Epilogue

EPILOGUE

Willow

One Year Later

E ver since I crashed back into Theo’s arms, we’d fallen more and more in love. We did things a little bit backward than most couples. First came love, then came baby. When we found out we were pregnant, we were stunned. Even though I still wanted my big wedding, I thought it would be best to elope with Theo, then have our baby before having a wedding reception maybe a year or so down the line. It wasn’t the usual path most walked, but it was the beautiful trail we carved out for ourselves.

Theo and Peter never fully worked out all of their issues, but they did decide to make peace once Molly gathered the two together for a heart-to-heart. It was clear that the two of them both struggled with feeling unseen, yet when they found out that Harry had left them both the restaurant after he passed away, the two learned to work together. It wasn’t always rainbows and butterflies, but sometimes I’d catch the two laughing with each other.

That felt like a blessing, especially when Jensen would witness it, too. Jensen was the one who convinced Peter to get sober, too. That was a game changer in everyone’s relationship. It was good to see their family healing in ways that probably seemed impossible at one point. Theo and Peter’s relationship was living proof that people could change and grow and heal.

Speaking of healing, on April fifth, Theo and I welcomed our own bundle of joy to the world. Harold Michael Langford—Harry Jr. for short. My springtime little bird.

We stayed at the hospital for two days before heading home. It had been raining for weeks in Westin Lake, yet the day it was time to head home, there was a slight break of darkness in the sky. We headed back to our place, where Theo’s and my family waited to meet the newest member of our expanding brood. As we walked into the house, we were greeted instantly by my sisters and their families, my father, Jensen, and Molly. There were “welcome home” decorations all over the place.

Theo carried the truck seat with one hand and led me to the couch with his other. He sat me down, bent lower, and kissed my forehead. He then rested the truck seat beside me.

Everyone gathered around quietly. A room packed with nothing less than love.

They waited for Theo and me to formally introduce them to the perfect angel new to our complex, sometimes rocky, beautiful world.

I lifted our newborn into my arms. After, Theo moved the truck seat and sat directly beside me, our arms brushing gently against one another. I liked how whenever our skin brushed, waves of safety enveloped me.

“Well…” Nathan smiled as he wrapped his arm around Avery. “Who do we have here?”

“This”—I grinned—“is little Harold Michael Langford.” I turned to Molly and smiled gently. “Harry Jr. for short.”

Her eyes flashed with emotions as her hands fell to her chest. “Harry Jr. for short?”

“Yeah,” Theo said, a twinkle in his own eye. “Harry Jr. for short.”

I stood from the couch and walked toward Molly. “Would you like to hold him, Grandma?” It was the first time I called her Grandma, and she took note of it because from this point on, we were family. Maybe not by blood, but by heart. My heart beat in sync with my friend, who brought Theo’s and my worlds together. She would forever be my family, and I’d forever be hers.

“Can I?” Molly asked, her voice cracking.

“Always.” I placed little Harry Jr. in her arms, and he wiggled a little. His perfect little mouth, his button nose, and his blue eyes that matched his father’s were staring straight into her heart, and I could tell she’d love that baby forever.

“He has the Langford messy hair,” she joked.

“And the Langford heart,” I added in.

“Yes.” She held Harry Jr. close and breathed him in. “He has that, too.”

“Grandma, look,” Jensen said, running over to the window. “There’s a rainbow in the sky.”

Molly held Harry Jr. close to her chest as tears filled her eyes. She nodded slowly, uncertain how to take in the magnitude of what she was witnessing. PaPa was there with us, yet that shouldn’t have been a surprise.

He promised to always be around for the big moments.

By that point, everyone was crying.

When Dad held Harry Jr. for the first time, it was like watching my greatest hero hold my most prized possession. How lucky little Harry Jr. had been to have a lifetime of my father’s love.

“You know how big my love is for you, Little Bird?” Dad whispered to Harry Jr., placing a gentle kiss on my son’s forehead.

“Bigger than the sky,” I softly stated.

“Yes,” Dad agreed, looking at me with tear-filled eyes. “And deeper than the sea.”

Theo

One Year Later

Watching Willow become a mother was the greatest gift I’d ever witnessed. Seeing her look over our little boy healed a part of my soul that had been broken since childhood. I might not have been able to pick my mother, but I was able to choose the mother of my children, and I’d made the greatest choice when I chose my wife.

My wife.

My beautiful, silly, quirky wife.

Our wedding ceremony took place on our land, right on the dock of Westin Lake, where our love story first began. Avery and Yara were Willow’s maidens of honor—Anna was her maid of honor.

Watching Anna and Willow’s friendship heal over the years was the greatest blessing. Willow kept saying it was as if no time had passed between their connection, and Anna was such an amazing addition to Harry Jr.’s life.

We were loved to the fullest.

One of my favorite moments of the wedding day happened right before the wedding ceremony took place.

Michael stopped by my dressing room to speak to me. He came with a flask of alcohol and a smile on his face. When it came to great parents, Michael Kingsley was at the top of the list. When I was younger, I used to dream of having a parent like him, yet my mind believed that outside of my grandparents, great parents were only made in storybooks. That was until I saw the way Michael loved his daughters.

It was the definition of unconditional love.

“I just stopped by my daughter’s dressing room,” he told me, taking a swig from the flask. He held it out toward me. I took a swig, too. Whiskey.

It burned slightly on the way down. “How is she doing? Is she having cold feet?” I semi-joked.

