Epilogue
AGE 52
“ W hat’re you watching?” my wife asks, entering our living room in runners, yoga pants, and a slouchy top over a cropped bra top, clearly just arriving home after her regular weekly yoga class. Ash and Audrey attend the same session, and they usually grab a coffee afterwards. Viv’s hair is up in a high ponytail, and there isn’t a scrap of makeup on her face, but she’s still the most beautiful woman in the world.
“Our movie.” I press pause on the remote and open my arms in invitation. I need to hold my wife.
Viv drops her rolled-up yoga mat on the ground and crawls onto the sofa beside me, instantly curling into my side. My arms wind around her on autopilot. Her gaze roams to the giant wall-mounted TV screen, which is paused at the scene after Reeve’s funeral at Vivien and Reeve’s house, where we had the big meeting. Her probing eyes lift to mine. “Why are you watching that? We haven’t looked at it in years.”
I hold her tighter, pressing a kiss to her head, savoring the familiar smell and feel of her in my arms. “I’ve been feeling melancholy since Melody moved out.” Our youngest starts UCLA in a few days. Her brothers helped me and Viv to move her into her new dorm a couple days ago. She’s the last one to move out of home, and we’re officially empty nesters now. The house is so quiet even if I love having my wife all to myself again for the first time in years.
Viv rests her head on my chest, and I know she’s listening to the rhythm of my heart because it’s one of her favorite things to do. Deep down, I think she needs the reassurance my steady heart beat offers. It helps to ground her. “I know the feeling. Our babies are all grown up. They don’t need us anymore.” She sniffles, and I’m not surprised to see tears in her eyes when I lift her onto my lap, facing me.
“Our babies will always need us, Hollywood.” I kiss her softly, and a deep sense of contentment sinks deep into my bones, like always. “I remember the time I discovered Easton was mine and then Reeve died. I stayed strong because I wanted to be there for you and our son, but I don’t think I could have done it without the support of my parents and my siblings. They helped get me through it.” I brush hair out of her eyes. “I was just thinking back to that time. It was the first time I truly leaned on anyone else. The first time I properly let my family in. Let Ma in. I was twenty-six, and I still needed my mother.”
Our kids adore Vivien. They’ll never stop needing her and loving her. Of that, I’m sure.
“I needed to hear that.”
“I know.”
“Something occurred to me this morning,” she says, straddling my thighs.
“That we can have wild monkey sex, anytime and anywhere, now all the kids have flown the nest?” I quip, grabbing her toned arse in my hands. My woman is all kinds of flexible, thanks to regular yoga, and I’m always keen to bend her into lots of different positions.
She rolls her eyes and laughs. “Pretty sure we’ve had plenty of wild monkey sex with the kids in the house.”
“We could build a sex room.” My eyes widen at the prospect.
“You have sex on the brain,” she teases, grinding on top of me.
“Seems like I’m not the only one.”
“I thought for sure you’d want a lake with swans.”
“That too.” Grabbing her hips, I slide her back and forth on top of me, ensuring she feels my hardening length. I’m still so horny for my woman.
Heat flares in her eyes as she stares at me, and I get lost in her. She’s still so fucking beautiful, growing old gracefully like my mum and mother-in-law. With the exception of a few laughter lines around her eyes, some gray in her dark hair, and slightly softer curves, Vivien hasn’t changed much in all the years I’ve known her. She’s still the most gorgeous on the planet. She cups my face. “You know I’ll give you whatever you want because I love you and I like making you happy.”
“I love you so much.” Circling my arms around her, I hug her tight. “I love our life. You’ve made me so incredibly happy, Vivien.”
We kiss slowly and passionately for a few minutes without any agenda despite my teasing. Sometimes, I just love hugging and kissing my wife, reveling in the intimacy we share. An intimacy that has lasted the test of time when plenty of other marriages have long since fallen by the wayside. “Love you, rock star,” she says when we finally break our lip-lock. Emotion swims in her eyes as she cups my face. “What I was going to say earlier was I was thinking this morning about how I had Reeve in my life for twenty-six years and now you’ve been in my life that long too.”
“I know, beautiful.” I smooth a soothing hand up and down her back. “I’m always acutely aware of the years, months, days, minutes, and seconds we’ve spent together because I spent far too many of them without you.”
“Still such a romantic,” she whispers as tears fill her eyes.
“Do you still miss him?”
