49. Epilogue – One Year Later
Cole
The sun is high, heating up the backyard and reflecting off the rippling surface of the pool. The sound of laughter fills the air, the occasional splash breaking through as Robbie jumps into the water for what has to be the hundredth time today.
The triplets sit in the shade under the big striped umbrella, dressed in tiny swimsuits, completely oblivious to the fact that today is their birthday.
Faith gnaws on a teething toy, Hope babbles at a stuffed turtle, and Grace claps her hands together, grinning at nothing in particular.
Annie stands next to me at the barbeque as I try my hand at making the hamburgers for our family and friends, here to celebrate the triplets’ big day.
I look over at Annie, hook a finger under her chin and lift her face up to meet mine.
"I love you," I say seriously, gazing into her eyes.
"I love you, too," she replies, her expression serious now .
Then she grins and pushes up onto her toes, brushing her lips against mine.
"You're crazy," she adds.
"About you," I murmur.
"That too."
"My wife is so fucking sexy," I say to her softly so no one else can hear.
She lifts a brow while moving closer to me.
"You feeling ready to fool around, are you?" she teases.
"I'm always ready for you," I growl.
She shivers.
"Maybe later," she tells me.
"Later, like tonight, or later, like when we're in the pool?" I ask.
"I'm thinking more along the lines of when we're in the pool. After everyone's asleep," her voice low and suggestive.
"Okay, well, maybe you should go back and mingle with our guests before people start wondering what we’re talking about over here," I suggest.
"Probably," she agrees, pushing up on her toes to kiss me.
After a long and passionate kiss, she pulls back .
"Okay, I’m going to check on the girls now," she laughs as she heads back toward the pool.
I can't believe it's been over a year and a half since I met Annie, and a year since our girls were born.
And I can't believe how lucky I am.
"Hey, Annie," I call, and she turns around.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks," I say, walking up to her.
"For what?"
"For being my everything."
Her eyes get teary, and she swallows hard, blinking back the tears.
"I love you, Cole," she whispers.
"I love you too."
I stare after her, smiling.
One year.
It’s been one year since these three tiny miracles came into my life. Since Annie turned everything I thought I knew about myself upside down.
I was happy before, or at least, I thought I was. I had my work, my success, my routines. And then Annie stormed in, bringing color and chaos and more love than I ever thought I deserved.
Now, I can’t imagine life without her. Without them.
“Dad, did you see that?” Robbie’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts.
I glance over just as he pops up from the water, shaking the droplets from his hair. “You mean the belly flop? Yeah, I saw.”
He grins. “It wasn’t a belly flop.”
“Sure looked like one from here.”
“Did not!”
I smirk, but before I can tease him further, Annie appears beside me, setting a plate down for the burgers coming off the grill. She’s wearing a bright red swimsuit cover-up, her hair pulled into a messy bun, cheeks flushed from the sun.
“You’re antagonizing him again, aren’t you?” she asks, arching a brow.
I shrug. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
Annie rolls her eyes and looks over at the triplets, smiling as Hope lets out an excited squeal, waving her arms.
“They have no idea today is special,” she murmurs, watching them.
“They don’t,” I agree, “but one day, they will.”
“Can you believe it’s been a year?”
No.
I really can’t.
I reach over, wrapping my fingers around hers, squeezing gently. “It went by so fast.”
She smiles softly, then glances across the patio where Evelyn is doting over Faith, making silly faces while they giggle.
“She’s completely obsessed with them,” Annie muses.
“She always said she wasn’t the grandmotherly type,” I remind her.
Annie grins. “She lied.”
We both glance over at Ellis, who is currently wearing a party hat against his will as Robbie and Grace take turns sticking foam stickers to his arms.
“Even Ellis has softened up,” Annie muses. “And look at Noah. He’s gonna be a natural dad some day. He’s so good with the girls, isn’t he? And Robbie love him, too.”
I smirk. “Give Ellis another hour and he’ll be wearing one of those ridiculous ‘World’s Best Grandpa’ shirts Robbie picked out.”
She laughs, shaking her head. “I’d pay to see that.”
Then I look over at Alan holding Hope, making her giggle with funny faces. No, he's not her grandpa by blood, but he might as well be.
The past year getting to know Alan again and reintroducing him to Robbie has been hard, but this sight right here, it makes everything worth it .
I sense Annie looking at me, and I look back at her, my chest tightening with something deep, something warm.
I have everything I never thought I’d have again.
A family.
Love.
A reason to wake up every morning that has nothing to do with work.
Annie smiles. “What?”
I shake my head, my lips curving into a slow smile. “Nothing.”
She doesn’t believe me. She never does. But she just smiles and leans into my side, resting her head on my shoulder.
And I think, for the millionth time that year, that this is exactly where I was always meant to be.
THE END