BROKEN COURAGE (Broken Redemption Book 3)

Bonus Epilogue (Part 2 of 2)

Lucas

When I make it into the kitchen, my heart falters at the sight before me. Embree stands at the island, her long dark hair cascading down her back in a wild mess of ringlets that makes her even more breathtaking. She's wearing a simple white sundress, and the sunlight streaming through the window casts a soft, ethereal glow around her. After three years of marriage and three new babies, she's more stunning than ever.

"Hey," I greet her, balancing the twins in my arms as I lean in to press a quick kiss to her cheek. "Where do you want the mini crazies?"

At the nickname, her laughter bubbles out. "Put them in their highchairs," she says, still chuckling. Shaking her head, she adds, "They're never going to live those names down, are they?"

I smirk, dropping a kiss on both their little heads, their happy babbling filling the air. "Hey, don't look at me. Ally Mally started it. They're who you need to talk to."

"The crazies," Embree echoes with a laugh, her eyes sparkling as she leans against the kitchen island. It's a name Alyssa and Mallory gave to the five pint-sized whirlwinds who have turned our world upside down over the past three years. Aside from Wyatt, Barrett, and Jessalyn, it also includes their cousins—Avery and Austin, Ben and Jenny's two kids, who are only a year apart.

I shake my head with a grin, thinking about how life threw Ben and Jenny for a loop. After seven long years of infertility struggles, they were overjoyed to welcome Avery, only to be blindsided a few months later by the news Jenny was pregnant with Austin. Now, our five little crazies—all three years and under—are a non-stop hurricane of energy and mischief.

As I glance at Embree, she steals my breath all over again. Her expression is soft, her gaze full of love as she watches me wrestle our nine-month-old twins into their highchairs. The hum of family life surrounds us, and I'm struck by the simple, undeniable truth: this beautiful, messy, chaotic life means everything to me.

"Their lunch is in the fridge. Would you mind grabbing it and feeding them?" Embree asks, her attention shifting back to the tray of sandwiches she's preparing for the party.

Before I can answer, my sister sweeps into the kitchen, her hands full of brightly colored helium balloons. "I'll feed the babies," she announces with a smirk. "You..." she points directly at me as she makes her way to the fridge. "Get your butt outside and help the guys finish setting up the tables. We've got less than two hours before the first guests arrive."

With a chuckle, I raise my hands in mock surrender. "Yes, ma'am."

Jen grins as she takes over feeding duties, leaving me to head outside, where Ben and Uncle David are wrangling tables into position for Wyatt's third birthday party. The sound of kids' laughter and the promise of family fills the air, a perfect reminder of how far we've all come as a family.

"Well, nice of you to finally show up," Ben calls out with a teasing grin, clapping me on the back. "Heard the mini crazies have been keeping you busy." His smirk says it all. Embree must've told him about the diaper cream incident from this morning that unfortunately happened on my watch.

"Yeah, they're sneaky, those two," I admit, rubbing the back of my neck as the memory resurfaces. Finding the twins covered head-to-toe in diaper cream had been a moment of sheer panic... and hilarity in hindsight.

Uncle David chuckles warmly from where he's arranging chairs. "Sneaky is good. It means they're smart."

Ben, however, is less charitable, bursting into laughter. "Smart? They're little geniuses. That stuff is impossible to get off. How long were you scrubbing them down in the tub?"