“I’ll always miss him, Dillon, but it doesn’t make me sad anymore. How could it when I have you and the kids and the most amazing life? I’m sad his life was cut so short, but I’m exactly where I was always meant to be.” She kisses the tip of my nose. “Never doubt that you are the love of my life.”
I haven’t doubted it in a very long time. “I’m secure in our love.” I brush my fingers across her cheek. “But I’ll always regret I never got to know him. I’ll always regret believing Simon instead of asking Reeve if it was true.”
A pregnant pause ensues, and I guess we’re both thinking how we might not be here now if that had happened. It’s hard to admit you wouldn’t change a thing about your life despite all the heartache and suffering—yours and others—because it seems like the most selfish admission even if it’s also the most selfless. It’s like saying we’d be okay if we’d never reunited. If Fleur and Melody didn’t exist.
Things happen in life for a reason.
I fully believe that now.
“Reeve is at peace, Dillon. You should be too. Let go of your regrets, my love. I’m pretty confident he’s looking down at the amazing husband and father you are, and it tells him everything he needs to know.”
“Have you felt him at all lately?”
She shakes her head. “Not in years. Not since that awful night with Bodhi.”
A shudder works its way through her as icy tentacles wrap around my spine. None of us like remembering that time. “He’s in a great place,” I remind her. “He’s happy.”
“I’m so proud of him. I’m proud of all our kids.”
“Same. I don’t think we can even take much credit. We lucked out. They’re all such good, kind, compassionate kids.”
“I miss them,” she whispers, resting her head on my shoulder. “What’ll we do with ourselves now they’re gone?”
A deep chuckle rumbles from my chest. “Oh, Hollywood, I can think of plenty of ways to keep you busy.” I nibble on her earlobe. “I’ll give you a clue. Most all of them involve you on your back.”
“That’s a given, babe.” She rocks on top of me, and my dick stirs to life again. “But I’m thinking we should do it. What you suggested.”
Excitement shoots through my veins. “Yeah?”
She bobs her head, and her entire face glows. “You’re right.”
“I usually am.”
She rolls her eyes again. “We’ve worked our butts off for years with our careers and family, and we’re still young enough to enjoy this stage of our life. Let’s do it. Let’s go traveling for a few years before we’re inundated with grandbabies and extra responsibilities.”
“How quickly can you hire someone to replace you at the foundation?” I ask while mauling her arse through her yoga pants.
“Quicker than you think.” She smirks.
“Spill, Hollywood.” My hand dips under her top, resting on warm skin.
“I asked Ria if she might be interested, and she’s champing at the bit to take the role.”
“That’s a very smart move.” Ria is Conor’s wife, and she’s worked in NGOs for years, most recently at senior management level. She’s the perfect person to take over from Vivien at the foundation she runs in Reeve’s name. It’s important to her to leave the charity in trustworthy hands.
“She said she’d be happy to take over until we come back and then she’s interested in a split part-time role with me or one of the kids if anyone shows an interest in getting involved at that stage.”
“Sounds like a good plan, and I’ve spoken with Bodhi. He’s happy to take on more responsibility at the label, and between him and the others, they can cover my shit.”
Bodhi joined the CD label when he graduated high school, and he’s never looked back. Meanwhile, Easton has ended up at Studio 27. He’s working his way up the ranks and loving being a part of the movie industry from behind the camera. Both our girls are at college and still unsure about their futures, but they’re young, and they have plenty of time to decide what they want to do.
Collateral Damage is pretty much retired these days though we never officially disbanded. We haven’t ruled out making another album or getting back onstage. Viv and I have discussed setting up an annual memorial festival in aid of the foundation, and we might put that in motion when we return. For the past few years, myself and the guys have been happy running our label and helping new bands to make their mark on the music scene. I also write a lot for other artists, and my songwriting income vastly outweighs my non-songwriting royalties these days.
“When should we leave?” Viv pivots her hips on top of me, and I’m fully hard now.
“How about next month? I want at least a few weeks to enjoy doing nothing but feasting on you,” I admit as I unclip her bra.
“You won’t hear any complaints from me.” In a flash, her bra and shirt are tossed on the floor.
“You’re still so fucking perfect, Viv,” I say, fondling her tits. “I’m so happy I get to live this life with you.”
“Ditto, babe.” She licks her lips as she gyrates on top of me while I grope her boobs. “This is the next part of our adventure together.”
“Here’s to the next twenty-six years,” I say before sucking her nipple into my mouth.
One thing I know for sure is it’ll never be boring.
I can’t wait to begin.
THE END.