Tangled Hearts.

~Chapter 74~

~Colby~

~June 1st 2025~

The past year with Raelyn as my wife had been nothing short of magical. Magical in the way she slept so angelically next to me, only to wake up and immediately roast me for my snoring. Magical in the way she made my heart feel full—whether she was kissing me sweetly or threatening to shove a sock in my mouth for talking during her favorite TV shows. 

I wouldn't trade a single moment of it. 

The way she floated around the kitchen, effortlessly whipping up a delicious breakfast spread while stealing glances at me—sometimes with pure adoration, other times with the silent threat of "if you touch the bacon before it's ready, I will break your fingers"—made me thank God every day for bringing this incredible woman into my life. 

Her love had gotten me through my darkest days, especially when my father's disapproval weighed heavy on me. Yet Raelyn never wavered. She held me, reminded me that we were in this together, and made me believe that with her by my side, I could face anything. Even my overbearing, alpha-of-the-pack father. 

And then there was the way she mothered Aspen and took care of Blake, her little brother. Watching her balance being both a nurturing mother and a chaos-wrangler to our entire friend group was awe-inspiring. She had infinite patience for the kids, and absolutely zero patience for Jake's inability to clean up after himself. It was beautiful. 

I woke up to the familiar warmth of Raelyn in my arms, her wavy copper-brown hair sprawled across my chest. I carefully brushed it aside, revealing her peaceful face. 

Then, in the softest, sleepiest voice, she murmured, "Stop staring at me, you weirdo." 

I grinned. "I can't help it. You're stunning even when you drool in your sleep." 

Her eyes shot open. "I do *not* drool." 

"You do." 

Raelyn huffed, rolling onto her stomach. "You're so lucky I love you. Happy anniversary, Brock." 

"Happy anniversary, Rae." I pressed a kiss to her shoulder. "One year down, a lifetime to go." 

She stretched like a satisfied cat before sighing. "Can you believe we survived a whole year? Through baby teething, Blake's *one million* Star Wars marathons, and Jake's terrible cooking experiments?" 

"Barely. But I wouldn't change a thing." 

We laid there for a moment, soaking in the peace before the inevitable morning chaos. And right on cue— 

"MAMA! DADA!" 

Aspen's shriek rang from down the hall. A few seconds later, rapid little footsteps signaled the incoming storm that was Blake. 

"INCOMING," I warned dramatically as Blake launched himself onto the bed, belly-flopping between us. 

"Happy anniversary, Mommy and Colby!" he declared, his face beaming. 

Raelyn ruffled his hair. "Thanks, buddy." 

Aspen's giggles echoed from the nursery, and I quickly got up to scoop her from her crib. "There's my little princess!" 

She squealed, waving her chubby fists as I kissed her all over her face. Her tiny hands patted my cheeks before she smacked me in the nose. 

"Oof, baby girl, that's not how we show love." 

Blake cackled. "She got you good." 

Raelyn shook her head. "Alright, troops, let's get dressed and see what disaster our roommates are up to downstairs." 

As we made our way to the living room, I called out, "Incoming cuteness overload!" 

Tara, Katrina, and Devyn immediately turned their heads from the couch. 

"Oh my god, look at this adorable little bunny!" Katrina cooed as she took Aspen from me. 

I placed a hand on my chest, feigning betrayal. "E tu, Aspen? Betraying your old man for Auntie Kat?" 

Aspen let out a delighted giggle. 

Devyn smirked. "It's almost like she knows you're ridiculous." 

Jake, who was half-asleep on the couch, grumbled, "Why are kids so loud in the morning?" 

Raelyn snorted. "Because they have *energy*, something you wouldn't understand." 

Blake hopped onto the couch next to him. "Colby said we could watch Star Wars later!" 

Jake immediately perked up. "Oh, in that case, you're my favorite kid." 

Raelyn shot me a look. "Really? Encouraging the Star Wars obsession *again*?" 

I grinned. "It's important for his education, Rae." 

She rolled her eyes but smiled. "Fine. But first—breakfast." 

After breakfast (where I may or may not have stolen the last pancake and nearly lost my life over it), I had an idea. 

I nudged Sam, who was sitting beside me. "Hey, would you guys be okay watching the kids for a little while? I want to take Raelyn out for our anniversary." 

Jake, Corey, and Sam all exchanged glances before Jake finally shrugged. "Yeah, sure, we got this." 

Tara added, "*We* got this. The guys are basically giant children." 

Raelyn hesitated. "Are you *sure*?" 

"Babe," I whispered in her ear, "if we don't escape now, we may never get the chance." 

She snorted but nodded. "Alright. But if Aspen isn't in bed by 8, I will haunt you all in your sleep." 

Tara saluted. "Yes, ma'am." 

Jake muttered, "She's *so* bossy." 

I slung an arm around Raelyn's shoulder. "And I love her for it." 

We got ready upstairs, stealing glances at each other in the mirror. 

"So where does my lady want to go for our anniversary dinner?" I asked, putting on my best posh accent. 

Raelyn smirked. "Tender Greens. It's our spot." 

"A fine choice," I declared. "A place where I can wine and dine the love of my life." 

She tossed a makeup sponge at me. "You're such a dork." 

I dodged it and grabbed her by the waist. "But I'm *your* dork." 

She hummed in agreement before pressing a kiss to my lips. 

As we descended the stairs, I clapped my hands. "Alright, troops, listen up! You're in charge of the kingdom while we're gone." 

Raelyn shot me a look. "You're enjoying this way too much." 

Sam called from the couch, "Have fun, lovebirds! We got the gremlins." 

Raelyn kissed Aspen's chubby cheeks. "Be good for Auntie Tara, okay?" 

Aspen blew a raspberry in response. 

Jake sighed dramatically. "We're gonna die, aren't we?" 

Raelyn raised a brow. "Not if you follow *the schedule*." 

Jake groaned. "Why do babies even *need* schedules?" 

"Because *chaos*," Devyn replied. 

I took Raelyn's hand and led her to the door. "Let's get out of here before she changes her mind." 

As we drove off, Raelyn sighed, glancing at me. "You think they'll survive?" 

I squeezed her hand. "They'll be fine. Now let's enjoy our night, Mrs. James." 

She smiled softly. "I like the sound of that." 

And with that, we headed off to celebrate a year of chaos, love, and everything in between.