EPILOGUE
Ellie
Three years later
I walked across the living room and opened the door with a smile. Monica was there with Robert and I welcomed them with a hug.
“Hi. Come on in.”
They were carrying plates of food for the barbeque and I watched as they went straight to the kitchen. They fit here now but it wasn’t easy at first. Miller met them for lunch and while they liked me, they were worried about the complications of the situation.
Chris called Devin, and he told him that he knew there was something between us. He wasn’t sure what part Miller played in it all and was surprised when Chris explained it. He wasn’t embracing the truth he didn’t hate me.
Everyone liked me. They thought I was good for the guys but I think they all wanted me to choose one. How could I? They were perfect when I combined them. They both adored me in their own way. Chris was willing to give me a little more room to live my life while Miller was protective. They both spoiled me rotten.
We all started working full-time once we moved into the house. The guys took on a bigger role at the security firm while I threw myself into the role of lead editor at the magazine. They paid off most of the house with the sale of their old homes and I pitched in where they let me. I knew that it would never be even financially since they were born rich. They were born that way. I still shopped for deals and worried about what we needed versus wanted. They weren’t crazy spenders in the big picture but they liked nice stuff. I appreciated that. I drew the line at personal chefs and only agreed to having someone come in to clean once a month. I wanted to take care of my own house.
I wasn’t perfect. I worked a lot at the office and even at home for a few clients that I couldn’t let go. I didn’t always do the laundry when I needed to or wash the dishes. We managed to work out a system where everything got done even if it wasn’t how we’d each do it. Living with one man in your dream home was difficult but two strong personalities made life incredibly interesting.
My parents reached out to me but I realized quickly that they only wanted their control back. I told them I wasn’t interested, and that I was happy now on my own. I missed the idea of a family but I had it in Chris and Miller. I might have it with their families down the line but I’d have to wait and see.
We celebrated the first Christmas the year after we moved. The one in the house that is. Before that, we had a tiny tree in the apartment and I cooked a small dinner for us. Chris was more than welcome to come to his family’s house but Miller was still iffy with his own. Chris chose to stay with us and it was wonderful. We managed to make love near the smallest Christmas tree I had ever seen and it was amazing. The lights of the tree lit up their faces as they came for me, making me fall in love with them even more.
By the time another year passed, the families agreed to give us Christmas Eve. I didn’t know how to act when everyone was in our house. When we were alone. I was affectionate with the guys. I was passionate. We made love on every surface in the house that we could and some more than once. But when other people were here, I thought it better to act like we were roommates. It wasn’t like they didn’t know that we were the happy threesome but I didn’t want to display it for everyone.
It was a happy celebration. Everyone brought gifts and food for us and caught up with Chris and Miller. I thought they were so much more comfortable with things than I was as I watched.
I had lunch with the moms on my own about three months after that. It was a little awkward at first but we avoided the talk about what went on behind closed doors. Monica had seen enough of that. We talked about our relationship and how we were supporting each other. We talked about the future and what we wanted. I wasn’t going to pick one to marry and make it official that way, at least not yet. We were going to stay as we were. I wasn’t ready for kids quite yet since I just started working and making my own life. I was pretty young, and the guys were fine waiting. we were fine with things the way they were. I agreed to take excellent care of their sons and love them as much as they deserved and we ended the day with hugs.
Devin liked me. He teased me about not being able to choose his brother but appreciated that I made Chris happy. He hated Lisa and told me that the first time that we saw each other after the news broke about my relationship. He liked me from the start but he was busy trying to figure out what I was to his brother. He announced that he was having a baby at our second family Christmas. They waited until they were settled in their jobs and ready for it. They were thrilled and Chris couldn’t wait to be an uncle. I was grateful that he didn’t ask me to do the same since I was not ready. That was a lot to think about.
I already kept my relationship fairly private outside of the house. A lot of that had to do with the fact that I was a private person to begin with. My parents always told what they wanted people to know and hid what might embarrass them. I was not embarrassed, but I knew we weren’t the norm for a lot of people. I knew this was weird, so I kept work at work. I was passionate about the stories I wrote and edited. I researched as much as I possible could for anything and everything. I proved to them that I was a solid worker and that they could depend on me.
