. “Fixing Spock’s hair took so much longer than I thought.” She crouches to make a few last-minute adjustments

to Eloise’s astronaut costume that I’m proud to say is extremely accurate.

“You look weird, Uncle Finn,” Eloise says, squinting at me over Millie’s shoulder.

“It’s Uncle Spock tonight,” I inform her, plastering on a serious expression.

Millie kisses Eloise’s cheek and stands. “I think he looks handsome.”

“Then why don’t you marry him?” Avery asks, her brows lifted in challenge.

My gaze collides with Millie’s and the air pulls tight between us. Her lips curve into a secret smile that seems to speak

directly to my heart.

I’d marry her right this minute—dressed as Spock and Leia—without a second thought. As long as my girls are here, that’s all

I need.

I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.

All my focus narrows to my future wife as I promise, “Soon.”

The word is barely above a whisper, but she hears it and her smile shines even brighter.

“Are we ready?” Mary asks, opening the front door.

A chorus of cheers bounces through the entryway, and Millie and I share one more intimate smile before we follow everyone

out. Dave and Mary lead the way, with Ave and El between them, and I wrap my arm around Millie’s shoulders.

“Thanks for making me the luckiest man in the world,” I whisper, kissing her temple.

“Just the world?” She blinks up at me.

“No, the galaxy.”

“Just the galaxy? There are billions of galaxies, Spock.”

I chuckle. “You’re right, stella mia . Luckiest man in the universe.”