Love, Lies, and Other Ties

Epilogue

Carter's POV:

I straighten my dress as I look into the mirror, not totally happy with how it fits my figure. Kay and Karin helped me pick it out because they knew how nervous I would be for this day. I can't believe how nervous I am. I mean, it's not really a big deal. This is a day that most people face and are genuinely happy to attend. Not me. The dress may be gorgeous but I feel like it makes me look fat. As I'm about to burst into tears again, I hear a knock on the door.

"Come in!" I yell towards the door and sit on my stool at my vanity to put my flats on my feet. I look up and catch sight of my dad coming into the room with a large smile on his face.

"Hey, sweetheart. Are you almost ready? Everybody is waiting for you!" he says with a loving expression on his face. After the whole thing happened with Trevor, my biological father and I grew really close. It started out with him sharing stories of my mother when they were younger and then morphed into someone that would hold me while I cried even if it was over the silliest things.

"Okay, dad. I just need to put on my shoes."

"Oh, let me help you," he said as he kneeled in front of me to help me with my shoes. "You look so beautiful, honey. The older you get, the more you look like your mother." I looked away from him before I teared up and ruined my makeup. Molly and Kay would kill me since they were the ones to help me with my hair and makeup.

"Thanks, dad. We better get downstairs so the entourage can leave and get to the venue on time," I said.

"Well, it would be my honor to escort the Mrs. if I may?" he said as he held out his elbow for me to slip my arm into his. We walked down the long staircase and I could immediately hear the voices of the people I love the most in this entire world. We come around the corner and my eyes meet those of the love of my life and husband, but I could see he was hiding something behind his back and I was curious.

"Babe, what are you hiding behind your back?" I asked.

"Who, me? Nothing. Noting at all. Why do you ask?" he said in nervousness.

"Because I could have sworn I heard another voice down here a few minutes ago. Who was that?" I narrowed my eyes in his direction. Just then, I hear giggling from behind him and then a little figure jump out from behind him.

"It's me, mommy! Surprise!" my three and a half year old baby says through her giggles with what looks like chocolate all over her face.

"Liam! What is she eating? You know she isn't supposed to have sweets this close to bedtime!" I said in frustration.

"Hey! It was Papa Chris that started it! I was just letting her have one last piece. She's been good all day long and did everything she was supposed to do so I am rewarding her."

I look over at my dad and see that he is pretending not to be paying attention to me as I give him the, "I'm going to kill you" eyes. When Caroline has too much sweets this close to bed, it takes her so much longer to settle down and sometimes she gets horrible bellyaches in the middle of the night which makes her scream and not be able to go back to sleep. They did have a point, though. She has been good and she needs some special attention every now and then. More so now than ever.

"Well, I guess you're right. Dad, you really don't mind keeping an eye on Caroline while we're gone? I can stay home if you need me to," I said to him, secretly hoping that he says that he need me to stay so I don't have to go to this event. My feet and back were already aching with dread.

"Of course I don't mind. She's my favorite person in the whole world and that's including you and your brother," he said with a smirk.

"I heard that, asshole," Bash said while coming into the kitchen and I smacked him on the arm for cursing in front of Caroline to which he immediately apologized for. After the Trevor situation, Bash and I also grew super close. He is now one of my best friends. He's one of the best people to get advice from. Especially relationship advice, since he is engaged to Molly. Yes, Molly, my best friend from high school.