Chapter 68

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When Audrey saw him, she turned her book over on her belly and leaned her head back dreamily and smiled. "You're home."

Home. The small-ish house outside of figure eight with the creaky hardwood floors and shiplap walls. The one where they whispered in bed at night, words of love and tenderness, fears and insecurities. The things they worried about.

"Yeah, I let the meeting out early," he squatted down on the side of the hammock she was sitting in. "I don't want to freak you out, I've just been paranoid all day. I don't like the idea of you being alone here."

He had been running a meeting for the company he started working for five years back, and as a man with a nine-month pregnant wife, he barely spent time in the office anymore.

"I don't either," she sighed, rubbing her stomach carefully. "It took me half the day just to sit down in this thing."

He smiled. "Where are the girls?"

Audrey rolled her eyes through a laugh. "I told them there were lollipops in the kitchen and if they found them they could eat them."

"There aren't any lollipops, are there?" He asked knowingly.

"Not one."

They watched through the window at the two four-year-olds moving the step stool all around the kitchen in a frenzy. He put his hand on her belly to feel their child move around.

"It's probably a girl, you know?" She asked him.

"Probably," he agreed. "That okay?"

"As long as there aren't two of them, I don't care what the hell comes out of me."

He chuckled softly, his true amusement showed in his eyes. He looked back over at the house and the girls who were still looking through the kitchen. Since the screen was open, he yelled, "I'm home!"

The married couple watched as the two tiny heads whipped in the direction of his yell, then their stomping feet sounded as they ran out onto the back patio and to the lawn, their speed not slowing as they reached their father.

"Daddy! Daddy!" They yelled.

"Oh, shit," he whispered as they were getting closer and jumped into his arms. "You girls are getting too big to do that."

"But you throw mommy around?" Lillie questioned.

"That's... right. I do," He laughed, holding them each in an arm. "Did you find the lollipops?"

They both rapidly shook their heads sadly.

"I think there might be one or two Hershey kisses in my office," he raised his eyebrows and watched their eyes light up. "But you two don't like chocolate, do you?"

"Uh, yeah!" Ande shouted in her high-pitched toddler voice.

"Well, then, they're yours!" He offered, setting them both down and holding their wrists so they didn't get away too soon. He crouched down to be on their level. "Don't break anything. You know the rule. If you break something of mine..."

"You break something of ours." They both giggled.

"That's right. And I'll start with the Barbie Dreamhouse that takes up the entire living room." He teased, watching their expressions go serious as he let go of their wrists and ushered them away.

He stood back up and whistled for their dogs that were somewhere off roaming the property, and the couple heard the distant barks in reply, followed by crunching of leaves and snapping of branches before they entered their owners' line of sight.

Audrey shifted her weight on the hammock as best as possible so she could reach for her golden retriever's head. "Do you want me to start dinner?"

He gave her the look that he did every night she asked, as if to say that she was too big to even reach the sink. "Funny." His face showed that he meant that. "I'll get the water boiling."

He said that, but didn't take action on it for a second as he crouched back down beside the hammock to feel her stomach.

"You know what they say about making babies come," He offered. "Get them out the same way they came in."

"Oh, shut up. You don't want to have sex with a pregnant woman." She pushed his shoulder away.

"Sure I do. We had sex the first five months," he shrugged lazily. "Before you kept stopping me."

"I stop you because it's just as easy to use your hand if you need to get off," she reasoned.

"I don't need to get off," he corrected her. "I just have such a hot and sexy wife that having sex with her still feels like a dream after ten years."

Ten years. Ten years of love. They got married in their early twenties. But when you know, you know. And they'd known.

"Aw," she tapped the top of his head, "That's so sweet."

He rolled his eyes and tugged her hand away from his head, locking their fingers together instead. "You know what I mean."

"I don't actually," she replied seriously.

"Oh, come on. I haven't felt it in four months and I'm having withdrawals," he teased. "This is the longest I've gone without having sex with you."

"I know." She laughed. "You don't hesitate to tell me everyday. Although, what about when I was pregnant with the twins?"

"You let me during your third trimester."

"Ah." She smiled and nodded teasingly.

"I'm just trying to help. Today's your due date, you must be uncomfortable. Let me make you comfortable," he offered.

"I hate you."

"I love you, too."

Audrey laughed at herself when she attempted sitting up and fell right back. She felt his hand take hers and bring her to standing, pulling her into his arms and kissing her, falling in love with her all over again, just as he did everyday.

That night almost six years ago when he watched her walk down the candlelit aisle with her father beside her, taking his breath away, he vowed he'd love her forever and give her anything she could ever want, and he meant that in the depths of his soul. Audrey, on the other hand, only wanted happiness and stability, which was something she had as long as she was with him.

Audrey watched the light in his office turn on, followed by the girls' distant squeals and yells at each other. Their dogs barked and growled, rolling and playing and fighting over a tennis ball, and he held her tightly.

"We have everything," she whispered as he hugged her out on their green lawn, covered in trees and flowers.

"Everything," Rafe echoed.

Their love slipped quietly around each other, holding and anchoring them both, reminding them that it was only them. And only ever them.

- - -

A/N: I'm sure you're all wondering why this chapter took so fucking long to get out. I'm fine, thank you to those who reached out. I just wasn't ready to post it since if you couldn't tell, this was the last chapter.

There just simply wasn't anywhere else for me to go with this book. There won't be a sequel HOWEVER I'm writing a Drew fic that has to do with this one and am working on getting it out soon—especially the prologue/face cam chapter. Not sure how "soon" it will be if/when I decide to release it so be sure to follow me so you get the notification. 🤣🤣😆🥲

But thanks to those who've been my loyal readers. 🥰🤗🤗 I love you little sluts so much.

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