Epilogue
MATT
Six Years Later
It’s our first wedding anniversary today, and as I look back at the picture of me holding Alex next to Nate and Ria at our double wedding, I remember it fondly.
It was such a huge day. It seemed like such an incredible idea for us to have a joint wedding, since we wanted it around the same time, and we are such good friends.
Well, family. Apparently, it isn’t highly unusual for twins to have joint weddings, so we thought it was a cool idea.
The girls loved the suggestion, since they could get ready together and share the day as best friends.
Alex is in the bathroom, and I sit on the bed, waiting for her to pee, yet again. I smirk, shaking my head as I hear the flush, and she steps out of the bathroom, sighing like she’s annoyed at the world.
“You okay, babe?” I ask, and she nods.
“Yeah, just sick of peeing. I didn’t think it would start this early,” she says.
I stand and walk over to her, planting a kiss on her forehead. “I love you no matter how many times you need to pee.”
She dramatically rolls her eyes and sighs. “Thanks, but that doesn’t help my bladder.”
I kiss her again and lead her toward the door. “C’mon, let’s go, we’re gonna be late.”
“Do we have to go?” she asks, and I furrow my brows and stop, looking into her eyes.
“Babe, it’s gonna be fine. I’m gonna be with you the whole time, I promise.”
She groans and picks up her bag, and then we head for the door.
Before we leave, I wave to the stick insects on the way out, and she chuckles at me as we head down the flight of stairs to the waiting car.
Scott and Dwayne are there. I’m taking no chances at the moment because even though the apartment has security at the front and no one else lives in the building anymore, with Recoil shooting to epic stardom—due to the release of our latest album and the tour we just completed—we are hot property right now.
The album did exceptionally well thanks to the help we had from Alex, who seems to have some great musical ideas.
The way she twists things and morphs them from what we would typically do, then tweaks them slightly, giving us an edgier new sound, well, it sent us from good to great overnight.
Recoil needed her as much as I did, so as well as working at the gallery, she helps us at the office.
Alex is a fantastic asset.
Recoil would be lost without her.
I’d be lost without her.
In music, the refrain is the part that comes back—the line you don’t forget.
It doesn’t matter how messy the verses get, it’s the one thing that stays the same.
That’s her.
Alex.
She’s my refrain—my constant.
My beating fucking heart.
I grin as we slide into the car, and I can tell she’s nervous as her foot bobs up and down and her thumbs twiddle against each other.
I reach out, grab her hand, and hold it in mine. “Babe, it’s gonna be fine.”
She sighs, slumping in the seat, and her head falls back on the headrest. “I’m scared, Matt.”
I lean over, place my arm around her shoulders, and pull her into my side. “The doctor said you’re fine. The bleeding’s okay. It’ll all be all right, I promise.”
She exhales and closes her eyes, not seeming to have settled her nerves at all.
The rest of the car ride is restless. But at least it isn’t too long before we arrive at the doctor’s office and hop out.
Scott and Dwayne follow us in but keep their distance, giving us the privacy we need.
I grab her hand while we check in and take a seat, waiting impatiently for the doctor to see us.
Again, her foot taps on the floor, her knee bobs up and down in anticipation of the news, and I rest my hand gently on her knee, trying to stem her agitation.
“Levine,” the doctor calls out.
We move to the room quickly as Scott and Dwayne take a seat right by the door outside.
Our doctor smiles. “Alex, you look tense. You need to stop stressing, or the baby will feel your apprehension,” she says, and I look to Alex and tilt my head in a kind of I told you so manner.
“Sorry, I’m just anxious. I’ve been spotting, and I’m so terrified of losing our child,” she says, and I squeeze her hand as the doctor nods.
“It’s not uncommon for some spotting, but I’ll do a scan now. You’re at twelve weeks, so we can check for a few things. Hop up on the bed, and we’ll do an ultrasound, okay?”
***
After today’s appointment, we came back home and didn’t have much time to get ready for tonight’s dinner at Nate and Ria’s. We’re celebrating our anniversary with them, Danger, Lunar, Ryan, and Tillie. We seem to be getting together more as an inseparable eight-some now.
As four men, we could hardly function, but bring women into the mix and we all work together so much better. Now everyone gets along. There’s no fighting, and we’re all the best of friends.
This is how life should be!
