FORBIDDEN TIES {My brother's best friend}

EPILOGUE

I smiled as I gently took little Emma from Eva. She was a perfect miniature of Ezra, with his striking eyes, his lips, everything. The resemblance was uncanny.

“She doesn’t look like me at all, and I carried her for nine months,” Eva said, her tone a mix of humor and frustration, making me burst out laughing.

“Maybe your next child will look exactly like you,” I teased, and she scoffed, rolling her eyes.

“I don’t think I’m ever going to have a next child. The pain of childbirth was unbearable. I nearly passed out,” she said, and we both laughed, the shared moment lightening the mood.

“I can’t wait for her to grow up so I can spoil her with all the candies she wants. I’m going to be the cool aunt,” I said, grinning.

“She’ll have all the sleepovers at your place,” Eva added with a knowing smile, and I nodded eagerly.

“I can’t wait,” I squealed, touching Emma’s flushed cheeks. “She’s so cute. I can’t believe you and Ezra produced such a perfect baby,” I joked, rolling my eyes playfully.

“Not everyone makes ugly babies like you, Lena,” Ezra’s voice interrupted as he walked into the room.

“You know she’s only this beautiful because of Eva, not you, right?” I shot back, smirking at him.

“And yet, she looks exactly like me… How fair is that?” Ezra countered, glancing between me and Eva.

“Now I think I am going to have another child just to prove you wrong,” Eva said with a mischievous smile.

“A child with me?” Ezra asked a hopeful glint in his eyes.

“Who said it was going to be yours?” Eva replied, her tone teasing as she turned away from him.

Before I could hear more, I decided to make my exit, cradling baby Emma in my arms. As I stepped out of the room, I nearly bumped into Cyrus, who was standing at the door.

“She’s cute, right?” he asked, his gaze softening as he looked at Emma.

“Yeah, she is,” I said, smiling down at her before glancing back up at him. “I thought you said you wouldn’t come?”

“Did you really think I’d miss being with you for the world?” he asked, closing the distance between us and kissing my cheek.

“Yeah... for Brittany,” I said, rolling my eyes, but I couldn’t help the grin that tugged at my lips when he chuckled.

“I love it when you’re jealous,” he said, his voice low and teasing. “It makes me want to have babies with you so you’d know just how serious I am about being with you forever.”

The frown I’d been wearing quickly melted into a smile. “I hate how you always make me smile so easily.”

“Well, you love me, don’t you?” he said, and we both chuckled, the tension easing between us.

“Damn, she looks so much like Ezra, and I definitely don’t like that,” he joked, making us both laugh again.

“Maybe our daughter will look just like you one day,” I said, turning to look at him, and he smiled, the thought warming him.

“I’d love to have six children with you… three girls, three boys. Four can look exactly like you, and two can look like me. What do you think?” he asked, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

“I think you’re going to push them out, right?” I shot back, and he chuckled.

“If I have to, I would gladly do it,” he said before leaning in for a kiss.