Epilogue #2
She pretty quickly dropped girly pop after hearing Felix call me Disney so could you imagine her delight when she realised we’d named our children after Disney characters.
I didn’t even realise we had until it was too late.
Roman very much led the charge in that area and I did wonder why he suddenly had a very specific list of names I could choose from.
Apparently, every princess needs a fairy godmother, I mean mum.
“Out here!” I call back before turning to see Robyn entering through the sliding doors with a handful of presents.
I walk over before stopping abruptly as I take in the bags dangling from her hands. Unless Finn has suddenly developed his dad’s obsession with Disney princesses, those presents definitely aren’t for him.
“What the fuck are you carrying?”
“What, these?” Robyn frowns, lifting the offending bags slightly.
“Yes, Robyn. Them.”
“Oh, they’re for the girls.”
“You do know it’s Finn’s birthday, right?”
“And?”
“And how would you feel if I got presents on your birthday?”
Robyn blinks at me. “Hate to break it to you, but you’re not my actual sister, Fae… so that would be weird.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose before looking up to the sky and silently counting to ten. This is why only children scare me and somehow, I ended up marrying one whilst befriending another.
“Aunty Robyn!” Aurora cries the second she spots her across the garden and immediately takes off running toward her.
Robyn has less than five seconds to brace herself before she’s rugby tackled at full speed. She just about manages to dump the presents on the floor beforehand.
“Be careful!” I bark before cutting a look towards Roman. “More of them? Really?”
“What do you mean more of us?” Luca asks, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. I physically jump before clutching my chest.
“Jesus Christ, Luca.”
His eyes narrow immediately. “Are you pregnant?”
“No!” I snap at the exact same time Roman mutters, “Hopefully soon.”
“I bring presents!” Robyn declares and the twins squeal before immediately dragging her towards the seating area.
Robyn kisses Luca on the cheek as she passes and makes her way over to Elsa.
Elsa smiles softly as she lifts her forefinger up and Robyn immediately mirrors the motion.
They touch their fingers together like E.T.
before Robyn carries on walking. Elsa has the same touch aversion Roman does but I think somewhere along the way she realised Robyn needed little physical reminders that she was loved, so the two of them quietly created their own version of affection instead.
As we all gather around the seating area Finn is the last to arrive.
He walks straight over to Robyn, so much like the group of boys I grew up with that it makes something ache in my chest, before bending down to kiss her on the cheek and plonking himself beside her.
“Happy birthday, Fi,” she smiles as she passes him an envelope.
“Thanks, Birdy,” Finn winks and Robyn chuckles quietly as she shakes her head.
He opens the card with a grin but his entire expression suddenly drops and I frown at the reaction. A piece of paper slips out and he unfolds it carefully. His hands start shaking more and more the longer he stares at it until the page is physically flapping between his fingers.
“Really?” he says as he cuts a look to her with glassy eyes and a wobbly lip.
“Yup!” she smiles wildly. “I’ll take you next Saturday!”
“Thank you!” he gasps before leaning over and pulling her into a big hug.
“You’re very welcome, my little hero.”
“Welllllll…” Aurora asks. “What did you get?”
“A tattoo!” Finn explains and I gasp as I cut a furious look to my best friend who looks as proud as Punch.
“Absolutely fucking not, Finn!” Roman barks and makes us all jump.
“Why not?” he spits back.
“You’re sixteen!”
“You got your first one when you were sixteen!”
“That was different!”
“It’s for Nana!” Finn loses his temper and my lip wobbles instantly as he turns the paper around.
On it is a beautiful tattoo design of a small robin perched on top of a birthday cake with sixteen candles melted down the sides. A lipstick stain is pressed against the icing like somebody kissed the cake itself and underneath in delicate handwriting are the words:
Give my grandson a kiss from me.
Roman looks at me and I offer him a small smile as I see the pain etched across his face. He brings his free hand up to rub against his chest before tipping his head back towards the sky and breathing out slowly.
“Fuck you, Robyn,” he mutters as he drags a hand down his face and she smiles triumphantly.
“I always win, Roman. You should know that by now.”
“Does that mean I can get it done?” Finn asks carefully.
“Fine,” Roman sighs dramatically. “Who’s giving you a tattoo anyway?”
“Oh, come on,” I interrupt before Finn even gets a chance to answer. “Like you don’t already know.”
Roman’s eyes meet mine and for a second everything else fades into the background.
The shouting. The music. The chaos. Sixteen years ago all we ever wanted was survival.
Freedom. A chance to breathe without fear clawing at our throats and somehow somewhere along the way we built this instead.
A loud house full of children who feel safe enough to scream, laugh, argue and love openly.
The kind of life people like us were never supposed to have.
Finn still stands clutching the tattoo design against his chest whilst Robyn smirks at Roman like she’s personally won a war and honestly?
Maybe she has. Maybe all of us have. Because despite everything The Company tried to turn us into, despite every awful thing buried beneath our bloodlines, our children grew up knowing love before fear.
The doorbell rings through the house and I smile instantly because somehow, against all odds, there’s still more family coming.