Epilogue
Sarah
Two Years Later
A tiny cry startles me awake.
I immediately blink my eyes open, reaching for the baby in the crib beside me. Except…he isn't there.
"I've got him, baby girl," Jasper rumbles, his voice soft.
I glance up to find him at the foot of the crib with our newborn cradled in his arms. My heart clenches at the sight, my whole body going soft.
Jasper has always been beautiful to me, but he's a whole new level of perfect with our son cradled against his chest like he intends to protect his tiny body from the whole world.
I know he will. It's what he does. It's who he is. The man is a warrior, carved from the strongest steel, made to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. He's been carrying mine for the last two years.
Whenever I stumble, he's right there.
Whenever I freeze, he's at my side.
Whenever I panic, I fall into him.
He is my safety, my shelter, and my strength.
He's also the only person in the world who has ever seen me clearly—not as the terrified mess I always saw when I looked in the mirror, but as the quietly brave woman I've somehow become. I owe that to him. He loved me enough to give me the courage to move forward.
I love him enough to never stop now. Even on the hardest days, I keep moving forward.
The future is more beautiful than I dreamed it would be. It's me and him and the tiny little boy in his arms—the one who is going to be just as big and strong as he is some day.
We named him Noah, after my dad. I think he would have loved that.
"You should rest, baby," Jasper murmurs, arranging Noah in his arms before leaning down to run his fingers through my hair. "They said you need to sleep when he does."
"I know." I smile up at him. "But I just want to enjoy this for a little while."
"Enjoy what?"
"You and him," I whisper. "My family."
Jasper's eyes go soft. He leans down, holding Noah carefully, and brushes his lips across mine. "I love you, baby girl. So goddamn much."
"I love you too."
"Here, scoot forward."
I scoot forward until he nods, and then smile when he places Noah in my arms. He immediately nuzzles in against my throat.
Jasper crawls onto the bed behind me, pulling me back against him. I melt against his chest, letting him hold us.
"Now, you can enjoy us and rest," he murmurs, brushing his lips across my shoulder. "Daddy's got you."
I just hum in response because I know he does. He always will.