All In A Love Story

Celebration

As time past Nolan got stronger, Daniel and I had decided that it would be best if Nolan stayed in the guest house until he was ready to go back to the house that he had shared with his partner for so long. I think having the children around him along with us helped him; move on quicker then it would have if he were alone. I was helping get the grill ready for our cook out we had planned a month ago, Nolan had reassured me that he'd be fine and happy to have the distraction. We were celebrating Max's third birthday finally, as the weeks following the funeral Max and Lily took in everything with grace. As I handed Daniel the steak to be grilled I watched Lily playing in the pool with Max.

"Be careful you two," I say warning them both as I watched Hope toddle around pushing her dolly in its stroll, "Hope come by mommy and daddy."

As Hope comes toward us I see Nolan come out of the guest house in his swimming trunks, he smiles seeing the kids in the pool as he gets in after them.

"Isn't it someone's birthday party today?" He asks as Lily giggles and swims over to him, Max sat on the steps of the pool watching his uncle with his sister a huge smile on his face.

"It's Max's Uncle Nolan," Lily says and Max nods happily. 

Max's Birthday was today, he was officially three years old, which meant in a short couple months Hope would be two. I would have never imaged my life like this, it has been even more then I dreamed about.

I bent down to pick up Hope as I feel Daniel touch my back, I glance at him smiling as I hold Hope in my arms as I straighten up, "Em, he seems like he's getting better," I hear Daniel say in my ear as I lean against him.

"With time he is going to be Danny," I say softly glancing at him. As Hope reaches for Daniel I glance at the steaks watching them, "Danny if you want to spend time with Hope I'll watch the food," I say before leaning in to kiss him quickly.

As I watch my husband smile and walk off with our daughter, I step closer to the grill glancing into the house. So much had changed in our lives, for me it seemed like just yesterday I was walking into the beach house with my realtor and plotting my revenge. I targeted the Grayson family for taking my father away from me, now here I am years later with a family of my own married to the one man whose mother was solely responsible for putting everyone at risk at one point or another.

But my mother in law was not our problem anymore, she was behind bars where she belonged. My father was happy on his own at the beach house close to his family and Charlotte along with her family had moved to another beach other beside my fathers house. We are a close knit family and after everything it was best we stayed close to one another. As I pull myself back to reality, I watch Charlotte, Declan, Jacob and my father walk into my house being greeted by my husband and daughter. As I watch them place the presents on the table I grin at them, check the steaks once more time as I flip them over. I then walk to greet them myself, as I look at my husband offering to take our youngest child.

"You are just in time. Nolan is out with the birthday boy and Lily," I say reaching for Hope, "Danny the food is almost ready. How was the drive over?"

"It was good Jacob screamed the whole way here though," Declan says as he wraps his arm around Charlotte as he pokes his son's nose as he looks at me.

Jacob let out a small yawn and smile, "if you want I can bring down Hope's pack and play. I'm sure Nolan would not mind it, if we put Jake down in the guest house so he's close and it'll be dark," I say offering as I glance at my sister and then her husband.

"Sure, that would be great. He is due for his nap in about ten minutes," Charlotte says as she leans against Declan, I had Hope to my father as she happily giggles, then I walk over to the pool to inform him of Jacob sleeping in the guest house.

"Nolan, I'm going to have Daniel set up the pack and play in the guest house. Jacob is very cranky and needs to sleep," I say explaining to him the situation with my nephew.

Nolan smiles and picks up Lily who is asking to be thrown in the water, as I grin watching my daughter giggle and fly throw the air. I stand up straight walking over to my husband, as I kiss his cheek he glances at me smiling wide.

"Daniel can you go and get the pack and play?" I ask softly as I rub his back slowly looking at the steaks as he removes them from the grill.

"Of course, I'll grab the wine too," he says as he walks into the house. I pick up the steaks, I walk to the table we had by the deck of the house as I watch my husband come out with the pack and play.

Placing the food on the table I hear the doorbell ring as I look up, I smile wide seeing Jack and his son Carol. Jack had a gift in his hand and I walk over to him, glancing at Carol I smile.

"If your father says that its okay. Nolan, Lily and Max are in the pool, if you want to join them Carol," I say watching his eyes light up excitedly.

"Go have fun," Jack says to his son as he watches his boy run off to get into the water as he walks beside me, "Our lives have changed so much Emily. It feels like just yesterday Carol was born."

I nod glancing at my children playing with Carol, "it does seem like just yesterday. But, so many things have happened since," I say softly placing the gift Jack handed me on the table with the rest of the gifts.

Carol began to play with Lily and then fell under the water when Max pretended to shoot his friend with an invisible arrow, "And the Villain has been taken care of by the amazing and young green arrow," Nolan says causing Jack and I to laugh as I shake my head.

"Everyone has been through so much," Jack says looking at Nolan, "I think Nolan has come a long way. He's been talking to me, asking me about how I dealt with losing Amanda, and I've been trying to help him."

"You are someone to help with losing a spouse," I say folding my arms as I walk to the table touching Daniel's shoulders as I lean down and kiss his cheek.

"I just hope that, what I have been saying to him has been helping," Jack says as I glance at the man who became my best friend all those years ago in front of the prison gate.

"You have Jack, I mean look at him. He's interacting with our children just like he used to before everything," Daniel says as my father walks over to us smiling wide.

"I still sometimes wonder what would have happened if my wife would have survived and what our lives would have been," Jack says openly as he watches his son play, "I often wonder if we would have given Carol a sibling or two."

"You know it's the what ifs that could be very dangerous," Nolan says as I glance at him nodding he had Lily, Max and Carol following him, "Don't we have a song to sing and a party to get underway?"

"Yes, Nolan I believe we do," I say softly before helping my son dry off and my husband stand up heading to get the birthday cake.