EPILOGUE

 

BRYNN

It's nothing to be nervous about. And yet, I am edgy, anxious, my hands shaking and my skin sweaty. Although, to be fair, it's kind of hot in here. Gigi's studio lights pour down on the castle background we're posing Amelia on. Levi watches us, looking every bit my handsome king.

A few weeks after his accident, he went back to work. And I did too. I had no sooner gotten my last box unpacked when he suggested it. The six houses Deacon and Gwen were looking to build out on the land they owned needed buyers.

“I know you made this our home. I love it. It's not about where we live though; any place we live, you and Amelia, you will make it home.” Like usual, Levi was right; with that in mind, we struck a deal.

I would design the homes, we would put some of Levi's savings, and some of my Gold family inheritance, towards a hefty down payment. One of those six houses would be ours. We would move out to the lake as soon as ours was finished, which was about four months away.

Just about a year from the day Levi asked me to be his nanny.

Really, he was giving me the gift of a family. A family that would have dragons to slay, battles to fight, but would see its fairytale come true. We were lucky and we knew it. Now we just remembered to tell each other every day, tell our daughter how special she was.

How she made two lonely, damaged souls her parents.

Before I'd unpacked that final box and moved myself into our castle, I officially became Amelia's mother. Isabel signed her rights away allowing me to adopt her; I insisted we add the stipulation that should Isabel want contact with her someday, we would allow it. On our terms, of course.

I refused to take a choice away from a mother because it had been taken from me.

“Smile, baby. Look pretty for Gigi.” I coo at her now, adjusting the tulle on her dress and the tiara atop her ginger curls.

“Always pretty, munchkin. Just let aunt Gigi catch it, mmkay?” Gigi laughs and ducks back behind her camera, aiming and snapping.

For her one-year birthday, Gigi and I talked Levi into a Princess photoshoot. Completely with a stuffed dragon, a castle backdrop and a tiny tiara. Not that it took much effort, Levi adores his Princess—and his queen—and will give us whatever we ask for.

Like the elaborate Princess themed room we planned for the new house. I'm keeping the tree mural; this time Lola will paint it with fairies instead of owls. Because Princess Amelia loves her fairies. Levi will sit with us through countless viewings of all the Tinkerbell movies—although he prefers the pirate one the most.

“Always a pretty Princess.” Levi calls from behind Gigi, making faces and dancing her favorite plush dragon in the air to make her smile.

Man, the way that little girl smiles and giggles at her father. The way he will do whatever it takes to make her smile. How adorable he looks dancing around and being goofy. Just for her. Ovaries implode.

Levi makes goofy look hot as hell. Think after we get our family photo, I might take his hot, goofy ass out to the family minivan and show him what it does to this mama.

Besides being a stellar father, he's a good man. To me, to our friends, to everyone.  Hunter had been injured during the fire that put Levi in the hospital. But when they met the mother and baby they saved, they knew it had happened that way for a reason. And Levi decided to do something else for another mother.

Just weeks after becoming a mother for the second time—on paper at least—Levi gave me back the choice that had been taken from me. Using connections in the police department, he dug up all the info my mother tried to have kept from me.

“If you want it. Her parents want you to know about her. Want you to know you made the right choice. You can even write her if you want, they said. Tell her about yourself, about our daughter. You have the choice now to have a piece of Abbi back. If you want it.”

I thought when he gave me Amelia, I loved him. When he gave me back myself, helped me find who I had let be derailed so long ago, that I loved him. But, Levi giving me back the choice I had always wondered about, that made me love him more than the stars in the sky.

Levi had found my daughter's adoptive parents and spoke with them for weeks. Seems they were always open to the birth parents knowing about her. My mother spoke for me when she drafted the adoption papers that said I wanted no such thing. Papers I foolishly signed.

Papers Abbi's adoptive parents, the Decker's, sent in a packet full of photos and drawings and life moments of my daughter. Papers that they teasingly wrote “VOID” over. I did not have the courage, not yet anyway, to write her, but those monthly packages of photos and moments of my daughter's life, they reminded me I'd made the right choice.

