Epilogue
Crusher – Eight Years Later
“Crusher, is there no chance that you can stay on?” Allens pleads as I grab my cut out of my locker, and I shake my head, making him groan, and I chuckle despite feeling fucking exhausted.
I remind him, “I just did a double shift because someone called in sick. You know legally I can’t stay any longer and I have to have at least two days off, and besides, I don’t want to stay.
I miss my wife and I have club duties to attend to,” and he huffs, muttering something about stupid laws before waving his hand at me and says, “Alright, enjoy your few days off, give my love to the wife,” and walks away making me chuckle.
Never thought I’d get along with the man after he tried causing shit with my shifts. I guess he’s mellowed out after his wife finally had their baby. Apparently, it was putting a strain on their marriage, which meant he was a prick at work.
She is supposedly aware of his infidelity, and they’ve been doing therapy, something even to this day my wife refuses to do, not that I blame her.
Shaking my head, I walk out of the station, anticipation hitting me that I finally get to see my wife after nearly twenty-five hours on shift, which, in my book, is too fucking long.
***
I pull up outside the ice rink half an hour later and climb off, then grab the car seat and attach it, knowing Allie will want to ride home with me.
Naming my five-year-old daughter after my mom, wasn’t my first choice, which is why I call her Allie, even though her name is Alice.
I’m still not fully there with my parents, the relationship is still strained slightly, but we do have family meals every week, which is helping.
We mainly do it for the kids and because of my wife’s pushing, reminding me she has no parents, so of course I cave every single time.
I’m learning to let my parents back in, it’s just a lot you know?
I felt unwanted and that is a feeling that is hard to get over.
I understand now why my wife still struggles with her trust to this day.
Fuck, when we found out she was pregnant with Allie, something that shouldn’t have happened because she was on the pill, she cried because she wasn’t ready.
She felt like our relationship wasn’t there yet.
I fucking hated myself, but Mom shockingly is the one who helped her through her emotions, hence why my girl wanted to name our daughter after her and I couldn’t say no.
I shake my head and walk inside the arena, ready to lay eyes on my wife and kids.
Kayden should already be here. He is sixteen-year-old and amazing.
He’s the center and captain of the Hill Crest Hockey team, a shoo-in to play in college, which he wants.
Instead of going pro as I encouraged, he wants to learn from me, he wants to become the club's SA while working at the firehouse of all places. I am so fucking proud, and unlike my dad, I’ve supported him, I will always support him.
I hear Allie’s giggles as I walk towards the rink, and I smile slightly, knowing she’s probably on the ice.
My amazing wife is the town's resident ice-skating teacher, and her business is booming to the point that she’s had to hire people and add more classes.
She's thriving, making me so fucking proud because she’s living her dream.
From the looks of the several moms passing me, biting their lips, and their kids running towards the exit, she's just finished the class.
“Man, Alexiana is one lucky woman to sleep with that every night,” I hear just as Allie squeals, “Daddy!” as I walk into the rink.
Ignoring the horny moms that some brothers like to come perv on while my wife teaches, I grin as my daughter skates towards the barrier like a pro, Kayden right behind her, being the best big brother.
“Hey, Dad,” he says with a grin that looks so much like mine, and I grin in return before I raise a brow at my wife skating towards me.
“Mrs. Smith, you should not be on that ice,” I scold as she stops near the barrier and I gently place my hand on her small eighteen-week bump where our twin boys are growing.
“I’m fine, besides, Kayden's been hovering,” she says with a big smile, and I shake my head and mutter, “Those boys are going to come out with skates on.”
“That’s the plan, Dad,” Kayden chuckles, and I smirk.
“You ready to start prospecting next week?” I ask him, and he nods, his mama giving him a soft look.
“Cage said he’ll make sure nothing gets in the way of hockey,” he admits, and I nod just as one of the twins kicks my hand, and I smile widely.
I swear, feeling them move, just like with Allie, it’s surreal, and I hate that I missed it with Kayden.
I think that is why I still struggle with my relationship with my dad.
I know I’m also to blame, I know I shouldn’t have gotten drunk, but he is the reason everything tumbled down around me, and it's hard to forgive that kind of stuff.
“You’ll do amazing, son,” I say softly, and he grins.
“I wouldn’t have been able to if it weren’t for you and mom,” he says and my wife’s eyes tear up making us both chuckle before Kayden says, “Come on, little sis,” and he takes Alice’s hands then glides her backwards making her smile while I hold my wife over the barrier and murmur, “We created amazing kids,” and she hums as she watches them skate around the rink before she looks at me.
“I’ve missed you,” she says, and I hum as I lean forward and kiss her, then confirm, “Take out before the kids go to bed, and then you and me?”
“Or,” she whispers, “Linc takes the kids tonight, which he already suggested, and we have takeout in bed, preferably naked?”
“I like how you fucking think,” I whisper before pressing my lips back against hers as she grips my cut while holding her closer.
It took her three years to put her own leather back on, but fuck I’m glad she did, and so were the brothers who, believe it or not, threw a fucking party.
I hear Allie giggle along with Kayden's laughter while the twins move between us, and everything fucking settles.
Even though my relationship with my parents is a little rocky, even though my wife sometimes has setbacks with her trust, I have never been fucking happier because of all this right here.
Growing old with Alexiana is a fucking dream I get to live, because wherever she goes, I’ll always follow, even in death.