Bree met a great guy two years after I met Chris and Miller. He worked with her and I adored him when we met. He cherished her the way she deserved to be and better than that, our guys got along. We could have them over for dinner and the three of them would be out there talking as they cooked while we sipped wine and watched them. She’d had a rough breakup when I moved out of the apartment and I spent a lot of nights eating ice cream with her and talking her through it. She came to our house and slept in the guest room after drinking too much wine, but Chris told me I was a good friend to let her. Miller grumbled that he needed to be quiet when we were finally alone in bed.
I loved the time at night when we were laying together with the sky behind us in the high, wide window. It was beautiful, and I always felt so safe in their arms. We all had busy days, but we worked hard at having time at home together. We ate dinner, sipped wine and discussed work and made love every night. It was with both or just one but I knew that we went to sleep loving each other.
I looked back over the years as I watched Miller’s parents laughing in our kitchen. Devin was on the way with his baby Amelia and I watched as Chris held her and smiled as he talked softly to her. She was beautiful, and I finally felt a twinge inside as I imagined us having a baby. Even better, we could have twins and they’d each have their own. I was careful now with birth control and not trying at all but that could be reversed with one trip to the doctor.
I took my turn holding her as I met Miller’s eyes across the room. He smiled, and I knew what he was thinking as I gazed back. Chris was talking to his mom outside, sipping a beer by the barbeque and I looked over at him with a smile.
Maybe, someday.
We had a late dinner outside as we laughed and sipped drinks. We made a full spread of meats for everyone and the moms brought salads and desserts. Devin brought his famous deviled eggs and seven-layer dip with chips. It was too much food, but I learned quickly that they all loved food. I was trying to not love it as much but Miller always told me that I was beautiful. He made love to me so sweetly when my insecurities kicked in and Chris held me in his arms and told me everything that was good about me.
We celebrated four years together with a trip to Belize. The beaches were beautiful and our private cottage offered us a lot of space for me to love my men. Nothing had faded with us. We fucked as hard as ever and made love so slowly other times. It always felt good, and I’d never regret staying with the first men I slept with.
It was there that they asked me to marry them on the beach. It would not be legal to anybody, but it meant the world to me that they asked. I agreed, and we had a private ceremony on the beach near our cottage with just a man officiating it. I have Miller and Chris simple gold bands and they slipped a diamond band over my left finger before I kissed each of them slowly. We were forever. We took pictures for us and went back to celebrate with champagne and strawberries before making love all night. It was rough and deep but I screamed for more as they filled me. I came on Miller as Chris spilled into my ass, crying with the force of it.
We woke up in the morning tangled together and I looked at my ring before I looked at them. I was so happy and I dropped my head back and breathed in. This was what life was about.
When we were flying home, I rested my head against Miller’s shoulder while Chris held my hand. We didn’t care what anyone thought, and I sighed sleepily.
“I think there’s one more thing that I want,” I murmured as Miller kissed my head.
“What’s that?” He was slow with his words and I licked my lips.
“A baby of our own.” They both snapped their heads up and I looked at each of them. “I know that it isn’t going to be easy. I don’t know how to go about doing that with two men. But I would love the baby no matter what.”
We waited until we were home to talk about it further. Chris led me into the house by the hand as Miller got the luggage.
“You really want a baby?” He asked as I nodded. Amelia got cuter by the day and I watched him closely with her. He was loving and attentive and quickly becoming her favorite person in the family. “I think we could see a doctor and maybe do something to where we each play a part. We could have two babies.”
“Is that possible?” I asked as Miller dropped the bags on the floor.
“Is what possible?” he asked as we looked at him.
“To have a baby for each of you. What do you think?” I asked as Miller’s eyes sparkled.
“I’d like that very much. Are you thinking natural or going to see a professional?” He asked as I giggled.
“Both? I need to get my thing removed anyway so we could explore our options.” I told him and hugged them both.
We visited the doctor the following week and discussed everything. He explained the chances of my getting pregnant by each man and we decided to leave it up to fate. We started that night and tried every chance we got. Whoever said that trying for a baby wasn’t fun was crazy. I loved every second of it.
We announced my pregnancy to the family during our fifth Christmas and everyone was ecstatic. Amelia was going to have a baby brother within a month and I was excited that my twins would have cousins to play with.
They were twins. It happened naturally, and I didn’t know who fathered what baby. We didn’t care. We were going to be a family, and that was all that mattered.
The End
Thank you for reading and for your support. Turn the page for your bonus story – Friends with Benefits.