Rosie White

Epilogue

5 years later

"Baby?" I call.

Nothing.

"Rosie? Baby girl?"

Nothing. Hmm. They must be outside.

I make my way through the house towards the kitchen. There's leftover remanence of chocolate biscuits and what looks to be a picnic on the side. I smile, knowing exactly where I'll find them.

I shrug out of my jacket and hang it over the dining table chair before heading to the garden. Milo, our four year old golden retriever is lying next to Rosie's outstretched legs on the picnic blanket, always close by.

I married Rosie four and half years ago, finally made her mine by name. We didn't wait, we didn't have a long engagement. We both knew what we wanted, and with our closest friends in attendance, we had a small and intimate wedding a few months after I proposed.

When we bought the estate, with Rosie's dream home on it, we spent a few months refurbing it before moving in fully. Although on the outskirts of the city, the privacy and homeliness it provides couldn't be more perfect and with Milly and her family down the road on their own estate, Rosie couldn't be happier.

Milo is a trained protection dog, but he's a softy at heart. There was no way I was leaving Rosie alone while I was working at the club all the way out here, Milo provided Rosie some company and me some reassurance, but he's become even more part of the family, he's more than just there for us.

"Daddy's home!"

Rosie swings her head around and Milo's head pops up at the sound of my three year olds voice screeching through the garden.

Zach runs from where he was kicking a football around the picnic blanket and heads straight for me, his little legs working overtime to get to me quicker.

This is always how it is when I get home from work early, especially when the sun is out. They have a picnic in the garden.

Zach pounces on me just as I reach my arms out to swing him into the air, "Hey baby, are you alright?" I ask.

"I'm not a baby, Elsie's a baby," He pouts as I chuckle, making my way over to Rosie.

She stand just as I reach her, smiling up to me, she reaches up on her tiptoes and kisses me, "You're home early."

"I know, I thought I'd finish up early as we've got company tonight," I reply, slipping my arm around her waist.

"Is auntie Milly coming round?" Zach asks, frowning.

"Yes," Rosie replies. "And so is uncle Michael and uncle Brandon, and James and Olivia are coming too."

Zach's eyes light up as he smiles and pushes away from me. I drop him to the floor and reach for our four month old snuggled against Rosie's chest.

Rosie passes Elsie to me and leans down to grab hold of a wriggling Zach as she speaks, "Cayden and Elodie will be here soon, we need to get you cleaned up" Rosie states, wiping her thumb over Zach's chocolate covered mouth, as he moans, "And I think they're bringing Zeus."

"Yay!" Zach jumps up and down.

I settle Elsie into the crook of my arm as I pull Rosie back into my hold, "I missed you."

Rosie turns to me, placing a gentle hand onto Elsie's head, "I missed you too."

"What's wrong?" I ask, knowing she's holding something back.

Rosie smiles, but it doesn't meet her eyes, "I was just thinking today about how they don't get to grow up with grandparents, have a relationship with them like I did with my grandma."

I squeeze her closer, dropping my lips to her hairline. She's had no contact with either of her parents since the lawsuit that saw them prosecuted for hurting her, and I've had very little communication with my parents. "I know baby, but they have us, and they have Milly and Brandon and Michael."

"I know," Rosie sighs, "I'm just being silly."

I pull back, grasping her chin between my finger and thumb, I raise her face to look at mine. "You're not being silly, all your worries are valid, every single one of them, and I'll always be here for you baby, for them." I glance down at a snoozing Elsie and back up to Zach chasing after Milo, who's stollen his football.

"You three mean the world to me, I would do anything for you all. Anything."

Rosie places a kiss against Elsie before leaning up to me, "I know you would, and so would I, because I love you so much Alexander Carlson. You've given me everything I ever wanted, everything I ever dreamed and more."

I seal my lips over hers, allowing space between our body's as not to squish the little bundle of joy between us and slip my tongue into Rosie's mouth. The small whimper has my nerves singing and I wonder if I can steel Rosie away before our guest get here for our BBQ.

"Eww! Mummy and daddy are kissing!" Zach groans.

We pull back, laughing, Rosie looks to me and smiles, "What's that look for?" She frowns.

I pull her back to me, always keeping her close as I look at the beautiful woman standing in front of me and feel the flutters of love inside of me that continue to grow, every, single, day and mutter...

"I fell for you, and I'm still falling."