Epilogue
Leo
A year later
Piper’s laughter echoes throughout the trees as Juliet and I hold her hands and swing her over overgrown roots and fallen branches.
I share an amused look with Juliet. “Did you ever think we’d be doing this?”
“Throwing out our shoulders swinging our daughter around?”
I laugh. “We’re not that old, Juju. Sheesh.”
“Says you,” Juliet replies, her eyes twinkling. “I’m just sore from work.”
I’m married to the most sought after long term home care nurse in town. She’s so damn good at her job, and she puts her all into looking after her patients. There are a lot of early mornings, late nights, and emergency calls, but she handles it all on top of being a mom.
She’s incredible.
It has been a long road, but High Rise’s new five-story headquarters will open next month on the outskirts of town, and we already have a list of potential clients waiting to work with us.
Galloway Logging is finally making a notable profit, and we’re going to dig ourselves out of the hole before we know it. A lot can change in a year.
Funny enough, Devon Ramos stopped calling the moment it became clear Galloway Logging wasn't for sale. Last I heard, he'd taken his business elsewhere, chasing contracts farther south. Everything is on the right path. I’ve got the best wife, the best kid, the best house, and the best jobs.
I can’t believe I almost gave up this life for what I had in the city.
“I’m sending you and Lily to Denver this weekend. Spa trip on me. Massages included,” I tell her.
Her eyes widen with awe. “Really? ”
“Of course, baby,” I say, leaning over Piper to kiss Juliet’s cheek. “I don’t need you throwing out your back too.”
Juliet playfully swats at my arm.
I pick up Piper and jog through the trees. “Run!”
Piper squeals, holding onto me as I make my way to a familiar clearing.
I slow down and set her on her feet, catching my breath. Hauling an eight-year-old while jogging is harder than it looks.
Juliet appears at my side with an amused look on her face. “You okay? You seem a bit winded.”
“I’ll survive,” I assure her before sinking down to the ground.
Juliet smirks and joins me.
“Can I pick the flowers?” Piper asks as she points to the white wildflowers in the field ahead of us.
Juliet nods. “Don’t go too far.”
Piper bounds away from us, plucking flowers to make a small bouquet in her hand .
“I don’t see how she still has so much energy,” I tell Juliet. “She could run circles around us.”
“Part of being a kid,” Juliet points out. “Can you handle a few more years of that?”
“As long as she doesn’t expect me to always keep up with her,” I say with a light chuckle.
Juliet smiles a little and leans her shoulder against mine. “She has a present for you.”
I lift an eyebrow at her. “Really? What’s the occasion?”
“I don’t know. She just said she has something to give you,” Juliet replies. “I think she put it in her backpack.”
“Now, I’m curious,” I say. “Piper! Come here.”
Piper runs back over to us and sticks out her hand full of flowers. “Look how many I picked!”
“Wow, that’s amazing,” Juliet tells her as she takes the makeshift bouquet from her. She wraps one long, thin stem around the bundle and ties it. “Look at that. Now, it’ll stay together.”
Piper smiles and admires it. “Cool. ”
“I heard you have a present for me,” I tell Piper, giving her a curious look. “Is that true?”
Piper looks over at Juliet, who nods. She takes off her pink backpack and sets it on the ground. “It’s in here.”
Juliet sits up straighter and crosses her legs, resting her hands in her lap as she watches Piper.
“Close your eyes and hold out your hands,” Piper says.
“Please don’t give me anything that’s alive,” I beg her as I close my eyes and put my hands out.
They both laugh before I hear some shuffling and whispering that I can’t make out. Now, I’m really suspicious.
When I feel something soft graze my hands, I almost flinch out of instinct, but I make myself relax so that Piper can rest it on my palms.
“You can look now,” Piper says.
I open my eyes slowly to see what looks like a folded piece of white cloth. I flash them both a confused look before unfolding it and holding up a onesie.
