Epilogue
LIAM
FIVE YEARS LATER
“Mrs. Evans?”
“Yes, Callie?” Maddie responds gently.
“Can you tie my shoe for me?” Callie flutters her eyelashes.
“Oh, uh…sure.” Maddie attempts to kneel and struggles the whole way down. The little girl puts her foot on Maddie’s knee, and once she’s done tying, the little girl says thanks and runs off.
I’m positioned where she can’t see me and softly chuckle as my wife tries to stand. After a moment, she gives up.
“There’s a special place in hell for a man who laughs at their pregnant wife instead of helping her!”
Shit. She heard me.
“Would you like some help, baby?” I walk over and hold out my hand.
Maddie narrows her eyes and scowls. “No, I thought I’d stay down here for a while and enjoy the view.”
Fuck, she’s feisty when she’s hormonal.
“C’mon, let’s get you some tacos.” I take her hand and help her up.
“Tacos? You act like I’m a hangry baby-oven crazy person.”
I cup her cheeks and press a kiss to her lips. “I’d never think that.”
Maddie walks toward her office, and I follow.
At seven months pregnant with our second child, I’d wish she’d take it easy so she doesn’t end up in preterm labor like she did with our first son, Tyler.
Luckily, they were able to stop her contractions, but she spent the final six weeks of her pregnancy in a hospital bed.
She’s already considered high risk, but until her doctor demands it or she’s forced, she won’t slow down.
She grabs her purse, then shuts off her computer. “Okay, fine. Feed me tacos.”
I smirk, knowing I was right.
“Wipe that shit-eating grin off your face right now, Mr. Evans.”
Almost five years after we said I Do, and I still love hearing her call me that because I love being her husband.
We got married on New Year's Eve the year I proposed, and it’s been the best five years of my fucking life.
We found out she was expecting two years later, and instead of getting back on birth control after Tyler was born, we decided not to take precautions.
Just a little over a year later, we found out baby number two was on his way.
“We’ll eat on the road,” I tell her.
Once we found out Maddie was pregnant again, we started house hunting and bought something bigger that was closer to Maddie’s dance studio.
She opened it right before we found out she was pregnant again and has been going nonstop to keep it running.
Considering she’s been chasing after a toddler at the same time, I’m proud as hell with everything she’s accomplished in such a short amount of time.
Every class of hers has a waiting list. She’s hired three other dance instructors to keep up with demand.
The most important thing is she’s happy as hell doing what she loves. She gets to dance, teach choreography, and be around kids. I didn’t even groan when she told me she hired Joel to fill in for when she goes on maternity leave.
I’m still a bounty hunter, but I stick to the local area, so I’m home every evening. Only once in a while will I take jobs out of state, but I’d rather spend time with my perfect little family.
I drive us home, and once we’re inside the house, Tyler comes running into my arms. Catching him, I throw him up in the air before hugging him to my chest. He’ll be two next month, which I can hardly believe.
“Hey, buddy. Were you good for Auntie Sophie?”
“He sure was!” Sophie singsongs, waddling over from the kitchen as she holds her daughter’s hand. Layla turned four a few months ago and is the spitting image of her mom with dark brown hair and eyes. I like to give Mason shit and ask how he contributed, which usually ends in a punch to my ribs.
“I got him all dressed and ready to go. Then he decided the dog’s slobbery water dish was a bath, so after I found he dumped it all over himself, he had a real bath and got re-dressed.”
Maddie chuckles, taking him from me. “You’re a little stinker, aren’t you? Just like your father.”
I press a hand to my chest. “I was an angel. Just ask my dad.”
Maddie snorts. “I did. He didn’t tell me the same story.”
Scoffing, I steal my kid back and walk into the kitchen for a bottle of water. Maddie shouldn’t be carrying him anyway, but like always, she never listens.
“Thank you again for watching him today,” Maddie says, and when I got back to them, Sophie’s hand is on Maddie’s stomach.
“He’s kicking,” Sophie says, smiling at me.
Maddie then presses a hand on Sophie’s big bump. “C’mon, baby girl. Kick for Auntie Maddie.”
“She only kicks for her favorite uncle,” I taunt.
With furrowed brows, Maddie drops her hands. “You touch my sister…a lot?”
I roll my eyes. “I’m not walking into that trap.”
Sophie chuckles. “Wait, she’s moving now.” She brings her hands to her stomach, and Maddie’s follows.
“Told ya,” I singsong. “The kid loves my voice.”
“The kid thinks you’re Mason. Don’t flatter yourself.” Sophie smirks.
“How crazy that you’re gonna have two girls, and I’m gonna have two boys,” Maddie says.
