BONUS EPILOGUE

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DAD WAS DOZING on the armchair by the fireplace. Caleb lay on his stomach on top of Dad’s chest – also fast asleep. I crept closer to them, pulling the pacifier out of Caleb’s tiny mouth while holding my breath. He didn't stir, and I mentally sighed in relief.

I placed a blanket over my dad and my son, taking a moment to gaze at them affectionately. Dad was a snorer, and while even the slightest noise could usually rouse Caleb, he continued to sleep peacefully on his Granddad’s chest.

Caleb had the same dark hair as Kellan, the same hair Dad had had in his younger years. Prison had accelerated the steady greying of his hair, and it was now a silvery grey color all over that looked good on him. He was doing well, working part-time at Kellan’s company, the rest of his time spent delivering talks and visiting schools to help disadvantaged youth.

He was great at his work. And he loved it.

I tiptoed out of the room and walked down the hall into the twins’ nursery.

Twin boys.

I’d almost passed out when the nurse had told us we were having twins. I’d thought I was ready for a baby, but two? I hadn’t been too sure.

But things had never been better. My boys were the greatest joy in my life, the best thing to happen to me apart from Kellan. They’d be hell in a few years – at least that’s what everyone loved to tell me – but for now, I'd enjoy having a pair of adorable toddlers.

The nursery was painted a neutral cream colour as we’d decided to keep the genders a surprise. There were touches of blue, yellow, and green across the room in the stuffed toys on the shelves, the countless pillows, and the huge plush rug on the floor. We’d hung up a huge picture of the twins, taken on the day they were born, on one wall. A rocking chair sat in another corner, near the window. Every inch of the room had been lovingly and carefully thought out.

Corey was in his crib, also on his stomach. He did that all the time. I'd place him on his back, but he’d always end up on his stomach at some point during his nap. He had the same tuft of black hair as his twin, but his eyes were the exact same shade of green as mine while Caleb had gotten Kellan’s grey eyes. I couldn't wait for the day that they’d be running around this house, getting up to mischief. Little mini Kellan’s.

Kellan was at work, though he’d be back soon. His job was a blessing in so many ways. Being the boss, he got to choose his own hours. It had been a lifesaver once the twins were born. They’d slowly settled into a routine, but the first few months had been chaotic, and I’d needed all the help I could get.

Making sure that the baby monitor was switched on, I quietly left the twins' nursery and curled up on my bed with my guitar. I'd been working on a lullaby for the twins for a while now. The chorus lulled Corey right off to sleep, and if I was lucky, Caleb too. The chorus had come to me easily, and I’d composed it seamlessly. It was the main part of the lullaby that I was stuck on.

“That sounds amazing, ballerina,” a husky voice said from the door. I jumped slightly, having been so engrossed by my guitar that I hadn’t heard Kellan come in. He leaned against the door frame, an intimate smile on his face, before he shut the door behind him.

“Thanks.” I put the guitar down on the floor, which was good, seeing as Kellan was straddling me the next instant. With two babies, we had to make the most of any opportunity to get some time to ourselves.

"God. I can't get enough of you," he said against my lips, the hardest part of him pressed firmly against my soft core.

"I should hope not," I told him, raising an eyebrow. He unbuttoned the first few buttons on my shirt, kissing the curve of my breasts. His lips left a scorching trail on my skin as he opened more buttons and moved further down my body. "Phoenix and Abigail–"

“Hmm?” he murmured.

I wriggled away. "Phoenix is coming here with Abigail. They should be here any minute."

He groaned, his face turning pained. "They're not here yet. We have time."

It was a tempting suggestion. I debated it for a second. But then the doorbell rang.

He groaned again, falling back onto the bed, muttering something about Phoenix and, “cockblocking.”

I buttoned my shirt quickly, glancing down at Kellan with an amused smile. “I’ll go and open the door if you need a minute.”

He groaned again, banging his head against the bed frame. “He’s always had the worst timing.”

I hurried downstairs, opening the door. "Hey!" I beamed. "Come on in."

