The Pact

EPILOGUE

Several years later

"Hales, have you seen..." Taylor trailed off as if losing track of her question.

Hayley lifted her head. "Seen what?" She asked slowly, blinking at her wife.

The blonde scratches the back of her head. "I can't find Addison's pacifier." She said slowly, shifting the little girl in her arms.

Hayley got to her feet to help Taylor look. "Found it." She found the pacifier hidden between two books on the bookshelf in the living room.

Addison was whining softly, her head on Taylor's shoulder. She was just barely a year old.

"Thank you." Taylor breathed out, taking it from her wife. Just as the rest of their kids ran into the living room.

"Maisie hit me." Oliver said with a soft frown on his lips, the same frown as Hayley had.

"Maisie, what did we say about hitting your brother?" Taylor asked, shifting Addison as the little girl starts to fall asleep.

Maisie crossed her arms over her chest. "But he stole my Barbie."

"Did not." Oliver argued. "I was picking it up to give it to you."

Closing her eyes, Taylor took a deep breath before looking at her wife. "They're your carbon copy." She mumbled.

"Guys, remember, Santa is watching. If you're bad, he won't come." Hayley said, giving her children a look that made them both freeze. She wrapped her arms gently around Arlo who sat down on her knee.

The twins looked up from their puzzle, frowning. "We didn't do it." They said in unison.

"You all have to be good for Santa to come." Hayley said, nodding her head. "Now, you all need to go get your pyjamas on so we can watch a movie before bedtime."

Taylor had already dressed Addison, Noah, and Andrea in their pyjamas.

"Go on." Hayley urged them. "The quicker you get into your pyjamas, the quicker we can watch the movie and you can get to bed and Santa will come."

Maisie quickly rushed upstairs, followed by Arlo and Oliver.

"Mama, we already dresseded." Noah said, pointing at himself and Andrea.

"I know, handsome." Hayley said, smiling softly. "But your siblings aren't." She nodded her head towards where their other children had gone.

Andrea stood up and moved over to Hayley, climbing on her lap. "Santa bring me paw patrol?" She asked tiredly.

"Maybe." Hayley said softly. "We have to wait and see."

Addison released a squeal around her pacifier, from Taylor's arms, she was sleepy but kept trying to fight it.

"She gets as grumpy as you do when you're tired." Hayley observed, looking up at her wife with a cheeky smile.

The blonde instantly stuck her tongue out in response.

"Mommy!" Arlo called from the stairs, he'd managed to change his pants but was struggling with his shirt.

Hayley moved Andrea off of her lap and moved to the bottom of the stairs. "What's up, little man? Need help?" She climbed the stairs.

Nodding his head, Arlo held out his shirt. "Too small." He whined.

"Did you grow? Or did mommy shrink this in the washing machine?" Hayley asked, bending down in front of him. She took the shirt and held it up.

Arlo shrugged his shoulders, being only five years old, he didn't understand what she meant.

Hayley helped Arlo into the shirt. It hadn't shrunk. He just didn't like to admit that he needed help putting it on.

Oliver appeared in the hallway in a clean pull-up, which he only wore for bed. "Mama, help." The four year old said, holding out his pyjamas.

"Okay." Hayley stood up and let Arlo pass her to go down to the living room. She helped Oliver into his pyjamas.

Maisie stopped as she waited for them to be done. "Mama, can we leave cookies out for Santa?" The seven year old asked, completely changed into her own pyjamas.

"We'll do that before bed." Hayley said softly, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

Oliver held his arms up to Hayley, he was already sleepy and wanted to be held.

Hayley lifted the four year old into her arms and carried him down the stairs with Maisie following them.

Taylor was already sitting on the couch, Addison cradled to her chest while Noah sat on her lap. Arlo was leaning against her left side and Andrea was against her right.

Hayley sat down beside them with Oliver on her lap and Maisie on her right. She grabbed the tv remote and put on their usual Christmas Eve movie, the grinch.

This year they didn't even make it halfway through before almost all of the kids except for Maisie were sound asleep.

"You take Oliver up, then come grab Noah. I'll put Addie in her crib and grab Andrea." Taylor said softly, looking at her wife.

Hayley nodded. She carried Oliver up to his room and laid him in his bed, kissing his forehead before returning to the living room to collect Noah.

Taylor stood up and took Addison to their room, putting her in her crib before going back downstairs to grab Andrea.

Soon the two women returned to watch the rest of the movie with Maisie who thrived off the alone time she got with her mothers.

Once the movie was over, Taylor looked over at their oldest. "Ready to put cookies out for Santa?"

Maisie nodded with a soft yawn. "Yes, mommy."

Smiling softly, Taylor stood up and held her hand out to Maisie. "Let's go get them set up, while mama cleans up the living room."

Maisie got to her feet and ran towards the kitchen with Taylor following.

****

"I think we did amazing this year." Taylor whispered as she wrapped her arms around Hayley's waist. Looking around at the Christmas tree that was surrounded by presents.

Hayley nodded her head in agreement. "Of course we did." She breathed. "Because with every year that passes, we get to know our children more and more."

Humming softly, Taylor kissed Hayley's cheek. "No more kids though, I feel like six is enough." She said teasingly.

Maisie had been their first born, who Hayley had carried. They'd used Austin's sperm for the children Hayley was carrying while using Taylor York's for the ones Taylor carried.

Two years after Maisie was born, they welcomed Arlo. Taylor had carried him and it had been a difficult pregnancy.

Then they found out that Hayley was pregnant with Oliver. Which had been a surprise because he was born exactly one year and two weeks after Arlo.

They'd tried a few times for Taylor to get pregnant again, but it hadn't worked. At least that's what they thought. So they adopted two year old twins Noah and Andrea. Only to find out Taylor was expecting their youngest daughter Addison a few weeks later.

"Six is definitely enough." Hayley whispered, closing her eyes.

"Ready for bed?" Taylor asked softly, moving to pull away.

Hayley nodded and let Taylor help her to her feet. She followed her wife up the stairs and into their bedroom.

Life wasn't always a fairytale, but sometimes you could turn it into one.