“Unless you try for a girl next?” Sophie says. “Keep going until you get a little ballerina!”
“Trust me, if it were up to Liam, he’d keep me barefoot and pregnant for years. Then I’d still probably end up with all boys anyway.”
“Don’t get me horny now,” I tease, waggling my brows.
Sophie glares at me for my word choice in front of Layla. I shrug.
“I’m content with having my nieces in ballet classes,” Maddie says, but sometimes I wonder.
Does she wish we could have a girl of our own for her to share her biggest passion with? I’d be happy to try for a girl the rest of my life, but she’s already overwhelmed, and baby number two isn’t even here yet.
“We’ll see,” I chime in, smirking. “I might be able to do some convincing…”
Sophie rolls her eyes with a gag, and Maddie shakes her head.
Maddie holds out her hand toward me as she looks at Sophie. “You see how I’ve gotten pregnant twice in three years.”
I waggle my brows again and grin.
Grabbing Maddie’s face, I press a kiss to her sassy mouth. “Change clothes so we can go.”
“Alright.” She kisses me back.
“Make sure to tell Tyler we all said hi and we’ll see him Saturday at the cookout,” Sophie says before she grabs her purse and Layla, then heads toward the door.
Twenty minutes later, we’re finally on the road for a three-hour trip to pick up Tyler.
Today’s finally the day.
MADDIE
As we pull into the prison parking lot, anxious butterflies swarm my stomach as I think about this being the last time we’ll ever have to come here. Finally.
For the past five years, we’ve visited Tyler almost every month.
During my last pregnancy, we weren’t able to for about four months due to me being high risk, but then we came and brought the baby for him to officially meet.
I’ll never forget when we told Tyler we really did name the baby after him.
It was the first time I’d seen Tyler tear up with happiness.
Baby Tyler will grow up knowing what the man he’s named after did for us. How he risked his own life to save mine and brought Liam and me back together. I’ll never forget his sacrifice and naming our first son after him felt right and perfect.
“I don’t know why I’m so nervous,” I say, my legs shaking as we wait for him to come through the gates.
Liam comforts me by putting his hand on my knee. “Settle down, Mads. It’s not good for the baby.”
I roll my eyes. He worries too much.
But I love him for it anyway.
Looking in the back seat, I smile as baby Tyler sleeps. He’ll finally get more than thirty minutes to spend time with his uncle, and since he’ll be living with us for a while, I hope they create a special bond.
“There he is,” Liam says, and I snap my head around.
“Oh my God. He’s wearing street clothes!” My emotions bubble over, and I can’t wait any longer. I throw open the truck door and carefully hop out.
“Mads!” Liam groans, but he knows me well enough to know I won’t listen to him anyway.
“Tyler!” I shout and walk as fast as I can toward him.
As he approaches me, he opens his arms wide, and the dam breaks. I finally get to hug him after five years. Tears blur my vision as I wrap my arms around him, and he embraces me in a hug.
“Oh my God, I can’t believe you’re out!”
Liam joins and pulls him in for a side hug. “Dude. You’re buff as fuck.”
Tyler chuckles. “Gotta make sure I’m prepared for the real world now, ya know?”
I wipe my face, and Tyler smiles. “You look huge.”
Laughing through my emotions, I playfully push his chest. “Shut up. I know. And I still have two more months.”
Tyler cringes. “Yikes. Good thing I’m only staying for a few weeks.”
My face drops. “What? That’s it? Why?”
We walk to the truck, and Liam helps me get into the back so Tyler can sit shotgun.
“You know I didn’t want to go to Sacramento,” he says after we all buckle up. “I found a job back home. I need a fresh start. There’s nothing here for me.”
“Ugh,” I say offended. “Me! And Liam and baby Tyler.”
“And you all have your own lives to live. You won’t mind me invading your space for a little bit, but after a while, you’ll want to have your privacy again, so it’s best if I try to go back into civilian life as soon as I can.”
Liam starts the truck and drives us out of the parking lot. “Babe, he’s made his decision,” he tells me when he knows I want to keep arguing.
I slump in my seat. “Fine, but I’m using these next three weeks to change your mind.”
“You will after you realize my cooking game is weak,” Tyler teases.
Three weeks pass way too fucking fast. Tyler promised to visit, but I have a feeling he won’t anytime soon, which makes me sad because I was hoping he’d be here for Tobias’s birth.
But I get why he needs a fresh start. His grandma still lives in Lawton Ridge, Alabama, and I’m pretty sure his high school crush, Gemma, does too.
Though he stopped talking about her in our letters, I have a feeling he’ll be talking about her again soon.
“Why. Is. It. So. Hot!” I shout, ripping off my shirt. “Liam! We need to move!”