Epilogue
One year later
Audrey
The crackle of the fireplace was the only sound in the dark, wood-paneled bedroom of the Vermont cabin. Outside, a heavy winter snow was quietly blanketing the mountains, but inside, the air was thick, suffocatingly warm, and heavy with a desperate, beautiful tension.
Audrey lay back against the plush, white pillows, her head thrown back, her fingers tangled frantically in the heavy quilt beneath her.
Simon was between her thighs, his hands firmly gripping her hips to hold her perfectly still.
He was devastatingly thorough, his mouth hot and relentless, his tongue mapping her with a desperate, worshipping focus that sent liquid fire straight through her veins.
He knew exactly what she needed, exactly how to unravel her, and he took a dark, primal pride in taking his time.
"Simon," Audrey gasped, the sound fracturing in the quiet room. Her hips arched off the mattress involuntarily. "Please..."
He didn't stop. He only pressed his mouth firmer against her center, his thumbs pressing into her hips, demanding she completely surrender to him.
Audrey let out a high, breathless sob as the tension finally snapped, her vision going white at the edges as she shattered beautifully beneath his touch.
She trembled violently, the overwhelming waves of release pulling her under.
Simon waited until the very last tremor left her body before he finally shifted.
He moved up the length of the bed, the mattress shifting under his weight.
He hovered over her in the dim firelight, his dark eyes entirely blown, his chest heaving.
He leaned down and captured her mouth in a deep, wet kiss, sharing the taste of her release, entirely unbothered and wholly devoted.
Audrey hummed into his mouth, her hands sliding up his muscular arms.
Simon pulled back just an inch, his eyes soft and incredibly tender. "Turn over for me, sweetheart," he murmured, his voice a rough, dark rasp.
With slow, careful movements, Simon gently guided her onto her side, facing the fire.
He immediately shifted behind her, aligning his chest completely flush with her back.
And then, his large, warm hand slid down the side of her waist, wrapping around to spread wide over the massive, hard curve of her pregnant belly.
Audrey closed her eyes, letting out a soft, contented sigh at the contact.
She was almost eight months pregnant, her center of gravity entirely shifted, her body heavy and stretched.
But every single time Simon touched her—especially here, in the quiet dark of their bedroom—it was with a breathtaking, fragile reverence.
He didn't just touch her stomach; he held it like it was the most precious, sacred thing he had ever been entrusted with.
"I love you," Simon whispered against her neck, pressing a hot, lingering kiss to her skin.
He slid his other hand down her hip, guiding her leg up just enough to make room for himself. When he finally pushed inside her, the angle was deep, comfortable, and profoundly intimate.
Audrey let out a long, shuddering breath, her head dropping back onto his shoulder. "Simon..."
"I've got you," he promised softly, his arm tightening securely around her heavy belly, holding their unborn child while he made love to his wife.
He established a slow, agonizingly deep rhythm.
There was no rush, no frantic race to the finish line.
This was entirely about connection. Audrey reached down, resting her hand over his where it lay flat against her stomach.
They moved perfectly together, the physical pleasure building with an intense, agonizing heat.
He kissed the shell of her ear, whispering absolute filth mixed with devastating declarations of love, entirely melting her brain until she couldn't think of anything but him.
The intensity grew, the slow burn igniting into a roaring fire. Audrey felt the familiar, blinding tension coiling in her lower stomach again. Simon felt her breath hitch, and he drove into her harder, his own control finally fraying.
"Rey," he groaned, his grip on her hip tightening.
They found their release together, Simon burying his face in her dark hair as he completely surrendered, his chest heaving violently against her back. Audrey let out a soft, muffled cry, entirely consumed by the blinding pleasure and the overwhelming, undeniable safety of her husband’s arms.
For a long time, the only sounds in the room were their ragged, synchronized breathing and the popping of the fire.
Eventually, Simon let out a deep, satisfied sigh. He kissed her shoulder before slowly pulling back and rolling out of bed. He didn't grab his clothes. Completely bare, he walked around to Audrey’s side of the bed and extended his hands to her.
"Come on, baby," Simon smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Up you get."