Realization hits me like a truck.
“You’re pregnant?” I ask Juliet, my heart rate shooting up .
Juliet smiles and nods.
“Holy…cow,” I say, barely able to stop myself from cussing. “That’s amazing. When did you find out?”
“Last week,” Juliet replies before looking at Piper. “Is that all you wanted to give him, baby?”
Piper giggles like she’s keeping a secret. She digs around in her backpack some more. “Close your eyes and hold out your hands!”
There must be a part two to this gift.
I set the onesie down on my lap before doing as I’m told, still hearing the rapid thumping of my heart in my ears. I can’t believe this. We’re going to have another baby!
And I get to be part of this child’s life from the very start.
Something else that’s soft is placed in my hands.
“Open!” Piper tells me.
I open my eyes and see another piece of folded white cloth. With a confused look on my face, I unfold it to reveal another onesie. “Why do I get another one? Why—”
My jaw drops as I turn to Juliet. “Twins? ”
Juliet laughs at my reaction and nods. “I would’ve given her more onesies to pull out as a joke if it wouldn’t give you a heart attack.”
I lunge at her, pulling her into a tight embrace. “I can’t believe this. We’re having twins .”
Juliet loops her arms around my neck, smiling against my cheek. “I don’t know the gender yet.”
“I’m happy with whatever. I just want them to be healthy,” I tell her, my chest aching with joy. “And Piper is going to be a big sister!”
“You can take that one out,” Juliet says.
I let go of Juliet just as Piper pulls out a pink t-shirt that says “World’s Best Big Sister” on the front. I can’t help but chuckle. “I can’t believe it. This is…wow.”
“You’re happy?” Juliet asks, her hand grazing my arm as hope fills her eyes.
I pull her against my side and kiss the top of her head. “Baby, I’m more than happy. This is amazing. Unexpected but amazing.”
We were kind of at that point where if she got pregnant, we’d be happy about it, but we weren’t actively trying because things have been so hectic. We were just seeing what would happen and taking our hands off the reins.
I definitely didn’t expect twins, but this is the happiest surprise I’ve ever gotten.
“Tell our teenage selves that we’re having twins on top of already having one child,” Juliet tells me, amusement lacing her voice.
I tilt my head back with a laugh. “Teenage me would’ve fainted.”
She playfully rests the back of her hand against my forehead. “You’re not there yet?”
I take her hand and lift it to my lips, pressing a kiss to her wedding ring. “I’m perfectly fine. I’m just so happy.”
Juliet smiles and pecks me on the lips. “Now, we’re a family of five.”
I motion for Piper to come closer. When she does, I pull them both into my arms.
My girls. My family. I hug them both and wonder how things can possibly get better than this .
For years, I thought success looked like skyscrapers, contracts, and numbers on a screen but I was wrong. Success is Piper leaning against me hugging my leg. It's Juliet smiling at me like I'm her favorite person in the world. It's two tiny heartbeats growing beneath her hand.
She won’t be alone for this pregnancy, and she’ll never have to worry about being a single mom again. I’m putting my roots down here in Evergreen Heights.
"I love you both," I tell them.
"Love you to infinity, Daddy," Piper says as she rests her head against mine.
Juliet's eyes meet mine. "We love you too."
There was a time when I thought I'd lost Juliet forever. A time when I was too young and too stubborn to see what mattered most.
Now she's my wife. And in a few months, we'll be meeting our twins.
“I can’t wait to meet them both,” I murmur as I gaze down at Juliet’s stomach where our twins are growing. She’ll start showing before we know it, and that’s going to make this dream feel even more real .
“Me too,” Juliet says, her eyes warm and eager. “Blink and they’ll be here.”
I glance toward the mountains surrounding Evergreen Heights, feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin.
For so long, I thought I had to leave this place to find the life I wanted.
Turns out everything I was looking for was here all along.
Right where it started. Right where we belong.
***
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