The second right choice, the one that gave me Amelia and Levi, I was reminded of every single day.

“Think we got it, mama. That precious face. Pretty sure I had the shot hours ago, I just love her face. So weird how she looks like the two of you. That ginger hair and blue eyes. Those freckles.” Gigi bent in front of the prop we had little Amelia sitting on, showering her chubby cheeks with kisses, making the little Princess giggle wildly.

“It is kind of weird. Looks nothing like her egg donor.” Levi commented as he came up from behind me, wrapping his thick arms around me.

I didn't entirely agree. Sometimes all I could see was Isabel when I looked at my daughter. Now, speaking with Nance Decker, and knowing her side, I didn't mind it like I once did. Besides, somehow, my little girl really did look like me. Like the good parts of me and all the best parts of Levi.

“Hey y'all!” I twist to watch Cage and a pregnant Charli come in.

Charli has been glowing for months. If ever there was a woman meant to be a mother, I think it must be Charli. Us girls have spent the past months setting up a nursery for their baby boy, and Cage looks like he was the first man to impregnate their wife.

Immediately, both Gigi and I go to rub her stomach, something that's become a running joke. If the boys thought Hunter was protective of a pregnant Lola, they had no idea. Even when us girls touch her swollen belly, Cage emits the slightest growl. That sweet, sexy possessiveness makes Cage a little hotter every time.

“How much longer?” I know, of course, we all chat almost every day, especially lately with the changes we've all gone through.

A month ago, Hunter and Lola were the first to make the move out to the lake. We finished their house first, and it was perfect. Lola had a studio and there were two spare rooms, for the kids Hunter said he'd be putting in Lola soon. It was next door to where our house was being built.

Cage and Charli loved their cottage, but Deacon and Gwen had convinced them to make the move too. Their house wasn't complete yet, because Cage and Charli were waiting to have the baby. They couldn't decide how many rooms they wanted.

But I had made sure to design her an epic library, and Lola and I had found awesome first editions of all the romances the two had exchanged during the beginning of their sugary sweet romance.

I expected Gigi and Finn would make the move some day, too. Like a migration, all my people—because I no longer had doubts, these were my people—would be heading out to living the good life with our kids and our fairytale romances out by the lake. I was building the homes we would raise our families in and I couldn't be happier.

“Two months. Three weeks. Four days. I expect, like his father, he will be right on time. No rushing but no waiting, either.” Charli laughed, smoothing her hand over her round belly

“Our son will come when he wants to, sugar.” Cage smiles, his dimple flashing, gazing at his wife with love so blatant I feel intrusive watching them.

“Damn right. Cooper men don't rush. Do they, sweetheart?” I turn to watch Finn duck into the doorway, filling the room with his huge presence.

Gigi floats to him, her dual colored eyes sparkling and her porcelain skin flushing. I looked away again, laughing with Charli as Gigi jumped, letting Finn catch her. They were still newlyweds, so we allowed for their honeymoon behavior. I mean, it had been five months, but still.

“Hello my handsome husband.” We all look away as their kiss turns less than PG, ending with a loud growl and a smack of his hand on her ass.

“Children present, dick.” Levi barks with a laugh, holding Amelia up in all her pretty Princess wonder.

“Levi. Behave.” I giggle though, bending to touch my nose to hers, breathing deep her sweet scent.

“Never, honey.” Levi catches me before I get too far, kissing me gently, making our daughter giggle too.

When I lift away, I take stock of what we have. What all of us have. Of the people around us, the life we were given. We are so blessed. All of us.

“Ford! Damnit, he bit my tit again!” Lola's colorful shout is punctuated by a loud giggle and we all turn to watch her nurse baby Ford where she's also trying to paint.

“Such a mouth on you, darlin'.” Hunter's southern drawl booms from the doorway as he saunters in, shaking his bald head.