Audrey groaned playfully, looking at her massive stomach. "I don't want to move. I'm too comfortable."
"Doctor's orders," Simon reminded her gently, grasping her hands and helping her maneuver her heavy body upright. "You need to use the bathroom. No UTIs on my watch."
Audrey laughed softly, letting him pull her to her feet. "You are entirely too practical."
"I am protective," he corrected, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead. "Go on. I'll get you some water."
Audrey waddled to the en-suite bathroom, a warm, profound sense of joy settling over her heart. When she returned a few minutes later, the sheets had been straightened, and Simon was sitting up against the headboard, a fresh glass of ice water waiting on the nightstand.
She climbed back into bed, taking the water and drinking it gratefully before settling back down at his side. Simon immediately wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. His hand, entirely by instinct, found its way right back to her round belly, his thumb gently stroking the taut skin.
"How's he doing in there?" Simon whispered, looking down at her stomach with a soft, boyish smile. "Did we wake him up?"
As if on cue, a sharp, distinct kick hit right against Simon's palm.
Simon’s eyes lit up, a quiet, awestruck laugh escaping him. "Hey, buddy. Yeah, I feel you."
Audrey smiled, resting her head on Simon’s chest, listening to the steady, strong beat of his heart. She watched his hand gently rub circles over the baby's kicks, her mind drifting back to the crisp autumn morning she had found out.
It had been six months after the Lumière fallout, and their marriage had finally found its solid, beautiful footing.
Audrey had been a week late. She remembered sitting on the edge of the bathtub, staring at the two pink lines on the plastic stick, her heart hammering with a wild mixture of terror and overwhelming hope.
When she had walked downstairs and handed the test to Simon in the kitchen, he had completely frozen.
He dropped the spatula he was holding, stared at the two lines, and then immediately fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his face in her stomach.
He had cried—deep, shaking, unapologetic sobs of absolute gratitude.
He had promised her, right there on the kitchen floor, that this baby would never know a single day of the broken man he used to be.
And he had kept that promise. He was an incredible father to Lily, and he was already completely devoted to the son they were expecting in just six weeks.
"He's strong," Simon murmured, kissing the top of Audrey's head, pulling her from her thoughts. "He's going to be a menace on the soccer field."
"He's going to be absolutely spoiled by you, is what he's going to be," Audrey teased softly, lacing her fingers with his over her belly.
"Guilty as charged," Simon admitted without a single ounce of shame. He rested his chin on her hair, his voice dropping into a quieter, deeply reverent register. "Thank you, Rey."
"For what?"
"For not giving up on me," Simon whispered, the absolute truth ringing in the dark cabin. "For letting me build this life with you. I love you."
Audrey closed her eyes, completely safe, completely whole, and entirely happy.
"I love you, too, Simon."
∞∞∞
Four years later
Audrey
The sweeping glass conservatory of the botanical garden was illuminated by thousands of twinkling fairy lights, casting a warm, golden glow over the lush greenery and the elegantly set tables.
Soft acoustic music drifted through the air, blending with the low hum of laughter and conversation from their closest friends and family.
Audrey stood near the arched entrance, taking a moment just to watch the beautiful, chaotic masterpiece her life had become.
Tonight was their fifteenth wedding anniversary.
Five years ago, they had been sitting in separate houses, staring down the barrel of a divorce.
Tonight, Simon had rented out the entire conservatory, pulling out every single stop to celebrate the incredible, fiercely fought-for rebirth of their marriage.
He had told her that since they had spent their tenth anniversary in a state of quiet, suffocating misery, their fifteenth was going to be a declaration of absolute victory.
Audrey smoothed her hands down the skirt of her stunning, deep emerald gown. She smiled, her heart swelling so massively it physically ached as she located her husband in the center of the room.
Simon looked devastatingly handsome in a classic black tuxedo, his dark hair brushed back, laughing as he simultaneously managed the beautiful chaos of their three children.
Lily, now an elegant, perceptive twelve-year-old in a blush-pink dress, was holding a plate of hors d'oeuvres and rolling her eyes affectionately as her younger brother did a wobbly spin on the dance floor.
