Epilogue
Daphne
Five years later
“ L ook out! Here comes Super Buckley!” Holly yells, lifting my two-year-old son through the sky and making him feel like a true superhero.
Moving back to Magnolia Point was an easy decision for Layton and me. Being away from our closest friends and family has been tough, and visiting just wasn’t cutting it anymore. We’ve been home for six months, and everything feels right in the world.
“Steaks are almost ready,” Layton says with a kiss on my forehead.
If our teenage selves could see us now, I know they wouldn’t believe the last five years of our lives. We got married in a small celebration at Elenore’s house before moving to Starlight Bay. We made it back to her wedding to Darrel a few months later but have lived wherever my career needed me until now.
The gown I made for Elenore was featured in Envy Magazine. The day it hit stands, Layton brought home a dozen copies. The man has been my biggest fan and supporter through everything. He easily found a job at the Fire station in Starlight Bay but got stuck with the worse work schedule. At first, it was hard. We wanted to be with each other more than we wanted to work, but every day, we encouraged each other. Spent quality time every minute we could, and now we’re reaping the rewards. Still madly in love, we’re back home, living our happily ever after with our son and family.
“Guess that means we should round up the troops,” I say, leaning into his strong frame.
“Allow me,” he says, putting one hand against my ear, and holding me close to his chest. Then, he puts his two fingers in his mouth and whistles loudly. The high pitch turns heads, but luckily, doesn’t pierce my eardrums. He’s kept every promise over the years to make me feel loved and cherished. Small things like protecting my ears to holding my air back through the first trimester of pregnancy. He even shared night shifts with me when Buckley was a baby and never once complained about changing a dirty diaper. Telling me he felt honored to do it.
The circus that is now our large family all stampede to the large picnic table that is so long now that kids are in the family.
Elenore and Darrel are here, as well as Holly and her family. My sister didn’t fall easily in love, but when she finally did, she fell hard. The two lovebirds have two kids and are eagerly working on baby number three. I always knew she would make the best mom. I was always worried more about myself. Being so closed off for so long made me feel like a family wasn’t in the cards for me. Worse, I feared I’d be a terrible mom, but when Layton and I figured out I was pregnant, there was no anxiety. My husband calmed all my fears because, after opening up with my sister, we grew closer than ever, and I learned to communicate better. Layton promised if I could do that, I could do anything. I knew then he was just supporting me like he always does, but he was right. Emotions aren’t scary. Keeping them bottled up is, and I’m a much happier person now that I’ve grown.
Layton and I decided long ago to always tell each other everything, and when it’s hard, we work it out. Sounds simple, but it’s been challenging over the years, but worth every learning curve. We’ve grown together into the people we’re proud to be today, and Buckley makes being parents our greatest accomplishment. We settle in with everyone seated around the large table, and Elenore clinks her wine glass to quiet everyone.
“Thank you all for being here. For sharing another meal with us as our family. You all should know by now how much Darrel and I love you all.” She makes a pointed look at Layton, who smiles bashfully. I’m sure he’s remembering his own bad behavior toward his stepfather so long ago. Years have helped heal their relationship, and the two often spend time alone together. They’ve even been fishing recently with Buckley. It was hard for Layton, but he came home glad he went. Healing takes time, is all I said, and loved on him all night.
“Having a full table of our loved ones and food to feed them makes us feel blessed beyond what we can ever express to you. May your families keep growing, may your tables always overflow, and may we all know how much we’re loved. Our lifetime on earth goes by so quickly, so don’t forget to cherish every moment,” Elenore continues.
“Cheers!” We all sing, clicking our glasses to each other’s.
Big smiles paint all our faces, along with a few tears. Our hearts are as full as our stomachs will be soon. Each of us is so grateful to be here at this moment in our lives.
“A core memory,” I whisper to Holly, and she nods her agreement.
The sun sets as we dig into all the food we’ve prepared. The kid’s laughter fills the night air, and our little world at Magnolia Point seems like the center of the Universe. If only for nine of us.
“This is exactly what our happily ever after looks like,” Layton says as Buckley runs off with his cousin and Uncle Jenson to chase fireflies.
“I love it. I love you,” I tell him, and his lips find mine. It’s a light kiss, but I feel his love there.
“I love you, forever,” he replies softly with honesty in his eyes. I doubt he’ll ever stop proving it to me, but I appreciate his effort every day and I strive to match it.
Our love for each other and our family is the most important thing to us, and I truly believe that’s why we find happiness at the end of each day.
“To many more memories like this,” I tell him.
He nods and I know our forever will be happy. Our love will never end.
The End.