Lola giggles and we all can see that beast of a man melt. He crosses the room towards her, dipping her back and kissing her stupid. All with their son attached to her tit. Hunter has gotten used to all of us getting extended eyefuls of her milk bags. Still curses at us and tucks her smock back over her as he takes Ford from her.

I wonder briefly why they are all there; I don't remember making plans for tonight with everyone. Then again, my recent plans have been mostly about Amelia's first birthday party and the arrival of Charli's baby. I might have baby fever.

“Hey queen Gold,” Gigi slides down her mountain of a husband to holler at me, “How about a family photo, before we put the Princess shit away?” Gigi cocks her head, nodding towards the cute castle background.

I glance towards Levi, who looks especially excited about that prospect. I shrug in agreement, thankful I did a touch of makeup and changed my uniform of tank tops and sweats to something more photo ready. My flowy dress—the very one I wore on our first real date—wasn't exactly family photo-shoot appropriate, but what can you do.

The rest of the group looked on as we posed for a few photos, taking turns holding Amelia. After a few shots, Gigi paused us to fix something with her lens, and Finn fussed with the backdrop. Paid them no mind as I twisted into my family, kissing my little Princess and my king.

“Brynn...” Levi stepped away after a searing kiss that I was glad they hadn't caught on camera, and I frowned.

“Yes, baby.” I reached for Amelia, but he held her to his chest, looking anxious. I was nervous again, the lights making me hot.

Levi stood before me, gorgeous and perfect, his bright blue eyes blazing and his lip trembling. Propping the baby against his chest, Levi took a deep breath before he began to move towards me. Amelia's chunky legs kicked, but it was her little foot that caught my eyes. Or, rather, the perfect Princess cut diamond ring that dangled from her little toes.

Levi dropped to his knees, taking the ring and giving it to Amelia.

“Brynn. You are her mother. In every sense of the word now. Our Princess adores you. So do I, my queen. I want you to give us the final brick. Take my last name. Be my wife. Make our house our castle and keep battling dragons with me. Choose us forever. Marry me, Brynn. Become Mrs. Holt.” Levi whispered something to Amelia and she giggled, holding the ring out to me.

“Mama. Mama. Yours.” I vaguely heard Gigi's camera click off a few shots as I dropped to my knees.

“Oh my God. Yes. Yes, Levi. I choose you and I definitely choose her. Forever and always.” I took the ring and Amelia clapped as I slid it on my finger.

With our daughter between us, we shared an awkward kiss as we promised to always choose each other.

“Whooty woo!!! House Holt joins the seven kingdoms!” Gigi laughed, snapping shot after shot.

I twisted to see Finn had not been messing with the background. He'd been adding to it. Above the castle was a bright gold banner that read House Holt. Apparently, our GOT parties had made fans out of the entire group. I laughed and cried and kissed my future husband and my tiny daughter and knew how Goddamn blessed we were.

And later, when those banners changed to House Byrne and House Cooper, we all laughed and cried some more. Gigi took shots of every moment, of our families changing again.

When it was her turn, Lola took her place. We all watched the burly beast Finn become a crying mess when Gigi produced a key. To their new house by the lake, which had a studio...and a room for the daughter they would be welcoming soon.

“Look at this fucking fairytale. You maybe didn't make all of them come true, Brynn. But you sure get to help build their castles, don't you?” Levi held me as I admired my ring, already planning a quick wedding that would feature just the people in this room.

Because I would build their homes. Like I had built ours. But they had helped me build my family. And I would get to be here as I watched their happily ever after's, their fairytales and dreams come true.

I like to build things, and I was good at it. I built a family with the man of my dreams and a Princess I didn't expect. I made the choice to come to Chicago because I'd been running from bad choices made back in Boston. I could not be more thankful for those choices because they made me realize how good it felt to make good ones now.

To choose a good man. To choose to become his wife. The mother to his children. And to choose these amazing, loud, colorful, loving people as my family.

I think I had finally gotten good at making the good choices.