Picture Perfect: A CaptainSparklez Story {COMPLETE}

Epilogue: Seven Years Later...

"Alright, alright," I said finally, scooping up my daughter in my arms and carrying her down the hall. "It's time for bed."

"Aww, but Mom!" wailed Isabel Maron in her usual pleading voice. "I'm not tired!"

I cradled my little seven year old daughter in my arms, her bright strawberry blonde hair tickling my nose. Her blue ocean eyes gazed up at me with the hope that I would let her stay up for at least another hour or so.

Seven years ago shortly after our wedding, Jordan and I had finally moved out of the apartment complex and into a brand new and bigger condo in LA. From what I can remember, Ruby moved out shortly afterwards as well and went to live with Mark.

They were married soon after.

It was a very...lively wedding reception.

Robin and Patrick were relocated to a new General Hospital in Port Charles, New York a few months or so after Mark and Ruby's wedding. Of course, Emma had gone with them, but that doesn't stop them from visiting whenever they can. It's impossible to see Emma walk through my front door and not think of when she was the same age as Isabel is now.

To this day, Emma still wears Jordan's beanie and cuddles with the Jerry blanket.

I carried Isabel into the bedroom and smiled when my eyes met Jordan's. He was wearing the beanie I had handmade him for our wedding anniversary.

"Must've been from all that birthday cake; it's turned you into a monster that runs on sugar," said Jordan playfully as he pulled back Isabel's Enderman bed sheets.

"It was my cake!" she said with a tiny giggle as I put her down. "It was all mine!"

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Maybe, but don't come crying to me with a tummy ache in the middle of the night."

"I'm a big girl!" said Isabel, puffing out her tiny girl chest. "Big girls don't get tummy aches!"

Jordan laughed. "Alright, Iz. What story do you want tonight? Do you wanna hear the one about the man who conquered the blocky universe again?"

"Or how about the one about the Creeper who just wanted a hug!" I suggested. I covered my mouth to hide my laughs.

"Haha, oh Mommy and Daddy!" Isabel giggled. "You're so silly!"

"Well, what's the story?" I asked with a smile.

A look that I'd never seen on Isabel before suddenly appeared on her face. She had her lips pursed in a thin line and her head slightly cocked to one side. She was fiddling nervously with the Enderman sheets.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Jordan asked worriedly. "Don't you want a story?"

"Yes, I do!" she said quickly. "But...but I wanna hear a different story!"

I was surprised by this. Isabel was never one to ask for new stories. Usually we had to force new stories on her because Jordan and I would get sick of telling the same ones over and over again for two weeks.

"Oh," I said with a look of surprise from Jordan, "well okay then. What story do you want to hear?"

Suddenly Isabel jumped up from the bed and made her way to the bedroom door.

"Wait right there!" she said, pointing at us as she took off down the hall.

"What was that all about?" Jordan asked me.

"I'm not exactly sure," I replied. "I don't think I've ever seen her like this before. Should we be worried?"

"Nah," said Jordan with a reassuring pat on my shoulder, "I'm sure it's normal for kids her age. I've always seen it on the faces of the charity kids."

After about a minute, Isabel reappeared in the doorway, her hands behind her back, as if she was hiding something from us.

"What do you have there, hun?" I asked gently.

She bowed her head and replied shyly, "The story I wanna hear."

"Oh my God, Carrie please tell me she doesn't have Fifty Shades of Gray!" Jordan hissed in my ear. "I thought you got rid of it!"

"I did!" I hissed back. "Remember? I gave it to Ruby for her wedding present!"

Do...not...ask...why!

Jordan rolled his eyes, making a sick face for a moment and then looked back up at Isabel. "Well, what is it?"

Isabel looked up from her strawberry blonde bangs, her bright pink cheeks glowing against the light of her Minecraft wall torch. She slowly stepped forward until her eyes were level with our knees, and then she held up something.

No...it was two somethings.

"I wanna know this story," she said softly.

I couldn't believe my eyes, and I knew Jordan couldn't either.

She was holding up two pictures; one framed in a deep chocolate brown square and the other framed in a calming icy blue square. The two faces in each picture looked happy beyond compare. Their smiles were hiding a secret; the secret of the love they felt for each other.

"Isabel," I whispered, feeling the tears swell up in my eyes, "you really...you really want to hear our story?"

"Uh-huh," she said with a nod, handing Jordan the pictures and crawling back into bed. "I wanna know the story about the pictures."

My eyes met Jordan's. He had a bit of tears in his eyes as well. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips and I was suddenly standing in the park again, gazing into the eyes of the man that had rescued my runaway lens. I found myself placing my hand around the diamond pendant that rested over my heart.

Jordan placed the pictures on Isabel's nightstand and sat down on his knees, pulling me down with him so that we were eye-level with Isabel in her bed.

"So you wanna know the story of the Captain that found his Sparkle," said Jordan with a grin.

"Yeah!" said Isabel excitedly.

I smiled at Isabel's enthusiasm. She reminded me so much of Emma.

"Well Isabel, this story is called Picture Perfect," I began. "And it all starts...with a camera."

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SURPRISE YOU GUYS!!! AN EPILOGUE!!! I knew you guys would want one!!  Thanks again so much for the support you gave this book.  I couldn't have done it without all of your positive feedback.  You guys are amazing and I love you so so much!  Stay sparkly, Recruits.  I love you <3

~~C.S.