You've Got My Heart

Chapter 86

Later once everyone had cleared out of the room and went home, Maddie was left with Aiden, Max and Stella. "I'm going to take James down to the cafeteria to get a snack. I'll be back." Stella said before leaving the room with her son in her arms. "Here, let me come with you, I need a coffee!" Aiden said getting up from his chair and following her out of the room. Max sat down next to his little sister before getting to hold his little nephew. "I'm so proud of you Maddie. You're going to be an amazing mom, just like the amazing sister you are to me." He said smiling at her. "Thanks Max and just for the record... You're going to be his favourite uncle just like you're my favourite best friend!" She replied.

"Alex my man, your mom is one of the kindest, strongest and hardworking people I know. Make me a promise little man... Take care of her and protect her when you get older. Uncle Max needs someone to do that for him and Zeus okay? And your daddy, he's a fun guy and one day he's gonna get you out on the ice to be a great hockey player just like him one day!" Max said holding Alex's little finger and kissing his nose.

"Alright we're back and..." Stella began to say when she and Aiden walked back into the room. "Looks like they've both passed out." Aiden laughed. "Typical Martin sibling thing to do!" He laughed. Stella took her phone out and snapped a pic of the brother and sister sound asleep. "Well, I better wake him and tell him it's time to go home." Stella said moving forward to wake him.

"What's going on?" He asked in a whisper. " we come back and you're both passed out!" Aiden replied. James put his arms out towards Max. "Dada" he whined as Max stood up and stretched. "Alright,come here buddy." He said as he took his son into his arms. "Give auntie Mads a kiss." He said leaning forward for the toddler to place a wet kiss on his auntie's head. "Night Mads, love you." Max said in a whisper. "Night Aiden, congrats again on becoming a dad. He's so precious!" Stella said hugging her brother in law. "Thanks again for coming, drive safe." Aiden replied. "Okay James, say goodnight to uncle A." She said. "Night night." James cooed. "Night buddy." Aiden replied. "Alright, we'll let you get some rest, night man." Max said giving his best friend a bro hug. "Will do chief! Night." He said in reply.

A few years had gone by and the Martin siblings were still as close as ever. Becoming an aunt again, Maddie congratulated Stella and Max on the birth of their second child, a precious daughter named Sophie Lynn. "She looks just like you big guy!" Maddie said to her brother as she smiled and watched her nephew hold his newborn baby sister with Stella's help. "You know, she kinda reminds me of the day I met you when you were born. So small and fragile. I still remember it, I was so excited to be a big brother... Your big brother." Max replied. "Max, you're the best father these two kids will ever have." Maddie smiled.

Once they arrived home from visiting baby Sophie at the hospital, Maddie unbuckled a sleeping Alex from his car seat and carried him into the house and up to his bedroom. "Goodnight my sweet boy." She said tucking the five year old into bed before giving him a kiss on the forehead. Maddie left the room and closed the door behind her before going into Laney's nursery. When she stepped into her 4 month old daughter's nursery, she smiled to herself as she watched Aiden kiss his daughter's forehead. "Goodnight baby girl. You'll always have my heart and I will always love you." He whispered before putting her down gently into the crib.

When he turned around to leave the room, he noticed his wife standing in the doorway with a smile on her face. "What?" He asked. "Nothing I just love watching you interact with our baby girl and Alex." Maddie replied. "What can I say? She's daddy's little girl and will forever have my heart, just like her mama does." He replied as the two made their way to their own room to get ready for bed.

"You know, I've been doing quite a lot of thinking lately." Maddie said cuddling up to Aiden as he ran his fingers up and down her arm. "Yeah?" He asked. "About what?" Maddie tilted her head a little to make eye contact with Aiden. "Nothing bad. I've just been thinking about all the amazing, beautiful and crazy adventures we've been on to get us where we are today." She replied.

A moment of silence passed before Aiden told her to go on. "Well, we started out as not knowing each other until you and Max became teammates and best friends. Then you and I became friends, we made a bet one day at practice which was not a date but yet still felt like one and it was still fun! From there you asked me to be your girlfriend, you took me back home to Arizona where you grew up and we had a date stargazing at the Grand Canyon. I watched you win the Championship playoffs and that same day, you proposed to me in the morning at practice in front of the team! A few years after that we got married and went to Hawaii on our honeymoon and when we came home, we found out that we were pregnant with Alex so our amazing friends and family threw us a gender reveal party for our boy. A few years after that we moved into a new home and now we have a beautiful baby girl to complete our family. And you know the craziest part of it all is that I wouldn't change a single thing about our story." Maddie finished as she looked up at Aiden and gave him a big smile.

"And at the end of the day, I wouldn't change a single thing either because I love you, our kids and our story. You've always got my heart Maddie... Now, then and forever." Aiden replied placing a soft kiss on Maddie's lips.

"And you will always have my heart too Aiden Stanley. Now, forever and always... I love you."

The End