Just a Dare

Epilogue

"Stop screaming!" I yelled, glancing over at Mel with wide, crazy eyes. She laughed, her emerald eyes sparkling, and tucked a few short hairs behind her ear. I caught a glimpse of the light catching off of the diamond on her left ring finger and my gaze softened.

A gleeful howl sounded and I winked playfully at the beautiful woman, leaning over to press a quick kiss to her lips where she stood leaning against the kitchen counter. I let out a mock-groan. "Look out, Aidan!" Melody cried, her smile betraying the pretend worry in her voice. "He's coming!"

I ran into the living room, my eyes scanning all around for any sign of the mischievous three year old. I couldn't help the smile that broke out on my face when I saw ten perfect, tiny little toes wriggling from the side of the couch. I heard a giggle and decided to play along. "Where could he be?" I asked rhetorically.

I walked toward the table in the middle of the room, catching a glimpse of the brown-haired head that peeked out from the corner of the couch.

"Under here?" I asked, crouching down and pretending to look underneath the clearly empty table.

I shook my head. "No, not there."

I heard another string of giggles as I continued my lazy stroll around the room.

I reached for the curtains and pulled them back quickly. "Aha!" I exclaimed in excitement, feigning disappointment when I found that hiding place to be vacant.

I tapped my chin thoughtfully, pacing a little for effect.

"If I were Aidan," I mused, "where would I be?"

My eyes slowly traveled over to the couch and made eye contact with a bright, wide pair of green ones before the little head darted back for cover.

"Maybe..." I casually strode over to the couch and found myself staring down at the crouched form of a toddler. "Here!" I reached down and swiped him from his hiding place, tossing him playfully in the air before carefully body-slamming him on the couch and blowing raspberries into his plump little belly. "I found you!"

His peals of laughter filled the air. "Daddy, stop!" He cried, his eyes beginning to water from laughing so hard. My hands tickled him mercilessly and he did the only logical thing he could: he called for reinforcements. "Momma!"

Melody was there in an instant, having just finished cooking dinner and setting the table. She let out a tremendously fake gasp and ran toward us to disentangle our son from my clutches. "What are you doing to my poor baby?" She scolded me teasingly.

Aidan's thick chestnut hair was ruffled beyond belief from rolling about on the couch cushions and I shrugged with a guilty smile playing on my lips as he informed her in his tiny voice, "Daddy found me and tickled my tummy!" His green eyes were alight with enjoyment as he looked between us.

Melody smiled and kissed his forehead, running a gentle hand through his hair to fix it back to the normal way it laid, his wavy fringe hanging just above his large, round eyes. "Did he really?" She asked, moving him to her hip and walking into the kitchen to get him ready to eat dinner. I followed behind them.

Aidan nodded enthusiastically and obediently raised his arms so she could remove his shirt to avoid making a spaghetti stained mess on the light blue fabric. I leaned against the counter and watched them interact with a smile as she placed him in his booster chair, knowing that his time sitting in it was coming to an end.

I walked over to the table and put a small mound of angel hair noodles on my little man's plate, spooning a little spaghetti meat sauce over them. "Do you want any cheese on this, bud?" I asked him.