𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐲𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝'𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝 {𝐀.𝐁}

Epilogue

*25 Years Later*

With the birds chirping, butterflies as colourful as blooming flowers in Spring flying around, I smell the flavoured and strong smell of pancakes and syrup being made from the kitchen. I sniff and take in the heavenly smell of the pancakes, allowing myself to remember this day.

Opening my eyes and allowing a yawn to escape my lips, I stretch to rub the morning off me. However, what takes me off guard is when Austin ambles in with a small table, food and coffee on top of it. My eyes widen as I sit up right and allow myself to absorb the scene in front of me.

"Babe, what's this?" I ask, knowing damn well what it is.

It's our twenty-fifth anniversary since our wedding and the twins' birthday.

"You know exactly what day it is, darling," he says with a small smile before placing the small table in front of me and taking a seat beside me on our large bed. My eyebrows raise. "It's the day we tied the knot and I finally made you mine," he says with a smile as he places a sweet kiss onto my right hand and smiles back at me.

I feel the heat rising to my cheeks, the same feeling fluttering like a butterfly in my stomach since the very first time we announced our undying love for each other. My mind swirls around all our memories on that very day where we tied the knot and where my water broke. A smile attaches to my lips since today is a very special day for us all.

"Twenty-five years later, huh? I'm surprised I lasted this long with you," I say with a smirk.

A sarcastic gasp leaves his lips as he places a hand onto his heart. "You should be glad I even decided to stay this long with you, considering you're whiny and clingy," he sarcastically bites back, his eyes twinkling against the suns' rays and taking a moment to stare at me.

"Me whiny and clingy? Says the one who always tells me before we sleep on how you want to spend every waking and sleeping moment together. Oh, and how I could forget? Hugging me until I can't breathe when we sleep? There's a thing called personal space, hun," I say as I casually shrug my shoulders and try to throw my point over to him.

He slightly pouts, eyebrows furrowing before he rolls his eyes. "Okay, fine. And what? Why can't a married man want to hug his wife? Benefits of marriage is for me to hug you, okay?" he says as he places the small table across from us and wraps his arms around me tightly.

"Oh, God. Here we go again," I squeal as he squeezes me between his arms. I shake my head. "If this is what you want, I'll give it to you so hard until you start begging me to stop," I bite back.

With that, I manage to escape from him and wrap my own arms around him. I feel myself fall on top of him, hugging the daylight out of him, but what takes me off guard is when he smiles. A pure smile like he's been waiting for this to actually happen. "Now, this is what I'm talking about, darling," he whispers as he allows his head to nuzzle into my neck. "I love you," he says.

"I love -" I try to say, however, I'm cut off.

"Mum! Dad! I'm here. I smell pancakes, can I have some, please?" an obnoxious twenty-five year old Calen knocks onto our door before barging in. "Oh, God. Please don't tell me you're doing it this early in the morning!" he screeches as he covers his eyes and whines.

I rip my arms off Austin and feel my heart pound as if we were caught by our own parents. "You dumbass, we're doing nothing. Can't you see there's clothes on us!" Austin snaps as he rises from the bed and walks up to Calen with a sarcastic eye roll. "But I'm glad you made it back from that trip, son," he says as he gives him a bro like hug.