Love You Forever (bk3)

Epilogue

Nic's POV

"Hey!" I called up the stairs.

"What?" Was the sassy response.

"Get down here and clean up this mess!"

Addie huffed as she pounded down the stairs. "I didn't even do it though, Daddy."

I rolled my eyes, "Addison Marie, what one year do you know leaves cookie wrappers on a desk that they can't even reach?"

"Maddox."

I picked her up and swung her over my shoulder. "Wrong answer."

She squealed. "Daddy! Put me down!"

"Are you going to pick up your cookie wrappers?"

"Yes!" She squealed.

I set her down laughing, "Okay. Go."

She ran off to the study and I heard the crinkling of the wrappers. "I got it, Daddy!" She yelled as she ran up the stairs.

"Thank you!" I went into the study and sat down at the desk. Putting together a second book is harder than putting together the first.

"Nic?" Someone was nudging me awake. "Nic?"

I sat up slowly and opened my eyes. "Hey babe."

"Hi." Josie bounced Maddox, our almost one year old on her hip. "What are you doing in here? It's late."
I looked at the clock. 11:38p

"Oh." I stood up and kissed both her and our son. "I love you. Let's get to bed. Where's Addie?"

"She was asleep when I got home an hour ago. Did she even eat?"

I shrugged, "No idea. I know I didn't."

Josie stopped and grabbed my arm. "Nic, what's going on?"

I shook my head. "Nothing. Just writing. It got hard to write so I closed my eyes for a minute."

"What were you writing?"

"Nolan's death, El and Sam moving to LA, Ed almost losing Allie and Bryce. The hard stuff."

She ran her hand over my forehead, moving my long fringe out of the way. "You're always protecting people, babe. Just write it raw."

"Really?"

She nodded and kissed my cheek. "I'm going to go put Maddox down for the night."

I kissed him. "Love you bubby."

I went into our room and stripped down to my boxers before climbing into bed. I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair.

After the New Year's Day party two years ago, Josie and I found out we were expecting. Everyone was thrilled for us. But two months later, our group was on a flight to London for Nolan's funeral. The cancer had progressed much quicker than we'd all hoped. El and Ed were devastated. Cade was the strong one for all of us, I think. Nolan had been like a second father to me growing up.

After her father's death, El and Sam decided moving to Los Angeles was what they needed to do. That in turn, causing Addie to lash out and then disappear to her room for hours, almost daily. She would later be diagnosed with depression, me claiming her mother leaving again as the trigger. She has yet to come back to visit. During our phone calls, she says there are too many memories of her dad here and it hurts to be here. Addie of course, being almost nine doesn't understand.

When the time came for Ed's girlfriend, Allie to have her baby boy, things got rough. Ed had returned to finish up Nolan's estate after the passing of his mother a month after Nolan. I was at the hospital with Allie. The cord was wrapped around Bryce's neck and Allie's heart stopped on the table. Ed was for sure he'd lost them both but they were both soon able to return home. Ed proposed to Allie and their wedding is next month.