a/n: Just to be clear, this is 10 years after the last update. So from the ending of the book before the epilogues, it's been 15 years total.
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Angel's pov
10 years later
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I watch Athena, who is now thirteen, play with her younger twin brothers, Alex and Noah. They're nine, and also the result of the outfits Chance picked for Grayson and I'd honeymoon ten years ago. Crazy how things have played out in the past ten years. We also have a six year old boy, Nathan, we adopted him when he was two. He's honestly so much like Grayson that sometimes I forget that he's adopted, which is good. Just because he's adopted doesn't mean we don't love him the same as the children that we brought into this world.
Grayson and I have made it our mission to foster as many kids as possible. We currently after fostering any at the moment, but if we receive a call, we can have a child being placed in our home at any time. It's honestly the best decision he and I have made.
We live in a well-sized home, where the kids can all pretty much have alone time if needed. By that I mean the twins share a bedroom, Noah and Alex. Nathan has his own bedroom, but when we foster, he shares. Same with Athena, when we foster, and if they're a girl, she shares a room with them. And our youngest, who is only three months old, sleeps in her crib in Grayson and I's room.
I sat on the couch in the living room feeding Aliana from her bottle. Nathan sat next to me, watching the tv while also playing with his Legos. I can safely say that I have a strong connection with all five of these kids, even with Aliana being so young. Grayson and I try our best to keep us all really close. Since he was never close to his family when he was younger.
I notice Alex waving at me when Athena calls for my attention. Alex is deaf, and isn't able to verbally communicate like some deaf people can. His words come out mixed up and often you can't understand him. He tries his hardest, thats all that matters.
"Ask him what he needs? I can't sign while I'm feeding," I spoke softly. Athena nodded and looked at Alex, she signed to him, "she said she can't sign while she's feeding, what do you need?"
He looked back at me, then Aliana while starting to sign back to Athena. I'm so happy that Grayson and I taught all of our kids sign language. We started to teach Athena by the time she was three, same with Noah. Alex had been born deaf, due to a complication after Noah had been born. His umbilical cord got rapped around his neck, and he was born in distress. It was the scariest moment of my life, Grayson's too. But we were blessed with a healthy baby, who happened to be deaf.
"He wants to know when daddy will be home. He wants to play catch." Athena pulled me from my gaze and train of thought.
"He should be home any minute." I told her, which she then communicated to Alex.
The front door's lock jiggled as I was setting Aliana up to burp her. I turned my head to see Grayson's face emerge from the outside. Small flakes of snow sprinkled around his winter coat. I smiled at him, which he returned.
"Daddy!" Nathan yelled while jumping off the couch. Grayson smiled as he kneeled down to hug the four kids who rushed over to him as soon as he set his work bag down.
"How's my beautiful, amazing baby today?" He asks, leaning down to kiss me while my head tilted back.
"Ewww! Gross!" Noah and Nathan both yelled, Alex made a gross face, then smiled as all of us laughed.
"Tired," I mumble to his lips as he kisses me again. He nodded and took Aliana from me, starting to burp her.
"Can we play catch when you're done? Alex really wants to!" He asks, looking at Grayson with pleading eyes. Grayson smiled and nodded.
"Go put your winter jackets on," he said. I signed that to Alex, and he and the two other boys raced off to their rooms.
"How was your day?" I ask him while I get off the couch. He sighs, following me into the kitchen.
"I was looking over a patient's file and I saw signs of abuse. She had been admitted for a broken arm. Her mom said she had come home to find her on the floor in front of their staircase. The daughter backed the story up, but her chart had shown multiple admissions for multiple different injuries. I know kids are rough, I mean look at Noah he's hurt himself a million times, but I know something else was going on at home for that little girl. Angie, I hate this part of my job." Grayson laid Aliana in her push-around jumper that we usually keep in the kitchen.
"Oh- oh my, Grayson." I wrapped my arms around him tightly as he let me comfort him. He's a nurse at the big hospital down town. He has good days and bad days, today was one of the bad ones.
"Don't think about it too much, baby. You never know if she's just a rough kid, you know? I think maybe you should take the next few days off.. stay home with me and Aliana. And you can surprise the kids by picking them up tomorrow." I suggested, pulling away from his body. I rested my hand on hos cheek, something we did as teenagers but still do now, affectionately.
"I think you're the smartest woman ever. I'll call out for the rest of the week, maybe we can take a little vacation to grandma's?" He smiled, leaning down to kiss me. I nodded, "I think they would love that," I smiled as the three boys came into the kitchen.
"We'll be back in a little bit." Grayson smiled, grabbing his keys. They go down to the park to play catch. Once, Grayson and Alex had accidentally broken our front window with the baseball. That wasn't a fun winter.
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"Thank you for this, Gray." I smiled at him as he set our desert on the table in front of the two of us. He chuckled and sat across from me.
"We're so sneaky." He smiled, taking a bite of the chocolate moose cake. I laughed while nodding. It's currently 2:45am and Grayson and I are eating cake in secret while all the kids are asleep.
"So Noah was telling me that Alex has a crush on this girl in his class." Grayson looks at me with an eyebrow raised.
"Do you know anything about her?" I ask, smiling at the fact that my son is growing up. He nods his head while shoving another bite of the cake in his mouth.
He swallows it, "her name is Everleigh. She's hard of hearing, which is how she's in his class."
At Noah and Alex's school, theres a separate school for kids with special needs, or who are born with disabilities. Noah loves it. He doesn't feel weird about being deaf, and is proud to be so. He's in a class with other deaf, or hard-of-hearing kids, which gives him an inclusive learning environment.
"Thats so cute. My boy is growing up." I fake pout and wipe under my eyes. Grayson and I both laugh.
"We've raised some pretty amazing kids, Angel." He smiled at me, taking my hand in his. I nodded, smiling back at him.
"We did. We did that. We've done this. We've accomplished everything I've ever wanted, and I hope you too." He nodded his head while pulling my hand to his mouth, placing a kiss on the backside of it.
"Thank you for showing me how amazing life could be, and taking a chance with the mute kid."
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Ahhhhhh, thats the end guys. Wow. I loved writing this book so much, and I hope you guys enjoyed reading it. I love every single person who read this book:,) it means the absolute world to me. thank you
