The Secret (Boston's Best 1)

Epilogue

Maddie

25th March, Seven Years Later

"Are you sure you have everything you need?" My best friend Aebhín asks me.

"Yes, Mulligan, I have everything I need and everything else is already at the church."

"You sure you aren't missing anything?"

"Yes."

She raises her eyebrows, "What about the lovely flowergirl and ringbearer? Where are they?"

"Do you seriously think I'm that incompetent? Aurora is waiting for us out in the limo with the rest of the bridesmaids, and Callum is with his dad." I click my tongue, "Jeez, some maid of honour you are, don't even know where my kids are."

"Shut up. I had to deal with you all morning." She sighs, "I still can't believe how big Roe's getting, and she's only just four."

"Don't even start me on that, with both mine and Matt's height's we knew she was going to be tall but oh my god, the girl's tall. And I'd say Callum is going to be the exact same."

"He's growing up so quickly."

"I know, he's one in June like how did that happen."

She grins, "How did that happen? Maddie, how did all of this finally happen? You and Matt have been engaged for gosh I don't even know how long. Definitely before Roe at least."

I nod, "Yeah, Christmas of junior year. Long time ago. But we just wanted to let me finish my masters degree first and he was finishing school and then straight away got scouted for the Patriots and then we got pregnant and it was just too much going on to even try to think about a wedding. But we got here in the end."

"And now you're giving yourself like a five months break and then you're going after that PhD. And Matt's just been promoted as the team captain for the Patriots."

I shrug, "What can I say, we're overachievers. Can't sit still."

"Whatever." She laughs and lifts up the hem of my huge dress, "Let's go get you married."

"Okay, if I have to." I sigh and she just rolls her eyes and smiles.

We exit my house and make sure to lock the door and set the alarm behind us. About two years ago we had some crazy fan of Matt's break into the house and take pictures of us while we were asleep and then she did the same to Aurora, we wouldn't have even known until the next day if Roe didn't wake up screaming which caused us to wake up.

Safe to say that we've been extra cautious about our social media presence and our security since then.

I see the door to the limousine open and my beautiful angel jumps out.

Roe inherited my green eyes and curls but Matt's brown hair and nose and both of our pale complexions. She's wearing an adorable white dress with a tutu skirt and dark green ribbon wrapping around her waist and hair in the same shade as the bridesmaids dresses and suits.

"Mommy!" She shouts and runs towards me.

I lift her up, "Hi, baby."

She grins at me showing off her crooked teeth, she's been obsessed with her teeth ever since they all came in. "Mommy, you look like a princess."

"Oh, thank you, Roe. You know you're named after a princess?"

"Yeah," She giggles, "You told me before. The pretty one that sleeps."

"That's the one." I tickle her stomach, "Just like you, lazy bones."

She squirms in my arms, "Mommy! Stop it, that tickles!"

I make a face at her and gasp, "Am I the tickle monster?"

"No, mommy, you're mommy not a monster." She starts laughing again.

"You're right, Roe." Aebhín says from beside me, "She's not the tickle monster, but I am."

Aurora practically jumps out of my arms, "No, Aunty Aevy!" She runs back to the limo with Aebhín following closely behind her.

I laugh and just as I'm about to walk to the limo my phone rings.

I pull it out of my pocket, because of course it has pockets –perks of being friends with a fashion designer– and see Matt's face light up my screen.

I grin and answer, "I thought it was bad luck to talk to the bride on the wedding day?" I say as a way of greeting.

He chuckles and damn it if I still don't love that sound. "No, it's if I see you, and last time I checked we're calling not FaceTiming right now. So, I think we're safe."

"Oh, of course. My mistake." I laugh, "Anyway, what's up?"

"Just wanted to talk to you."

"You know you're going to see me in like an hour, yeah?"

"Yes, I know that. I just wanted to make sure you weren't getting any cold feet."

"Oh right, well yeah hate to break it to you, but I'm already boarding my flight back to Ireland. Sorry, to break it to you, sweetcheeks."

He sighs, "Damn. I wore my good underwear for no reason."

"That was silly of you." I chuckle, "Is my mam there yet?"

"Yeah," I can practically see him nodding his head, "She just got here. She's off feeding Callum."

"Damn, Brown. I'm gone for a night and you're already starving our child? Unacceptable."

"Very sorry."

"Madeleine O'Brien-slash-Brown I don't know which one to call you right now, get your ass in this car right now, we have to go. You'll see him in an hour," My sibling Riley storms over to me and grabs my phone, "She loves you, you love her, kiss kiss, see you in a bit Matthew."

"Love you too, Ri." I hear Matt shout into the phone just as Riley disconnects the call.

"You could have asked nicely." I raise my eyebrows at them.

They roll their eyes, "Yeah, but then we still would have been here for twenty more minutes waiting for you to hang up. I've heard yous talk on the phone, Mads. The bye is longer than whatever conversation yous were having. And I can't have you late to your own wedding, mam would kill me."

"Well that's the beautiful thing, innit? They can't start the wedding without the bride."

"You're insufferable. And it's getting worse with age, I wish Matt the best of luck. Let's go."

I grin at them, "I know you love me, Ri. Deep down you do."

"Whatever you say, c'mon."

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. It'll be our little secret."

THE END