As Long As You Need

Epilogue

10 years later....

I get out of my car and head into my house. Max my golden retriever runs to me jumping up. 

"Hi Maxy." I say ruffling his fur. He rolls over and I give him a tummy rub. 

"Vroommmm." Brown hair flies by me. I laugh as they circle again. "You can't catch me"

I catch him, "Gotchya." I say holding him to me. 

Dean giggles, "Mom let me go." I blow raspberries into his neck, "No way Jose."

He laughs even more, "Come on mom I am not a little baby anymore."

I set him on his feet, "You're right seven is super old." He nods triumphantly.

"Dad says I am a big boy now." He gleams and I nod, "Your dad is right."

"What am I right about?" A low voice sounds from the kitchen. Of course he heard that loser.

I walk into the kitchen followed by Dean, "Mom said you are right about me being a big boy."

Noah sets Sophie in her high chair, "That's because you are big man." Dean flexes his 'muscles' showing us how tough he is. 

"Your dads coming over later." Noah says to me as he feeds Sophie. 

A lot has changed since we graduated. 

Noah and I made it two years at Stanford before I got pregnant with Dean. We continued classes even after he was born, living in an apartment a few minutes away from campus. 

Once we graduated we moved to a small town in Texas a few hours away from where my dad was. 

Last year I gave birth to our second kid, our daughter Sophie. Only a year old and she's already daddy's little girl. I swear she prefers Noah over me. 

Dean is one hundred percent a mamma's boy though. Some nights when both Noah and I are super tired he helps with Sophie. I couldn't ask for better kids. 

Brady's been a big part of their lives as well. During his third year of college he met his now husband Marco. They adopted their daughter Vega four years ago. 

As for Delilah her and Matt got divorced soon after high school. During her second year of college she met her soulmate. I have never been more proud than to see her truly happy. They are expecting their first kid this fall.

And Matt well I haven't heard anything about him, I hope I never do. 

"Can I go practice my swings?" Dean asks taking his baseball bat out of the closet. 

Noah looks at me for permission and I nod, "Ok buddy let's go outside." Noah says leading Dean out back. 

Unlike Noah, Dean has a love for baseball. He does like to play football as well. Next year we are signing him up for football at the local park. 

I continue to feed Sophie as I watch Noah and Dean play out back. 

Sometimes I wonder how I got so lucky to have this, this life. I have an amazing husband, two wonderful kids, a supportive family. My life is so full of happiness. 

Every year on my moms anniversary however Noah and I take the kids to her grave. There I cry and tell them stories about their grandmother, that I wish they could've met her. I just know she would have made an amazing grandma. 

I know my dad tries to make up for it though. Between either us going there or him coming here every weekend we try to hang out. Sometimes he takes the kids himself while Noah and I have the weekend to ourselves.