We walk inside Nate and Ria’s mansion, and the first thing I step on is a Lego block. I chuckle as I kick it out of the way, thanking God I have shoes on. Their dog, Mischief, runs past me, being chased by a six-year-old, Sarah.
“Hi, Uncle Matt, Auntie Alex,” she calls out as she rushes past.
I don’t even have time to reply as she’s quickly gone, rushing outside to the pool with Mischief. Alex chuckles as she kicks some more Lego out of the way, and we walk into the living room, where everyone is seated.
“Hi, guys,” we call out, and they all turn to us.
Danger smiles. He has baby Coda attached to him in his baby carrier, and Lunar hands a five-year-old, Lyric, a piece of candy, then shoos him off to go find Sarah.
“Happy anniversary, guys,” Ria calls out with a giant smile.
I chuckle as Alex and I walk in and pull up a seat on their stain-encrusted sofa. It’s so different from how I would have envisaged Ria living six years ago.
“You too! What a year it’s been, hey?” Alex questions and sits down next to me.
The doorbell rings, and I glance over, wondering who on earth it could possibly be.
“I’ll get it,” Nate calls out, walking to his front door and pulling it open with ease.
“Oh, you sexy boy, I bring kale salad and pineapple skewers for you. Good for flavor, if you know what I mean… hahaha.”
As I stand up, I grin wide, knowing that voice from anywhere, while Nate steps back from the door, letting Whisper in along with another man. One I don’t know.
“Whisper, it’s so good to see you. It’s been too long. But with Sarah running amok and the band, I hate that it’s so long between visits,” Nate says.
Whisper waves his hand through the air and shakes his head. “No need. Whisper is always with you. Once you let Whisper in, he like a noxious weed growing in your soul.”
I screw up my face as Nate laughs. “That’s kinda creepy.”
“Hahaha… I make funny, yes?”
Nate shuts the door, and they walk into the living room to join us.
“Ahh, kinda,” Nate says while shaking his head.
“So sexy boys and pretty girls, I like you to meet my sexy boy, Xavier. He Olympic gymnast. Very flexible. I meet him on Lovepessimist. Who would have thought?”
I glance at Alex with a sly smirk and head up toward Whisper and Xavier as Nate smiles widely. “Well, it’s so freaking good to see you happy, Whisper.” I stand and lean in to hug him.
He chuckles, hugging me back. “Oh, sexy boy, I so, so happy. Xavier my very own sexy boy, right Xav?”
Xavier smiles at Whisper. “Oh, yes, my little panda bear.”
My eyes open wide as I try to contain my chuckle. I love that Whisper has finally found a guy to celebrate his eccentric style with.
I take my seat back down next to Alex, wrapping my arm around her shoulders, pulling her to me, and lean in to kiss her head.
“Whisper, how long have you and Xavier been seeing each other?” Alex asks.
Whisper hands Ria his pineapple skewers and takes a seat on the loveseat. Xavier hands Nate the Kale salad. “Little over six months. He the one I told you about over phone. You know, one who can bend his legs back over his—”
“Okay, there are children present,” Danger says with a chuckle, and I shake my head as Whisper nods.
“Oh, yes, so sorry. I also write children books now. I have on sale for twenty-five dollar, but I sell to you sexy boys for a discount if you buy in bulk?”
Everyone laughs.
God, I love this guy. Is there anything he doesn’t do?
“Oh, hey! Alex… how’d the appointment go?” Nate asks.
I look at her and smile as she chews on her bottom lip, and everyone stops, giving us their full attention.
She sighs and places her hand over her stomach. “Um… well, the doctor did an ultrasound and then scared the shit out of me when she took her time fumbling around, taking extra images, and checking on things.”
Nate places the salad bowl down and looks at me, concerned. “Is something wrong?”
Alex smiles widely and shakes her head, grabbing my hand. “We’re having twins!”
The room erupts into a fit of excitement, and everyone surrounds us with hugs and kisses, filling us with warmth and love.
This is our life.
This is our family.
This is us.
It’s funny how you can think your life is going to absolute hell, but then you make the right call, and it changes your path.
I was heading down a dark path without Alex, and I chose to fight for her.
Thank fuck I did, because now I’m married to not only my best friend but the love of my life, and we have two babies on the way.
My life couldn’t be any better than it is right now.
Great partner.
Amazing band.
Happy family.
Utterly blissfully.
Ten out of ten—perfect.
THE END