Max, who was just weeks away from his fourth birthday, was a miniature, high-energy replica of his father. He was wearing a tiny suit with a crooked bowtie, currently attempting to breakdance to a slow jazz song, earning a rich, booming laugh from Simon.
And then there was Lacey. At sixteen months old, their youngest daughter was an absolute terror with a head of wild, dark curls.
She was currently perched safely on Simon’s hip, wearing a poofy white dress and happily chewing on the edge of her father’s expensive silk lapel.
Simon didn't care in the slightest; he was just kissing her chubby cheek and bouncing her to the rhythm of the music.
Audrey took a deep breath, fighting the immediate prick of tears in her eyes, and stepped fully into the room.
∞∞∞
Simon
It didn't take long for Simon to feel the shift in the atmosphere. He turned his head, his dark eyes scanning the crowd until they locked onto her.
The breathless, entirely awestruck look that crossed his face was exactly the same as the one he had given her when she had walked down the aisle fifteen years ago.
Simon whispered something to Lily, handing her his drink, and walked across the dance floor with Lacey still balanced on his hip.
When he reached Audrey, he didn't say a word.
He just leaned in and kissed her—a deep, grounding, wildly romantic kiss that made the rest of the crowded room entirely fade away.
"Hi," Audrey whispered against his mouth, resting her hand on his chest.
"You are the most breathtaking woman I have ever seen," Simon murmured, his eyes shining with absolute devotion. He shifted Lacey slightly, who babbled happily and reached a sticky hand out to grab Audrey’s sparkly earring. "Happy anniversary, Rey."
"Happy anniversary, Simon." Audrey leaned in to kiss Lacey’s nose, making the toddler giggle. "The venue is incredible. You went completely overboard."
"I promised you a grand gesture," Simon smiled, his free hand settling firmly on the small of her back. "We survived the fire, Audrey. We rebuilt the house. I wanted everyone we love to see exactly how beautiful our second act is."
Audrey’s smile softened into something incredibly raw and deeply emotional.
They had done the agonizing work. There were no more ghosts hiding in the corners of their marriage.
The man standing in front of her was entirely, completely hers—a fiercely protective father and a husband who spent every single day proving his loyalty.
"Dad!" Max’s voice cut through the romantic moment as the small boy came skidding across the polished floor, crashing directly into Simon’s legs. "Mom! Look at my shoes! They're so fast!"
"I see them, buddy," Simon laughed, reaching down to ruffle Max's dark hair.
Lily walked over a moment later, elegantly sipping from a glass of sparkling cider. "Dad, the band is setting up for the first dance. You're supposed to be over there."
"Right," Simon nodded. He looked at Lily, his eyes softening. "Lil, can you take the gremlins for three minutes? I need to dance with my wife."
"Come here, Lacey," Lily smiled, easily taking her baby sister from Simon's arms while balancing Max with her free hand. "Don't step on Mom's dress, Dad."
"I'll do my best," Simon promised.
As the kids migrated toward the dessert table, Simon held his hand out to Audrey. She placed her hand in his, letting him guide her to the center of the dance floor. The soft acoustic music shifted into a slow, beautiful melody.
Simon pulled her completely flush against his chest, wrapping his arms around her waist while Audrey looped her arms around his neck. They swayed together under the fairy lights, completely enveloped in the safety of each other's embrace.
"Fifteen years," Simon whispered, resting his forehead against hers. "Five years since I almost lost everything. And not a single day goes by that I don't thank God for the grace you showed me."
Audrey looked up into his dark eyes, tracing the familiar lines of his handsome face. "I love the life we built, Simon. All of it. The chaos, the kids, the late nights. I wouldn't trade our story for anything, because it got us exactly here."
Simon’s throat bobbed, deeply moved. He pressed a long, reverent kiss to her forehead, holding her so tightly she could feel the steady, permanent beating of his heart against hers.
"To the next fifteen," Simon promised fiercely against her skin. "And every single year after that."
"Forever," Audrey agreed softly.
They kept dancing, surrounded by the beautiful, loud, perfect family they had created, entirely victorious, and profoundly, endlessly in love.