Lucky Boy [Hamilton AU] (Lams)

Epilogue

John

*3 years later*

"Alex, try to see if you can come home early okay?"

"I can't make you any promises."

"Please. It's the kids' birthday. They're going to want to see you before they have to go to bed."

"Okay. I will try. I gotta go."

"I'll see you tonight." I kissed him goodbye. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Kids, your pops is leaving!"

Two six-year-old kids ran out from their bedroom, half dressed. Our daughter, Frances, with her half braided hair and her shoes on the wrong feet, ran out, tugging her twin brother Philip by the wrist, with his shirt on backwards and only one leg in his pants. They ran up to Alex and hugged him tightly.

"Bye pops! See you tonight," Frances said.

"Bye poppa!" Philip squeaked. I smiled at them as Alex kneeled to their height and hugged them both, kissing their foreheads.

"Bye guys. I'll see you tonight. Don't give your daddy too much of a hard time okay?" he smiled, winking at me. "Love you guys."

"Love you too pop!" they said in sync. Alex gave me one last kiss, and left.

"Okay. Go finished getting dressed, guys."

"But dad," Philip whined, "it's our birthday. Do we have to go to school?"

"I'm sorry bud. But hey, I won't make you go to school tomorrow, promise." He leapt with joy and ran off to get dressed. Frances almost did, but then she stopped, and thought.

"But daddy, isn't tomorrow Saturday?"

"Don't tell your brother," I laughed. She giggled and skipped back to their bedroom.

We lived in an apartment, one closer to their elementary school, and further from Laf. I missed them. I haven't seen Laf in a while. Alex and I have just been so busy juggling work and now kids. We haven't had time. In the span of two years, I had taken double my classes to graduate earlier and was able to get a job as a professor for a US history class at NYU which was a crazy thing.

Today was big day. Frances and Philip turned seven today. Laf was coming over and so was Hercules. I had the day off and the kids had a half day. I haven't spent much time alone with them, because Alex and I have been watching them together. But now Alex's work schedule is picking up again.

"Okay, you guys ready?"

"Daddy! Can you braid my hair?"

"Sure, sweetie. Now c'mon. You guys can't be late."

So Philip came running out with his shirt the right way on and everything else on the way the right way with his Ninja Turtle backpack on his back. It was almost bigger than he was. Frances came out with her bright pink bag, and her hair still only halfway braided. They raced each other to the front of the building. I followed as quickly as I could, but keeping up with six-now-seven year olds was hard. Especially when they were energetic and excited, which was almost every morning.

They both buckled up in the backseat of my little Ford Fusion and I drove them to school. Philip declared that since he was seven now, he was a big boy and didn't need anyone to walk him to his classroom. Frances waited patiently so I could finish her hair. "Philip be a good boy," I said, hugging him. He wrapped himself tightly around my legs.

"Of course dad! Bye!" and he ran off to his classroom.

I finished the braids in Frances' hair and clipped the pink bow into place. "You look so beautiful, my little birthday girl."