Please Love Me

Epilogue - Madison

"So what happened to the little bear, mama? Did it reach the top?"

"It did. That one little bear and all its siblings. One by one."

I grin at my baby who's not a little baby anymore. My girl, Mia, is twelve years old and ever since she could understand my stories, she has wanted to hear about the little brown bear video I watched online years ago.

I always related to that bear and told her as much. It's sweet and simple but says so much about our life. I've told her that in this world, things can get tricky and steep but to always remember the little brown bear. It kept on slipping and falling but it never gave up and gained freedom, in the end, to be with its own mama.

"It never gave up," Mia says as much. "Just like you and Auntie T, Auntie Leah, Auntie Vanessa, Uncle Liam, Uncle Luke, Isaiah, and Lincoln."

"That's right, baby."

She grins so brightly I can't help but drop a kiss onto her head filled with the same wavy curls I have. The same colored eyes of her father meet mine before she reaches across me for the picture on her nightstand. It's when Maxon and I got married and there I am holding my daughter Mia in my arms. Our moms are standing beside both Maxon and me with our siblings and friends following. It was such a spectacular moment in my life that I'll never forget.

Her delicate fingers trace over her dad and I. "Can you tell me the story of how you and dad met again?" She whispers hurriedly, "Hurry! Before dad and my siblings come home from the game."

A bright grin fills my face. Maxon and I had three other beautiful children after Mia. Shortly after Maxon and I got married, he knocked me up and we ended up having another gorgeous girl, Milani Blake. Two years later we had Benjamin Blake and finally three years after him we had Brooklyn Blake. I had told Maxon it wouldn't be fair if we named another one of our kids with an M after Ben. I didn't want him to feel left out because of our letters and Maxon agreed.

But again, our young Ben is the spitting image of his late grandfather and Maxon. The man had such strong genes Mrs. Blake even cries at the sight of her grandson, constantly showing him pictures of his grandfather. Honestly, three generations of attractive Blakes, I have a feeling I'm going to have my hands full with that one judging by the way Maxon was.

But I don't want to think about that now, having my babies with me right here is the biggest gift and I don't take it for granted. Not one bit.

"Alright." I hold the picture in my hand as I start, "Daddy and I met in New York when Uncle Luke invited me and his sister, Auntie Vanessa, to his birthday bash."

"What happened then?" Her eyes shine so brightly because she loves hearing the part when I saw Maxon for the first time. "When Vanessa and I landed, I wasn't expecting to see anyone other than Luke. But when my eyes shifted to who was standing at his side I was shocked by how handsome the guy was."

"But he was wearing sunglasses, mama." Mia giggles as I've told her this part many times. A soft smile graces my face at the memory. "He was but we looked handsome nonetheless."

She molds her body into my side as I recount our story to her. I have told her all about Maxon and I's relationship except some things concerning Natasha. When it has come to that I try to keep things light. They are still young and I don't want to burden them with such a heavy past.

All they know is that there came a time when mommy and daddy went their separate ways for a bit and mommy was pregnant but lost the baby due to carrying too much weight. They don't understand fully but know it happens and they constantly remember their unborn sibling and call her mini-Madison or mini-Maxon since we never knew the gender. Anyway, they know daddy got injured on the field during the Super Bowl and mommy was called by grandmama Blake to help take care of him. They love watching their dad play and sadden at the prospect of their dad retiring soon.