Abigail stepped in first, her blonde waves pulled into a low ponytail. Phoenix came in beside her, his hand on the small of her back, his other hand wheeling in a suitcase. They would be staying over the holidays.

Axel and his wife, Tamera, were also due to visit, though they were only coming over for dinner on Christmas Eve. They’d be spending Christmas, and the rest of the holidays, with Tamera's parents. Axel's relationship with his mom hadn’t been great for years, but things were on the mend now that she’d dumped her ex-boyfriend. She was actually seeing someone new and was vacationing in Florida over the Christmas period.

"How are the little monsters?" Phoenix asked, pushing his glasses up his nose. He’d grown his wild red hair out to his shoulders, secured in a low ponytail at the nape of his neck.

“Phoenix!” Abigail elbowed him with a laugh.

"They’re sleeping," I told him, smiling. They could be little monsters when they wanted to be. "It's been a long, crazy day, so I hope you don't mind pizza?"

"Course not," Abigail said, linking her arms with mine as we made our way to the living room. We'd met at college, and I’d known immediately that she would be perfect for Phoenix. I hadn’t wasted any time in setting them up, and they’d pretty much been inseparable ever since.

"Leave the suitcase by the stairs," I threw over my shoulder to Phoenix. “Kellan will deal with it.”

Dad was awake, sitting up on the rocking chair, with a still sleeping Caleb. “I’ll take him up,” he whispered, disappearing up the stairs.

Kellan came into the living room, looking remarkably composed.

"Hey, Kellan," Abigail greeted before fishing out a bridal magazine out of her bag and showing it to me. "I need your advice."

Kellan shot Phoenix an almost panicked look.

"Come on, man. I want to see how the extension is going," Phoenix said to Kellan, looking amused. We were currently in the middle of some renovation work so Kellan could have his own office at home.

They disappeared out the back door, as Abigail and I made our way to the round coffee table in the kitchen. The wedding was set for the spring, and Abigail was in full planning mode. I knew they’d have a beautiful wedding.

An hour later, both the twins were awake. Kellan placed Caleb's head on his shoulder, patting his little back after he was done feeding him. Caleb made a little burping sound and settled down. I had Corey in my arms, still feeding.

"You guys are so good at this," Abigail commented.

"It took practice," Kellan told her.

It had taken a while for us to set a routine in place. The twins had been on different sleep and milk schedules for the longest time. I had no idea how it had happened, but Caleb had never wanted his milk while Corey was taking his, or vice versa. They were also never sleeping at the same time. It had been rough, but slowly we’d managed to get a schedule in place. And we were all much happier and much more well-rested.

The doorbell rang downstairs.

"Pizza." Abigail sighed happily, jumping up.

My stomach rumbled, and I suddenly realized I was starving. Kellan took Caleb down to answer the door, and I finished burping Corey.

I settled him in my arms once I was done, and he gazed up at me with the same bright green eyes I always saw in the mirror. I stroked his chubby little cheek, wondering how it was possible to ever love someone as much as I loved him and his brother.

Kellan appeared in the doorway, Caleb still in his arms. Caleb wriggled, kicking his chubby little legs out. I had a feeling it wouldn’t be long before he was crawling.

“You okay, ballerina?” Kellan asked softly, coming to sit by me.

“Yeah. It just doesn’t seem possible for someone to be as happy as me,” I told Kellan, leaning into his side. “How did we get so lucky?”

“Well, it wasn’t an easy road.” Kellan chuckled.

“I’ll say.” I rolled my eyes.

“But every moment was worth it, because it lead us here, to this,” he said, his silver eyes meeting mine. “I never thought I’d have this, never thought it was possible to love someone as much as I love you and the twins.”

He kissed me, his mouth, even years later, still having the ability to make my knees weak.

“Come on. We’ve got guests waiting for us,” I said in case he’d forgotten, though I wanted very much to stay up there with him. “Later,” I told him.

“Later,” he promised, his eyes dark with love and desire and a million other emotions.

We went downstairs, spending the rest of the evening laughing and reminiscing as family did.

THE END