“Not in the slightest,” he said as he slid his hands into the slacks of his dress pants. “Now, listen. Before you exchange your vows and whatnot, I wanted to take a second to say thank you.” He pulled one hand from his pocket and flicked his finger across the bridge of his nose. “Thank you for taking care of my daughter. Thank you for loving her with all that you have. Thank you for becoming her home.”

“She taught me what love is, Michael. It’s all that Willow is—love. And I have a strong feeling she got that trait from you.”

He smirked slightly as his eyes flashed with tears. “I never wanted much from life. I’m a simple man. I don’t care about much of anything, but there was always one thing I always prayed for.”

“What was that?”

“For my daughters to be okay.” He grinned my way and nodded once. “Thank you for helping Willow be okay.”

“She saved my life,” I confessed.

“You saved hers.” He sniffled slightly and cleared his throat. “I’m not gonna sit here and get too emotional. I’ll save that for later, but I wanted to say to you that not only do I get to watch my daughter reach her happily ever after today, but I also get to welcome in a new son. So thank you, son, for becoming a part of our family.”

I felt a sting at the back of my eyes. I laughed slightly and shook my head. “Wow…”

“What is it?” Michael asked.

“Nothing, nothing… It’s just…” I released a slow breath and shrugged. “I always wanted a father.”

Michael’s eyes glassed over and he patted me on the back. “And I always wanted a son.” He pulled me into a hug and held on tight. For a moment, it felt as if PaPa were hugging me. Because my grandfather used to hug in the same way—as if the embrace were the most important thing in the world.

“I know you had your struggles, Theo,” Michael said. “And I’m sure there’s still some chapters of your storybook that are too hard to speak of out loud, but just know that whenever you need a father figure, I’ll be around. Forever.”

“Forever?” I choked out, nerves building up inside me. “Don’t promise forever if you don’t mean it,” I semi-joked.

He squeezed my shoulder. “Forever, son.”

I blinked away the tears and brushed the back of my hand beneath my nose. “Forever, Dad.”

Michael Kingsley didn’t know it, but in that moment, he healed parts of the broken little boy who lived within me.

The wedding reception had just about everyone who lived in both Westin Lake and Honey Creek. Not due to me, of course. If I had it my way, our elopement would’ve been good enough. I never grew to love people as much as my wife loved people, but I loved my wife. So we had a people-packed wedding reception.

Harry Jr. was now walking, and including him in our wedding ceremony was so special. It felt like the greatest gift having him there. He was the living proof of what love could create.

That night, a million tears of joy were shed as we danced beneath the stars.

After socializing for hours, I found a moment to stand on the dock, staring at the calm lake before me. My hands fiddled with the cuffs Willow had given me years ago during PaPa and Grandma’s vow renewal ceremony.

The house and front of the property were packed with color and life. They’d probably be in there for hours, drinking, dancing, and celebrating love.

“Hi there,” a voice said, making me turn around to find my wife in her beautiful silk wedding dress.

My wife.

Mine. All mine.

She held Harry Jr. in her arms, and they were both smiling from ear to ear. The moment Harry Jr. saw me, he held his arms out in my direction, and I took hold of him. He snuggled himself against me, resting his head against the crook of my neck, and closed his eyes as he yawned. At that moment, my heart burst from an unexplainable level of peace.

My son.

Mine. All mine.

“It’s getting pretty rowdy in there,” Willow said as she curved into my side, too. I bent down and kissed her forehead. This was it. This was my home. We didn’t need a lot of stuff. We might not have been the richest based on our income, but we were rich in love.

That was my favorite kind of wealth. With Willow and Harry Jr., I was the richest man alive.

Willow gently combed Harry Jr.’s curly sandy-brown hair behind his ears. She was always so gentle with him. It was a gift to witness the way they interacted.

I smiled. “Willow?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you for being to him what my mother couldn’t be to me.”

Her eyes glassed over, and I saw her emotions flood her cheeks. She took my free hand with my wedding band on it into her hold, and she kissed it softly. “Forever,” she whispered.

“Forever,” I promised.

I stared out at the water, and I swore, I almost felt PaPa’s hand resting on my shoulder. I hoped he was watching from above. I hoped he knew I’d made it past the darkness and discovered the light.

I hoped he knew I was happy. I hoped he knew I wouldn’t be half the man I’d been if it wasn’t for his love during all my hard times. Everything I knew about love, I’d learned from my grandparents. It was the greatest gift that I was now able to share that same love with my wife and my son.

“Can we just stay out here and not go back to the party?” I semi-joked. Just being out there on the dock with the two of them felt like the perfect ending to a perfect celebration.

“Okay,” Willow said, standing straighter. She grinned from ear to ear, and I fell even more in love with her smile. “Let’s go fishing.”

I smiled.

My God, I loved her.

I loved her, I loved her, I loved her.

“What about everyone at the party?” I asked.

She shrugged and leaned in to kiss me. She whispered against my lips, “They’ll know where to find us.”

With that, we went fishing.

For the first time in my life, I knew I’d reached the place I’d been searching for my whole life. I might’ve messed up a lot in my past, but this was something I got right. I’d do it again, too. I’d go through every hardship if it led me to Willow and Harry Jr., the loves of my life. I now lived within my favorite storybook, accompanied by my two favorite characters.

I did it.

I’d made it to the happily ever after.

I was finally all right.

And my love for Willow and our son?

It was bigger than the sky…

And deeper than the sea.

If ads affect your reading experience, click here to remove ads on this page.