Fight of Your Life

Epilogue

18 years later

"Quin, Parker, Cole, and Makenly! Get down here for supper." I hear my wife yell up to our kids as I walk in the door. We have 4 kids and guess whose sperm we used for the inseminations? If you guessed Quinten then you are right. 3 boys and 1 girl. Quin and Parker are twins at 17, Cole is 15, and, our little princess and the only girl, Makenly is 13. I walk up behind her and wrap my arms around her.

"Hey baby." I say kissing her below her ear.

"Hmm...how was the meeting babe?" She asks turning in my arms.

"Great babe! We secured the location and the funds are prepared. They are going to start construction in a couple of months." I say excitedly making Lee smile.

"That's fantastic Bella bear." She says kissing me again.

"Eww mom could you not make out in the kitchen in front of us?" Quin says making us laugh.

"Hey guess what?" I say to them all. They all say what at the same time. "Aunt Ash will be here Friday and she is staying for a week!" I say and they all cheer. I look at our kids and feel my heart swells. I wasn't able to have kids because of all the abuse but Lee was able to carry our babies and give us the family we wanted. Q was so happy when we asked him to be our donor that he cried. His fiancé was fine with it and he was more than happy to help us. I look at Quin and I can tell something is bothering my boy.

After dinner I go up to his room and knock on the door. I hear a mumbled come in and I open the door.

"Whats wrong baby?" I ask him sitting beside him on hid bed.

"Nothing mama I'm fine." He says.

"I can tell when something is bothering you so what is it?" I say giving him the face.

"I think Lauren wants to break up with me and is cheating on me." He says sadly.

"Why do you think that?" I ask him.

"She stopped taking my calls when she is home and she doesn't even want to look me in the eyes anymore. She hides her phone from me and sometimes when someone calls her she will go off to talk. They don't talk long but she just doesn't seem happy anymore." He says sadly.

"Have you asked her about it?" I ask

"No."

"Ask her baby boy. Maybe something else is bothering her. You never know what people are dealing with. If you don't believe me ask you mom. I hid things very well from everyone except her." I say kissing his cheek.

"Thanks ma I will." I get up and head out of his room. "He ma." I humm in response. "I love you." I smile at him.

"Love you too baby boy." I say before closing his door and letting out a sigh. I walk down the hall to Lee and I's room. I go in and see her pulling on her shirt. She still sleeps in underwear and my T-shirt.

"Where were you?" She asks me without turning around.

"Quin thinks Lauren wants to break up with him." I say sighing and falling onto the bed. Lee comes over and straddles my waist. "The way he described her actions she reminds me a lot of me." I say sadly. God I hope that child is not dealing with what I went through.

"You think..." Lee asks trailing off. She doesn't need to finish I know what she is saying.

"I don't know. He said she doesn't talk to him when she is home, she doesn't look him in the eye anymore, she has short conversations with someone on the phone privately, and she seems unhappy. I don't know Lee it doesn't sound good." I sigh.

"I will have Q look into it. He is a doctor he knows the signs." Lee says making me smile. I rub circles on her hips with my thumbs. "Hmm someone wants something." She says smirking at me.  I flip us over so that I am hovering over her starring into her eyes. There is that warmth again making me smile. "What are you thinking?" She asks.

"How much I love you. Do you remember when you told me that morning that you were in love with me?" I ask her. She nods. "When you said that sentence, I could feel the walls around my heart crumbling and a feeling of warmth exploding in my chest. That feeling is what made me decide to go ahead and try it with you and it was the best thing I ever did," I see the tears in her eyes and I wipe them away. "I love you baby and I am so glad you love me too." I say kissing her. We had a great night that night.

2 weeks later

Lauren, Quin's girlfriend is over here and Q is on the way. Q and I are going to talk to her.

"Lauren. Is everything ok at home?" I ask her. Her eyes widen and she nods quickly. I see the light bruising under her makeup. I go into the kitchen and pick up a rag and wet it. I walk back into the room and wipe her face. She starts to panic and I tell her to relax. After wiping off the makeup you can clearly see the fading bruises. "Who did this to you?" I ask. She tears up. I put my arm around her. "Let me tell you a little secret. When I was younger, from the time I was 14 until around 17, my father beat and raped me." She starts sobbing and I wrap my arms around her. Q steps in here.

"Lauren." He says softly. "Does your dad hit you?" She nods crying harder. "Does he rape you?" She shakes her head. She calms down a little.

"He hits me and my brother some but he's never done that. I promise." She says in a small voice.

"Ok you are staying here for the time being." I say. "And can I tell you something?" She nods. "I would have never gotten through it if not for Lee. I took a chance and let her in. Quin is her child and he is a lot like his mom. Maybe if you let him in, he would help you. Just a suggestion. You don't have to and I promise you I will not tell him anything that you don't want him to know." She nods and hugs me and Q before going back up to Quin's room.

Lee comes in and questions me with her eyes. "Beatings, yes. The other, no." She nods sadly before sitting on my lap and hugging me tightly.

3 months later

Lauren's dad is in jail and Quin says she is back to her old self. She opened up to him and he has been great. I knew he would be because he is his mothers child. We are having a cook out today and I am on the grill with Q. I look over and see my kids, Lauren, Parker's girlfriend Kelly, Q's wife Dinah, and my beautiful wife all playing in the pool. That all too familiar warmth explodes in my chest and I find myself thinking that I would do anything to make these people happy. This is my family and I wouldn't have it any other way.