The Not So Perfect Love Story

Epilogue

All she wanted was that cozy love the kind that felt like hot chocolate, rainstorms or wood fires in small houses hard to describe but you know it when you got it.

- Atticus

Bella's POV...

Lottie and Bash's marriage was beautiful.

The love they had for each was shining through their eyes, every pore in their body seemed to zing with happiness.

Even now 10 years after that day, the way they look at each other makes everyone watching long for something like that. Especially me since it seemed like I had no luck in love.

Even James managed to find love and got married three years after Lottie did. Their kids were now growing up as friends, just like they did.

I will probably live my life as the drunken aunt who lives with 50 cats. I don't even like cats all that much.

"Aunty Bella!" A voice sounded bringing me out of my thoughts and I smiled at the small body that hit my legs.

Diana, Charlotte and Bash's third child and first daughter hugged my legs tight. She was a beautiful little girl with her mother's shining silver like grey eyes and her father's dirty blonde hair in a messy mop at the top of her head.

"Di, don't run like that, if you get hurt mama will be sad." Dakota's voice floated over.

Dakota was Lottie's first child, named after Bash's late mother. He was older than Diana by five years at 9 and was born on his parent's first anniversary. As he made his was over to me, his brother and the current middle child, Ezekiel three years younger than Dakota, ran over to me and hugged me on the other side.

"Hewo Aunty Bella. Mama is in kitchen and papa office." He grinned at me and I smiled back.

Maybe it wouldn't be bad to live alone and watch over these kids. They're open minded, radiant and full of energy with beautiful hearts.

I handed them the gift bags I was carrying and walked into the kitchen with the grocery bags holding the last minute things Lottie had requested I buy for her.

Inside the kitchen Lottie was busy moving about preparing things for the next batch of whatever she was baking, while keeping an eye out on the stove for the food. Her pregnant belly not slowing her by much.

"Lottie." I called and she halted, snapping her head up before a smile took over. I walked over to her and hugged her.

"Hey Bella, thanks for coming and bringing me those things. My idiot husband was supposed to bring those on his way back, but he got held up because of a last minute meeting." She said quickly.

"It's cool Lottie. Now give me the spatula and tell me what's to be done." I said tying the spare apron.

Together we managed to cook the food and make sure the kids were not too naughty and breaking things. About two hours after I arrived, all the food was done and the brownie Lottie made for dessert was cooling in the rack.

The doorbell rang just as Lottie's call got through to Bash asking him to bring home cookie dough ice cream. I opened the door to see James and his wife, his two kids standing behind him.

"Welcome home guys." I smiled and he smiled back.

His wife was an amazing woman, Lottie and I almost questioned why she was marrying him. But we could see he had worked himself out and was ready to love and not hurt when he decided to date and eventually marry her.

He had two kids, the first a year younger than Ezekiel the second and youngest as old as Diana. He owned a small restaurant now, having left the family business to his brother Julian after having found that cooking helped him cope with things in his life. His wife helps him in the restaurant and together they were going great.

Half an hour later Bash came home with some of his colleagues as Mia and Mark, Finn and Maddy and their parents followed. It was Diana's fourth birthday and we were having a small family and close friends celebration for it.

Soon everyone was gathering around the table set up in the center with a cake. Diana cut it giggling away as everyone sang for her. The kids then ran away towards the back garden, their caretakers following them.

"Excuse me." A deep husky voice sounded behind me and I spun around to see a tall man with warm brown eyes and long strawberry blonde hair. I quickly moved out of his way when his eyes narrowed just the slightest.

"Hey, stop scaring the lady Declan." Another voice sounded and I turned to see another copy of the same guy. "Hello, I'm Daeron the older twin."

Daeron took my hand and kissed it making my eyes go wide. Unknowingly I felt my eyes shift to Declan and saw he was scowling at Daeron.

"I am the older twin Daeron. You are younger by like two whole minutes." He said, scowling even more when his brother smirked.

"And this is Bella, my dearest friend. Do not fool around with her Ronny, or I will give your pack of cookies to Declan." Lottie threatened.

Daeron pouted and followed her around begging to not do what she just threatened to do. It was an amusing sight and I turned to Declan, wondering if his brother had a sweet tooth to see he was no longer standing next to me.

Within the next few hours I found out that Declan and Daeron were Bash's new partners and had grown pretty close to the family. I was currently sitting on the chairs out in the back porch with a drink in hand wondering why I was drawn to Declan feeling like a hormonal teenager wishing for any man who is attractive enough, when James sat next to me.

"How are you Ara?" He asked and I was reminded for a second of the boy I had fallen in love with so many years ago.

"I'm fine James, how are you and the restaurant?" I asked, my voice catching for a second, having been silent for so long.

"All fine, Bella." He kept silent for a while. "You know it all falls into place. I thought I'd lost every hope when Char married Bash and I had wrecked what was left of our relationship; yours and mine. But I found my passion and then met someone through it, and here I am at Char and Bash's child's birthday, and our kids are best friends."

He turned to look at me and it felt like what he was about to say had more weight than just the words.

"It all falls into place at the right time, Ara."

The door opened at that moment, the porch light was switched on and it fell on the person who had opened the door.

Declan.

And suddenly I knew why there was a weight to James' words.