Ready-Made Family

Epilogue

"Happy birthday!" the Haywood family cheered as they filed into the house. Brandon chuckled a little and moved to give his mother a hug. The rest of his family was set to arrive any minute and Kennedy with Caleb and Callum had come by earlier to help set up. Not that birthday parties were anything new to Brandon, he had thrown a few over the past couple years he had known Maddie.

"Thanks for coming mom" he said softly. He stepped back and gave his dad's hand a firm shake.

"We wouldn't miss it for the world" Jonathan said with a warm smile.

Noah came rushing down the stairs. Not much had changed about the boy over the past year. But he had grown into his body a bit better, he was still tall and lanky, but he wasn't bone skinny anymore, and he was more willing to take care of his hair rather than leave it shaggy across his face. He had certainly grown in confidence after he became the captain of the school's baseball team. "Hey I'm heading out to get Anna. I'll be back in a couple minutes."

Brandon chuckled a little "you better be Noah. Don't let Anna distract you too much alright?"

"Oh don't worry. We aren't that bad" Noah said tugging on his jacket with a playful eye roll.

With another laugh Brandon patted his son on the shoulder as he stepped out. He was well aware of how lucky he was to have such great children, especially a son that wasn't acting like a crazy moody teenager all the time. Sure he had his moments. But then again that was rare.

What he was most worried about were those twins of his. They would be preteens in a matter of years and he was certainly not ready for it. But was any father ready for discussions about makeup and fashion and the time of the month. Oh hell no. He wasn't going to be ready but he was going to take it like a trooper.

Then again was he ever ready? He hadn't thought he would be ready for children, and he had them thrust upon him. And he has never been happier. The little ones and Madison had changed his life for the better. He had never expected one dark road would change so much about him, yet it had. And it was the greatest blessing he had ever received from the lord. The accident might have temporarily taken away his memory, but it had given him so much.

"There's my little girls" Rebecca said happily moving to hug Emma and Ella.

"We aren't so little" Emma said hugging her grandmother back happily. This was true. Now at the age of nine the girls couldn't really be referred to as little anymore. Especially when their friend Sophie was around. The twins always wanted to impress the twelve year old.

"You'll always be little to me" Rebecca insisted. She moved to remove her jacket and handed it over to Brandon with a smile. "I think I'll go into the kitchen and help her if I can."

"Kennedy is in there" Brandon warned his mom with a smile, "and Brooklyn." When the three got together they were a force of nature.

He glanced at his daughters "where's Sophie?" he asked curiously.

"Caleb and Callum had gotten into something so she went to check on them" Ella said with a shrug.

Brandon chuckled lightly. In just a few years Emma and Ella would be chasing after their siblings the way Sophie does. "Well she is a big sister" he smiled.

Speak of the devil Caleb and Callum came running out of the living room and smacked into Brandon's legs by accident. "Sorry!" Caleb apologized. He smiled up at Brandon with his large front tooth missing.

He reached down and ruffled the boy's hair. These two boys had become his sons that weren't really his sons. He loved them just as much as he own children. Maybe it was because he knew now that they were his kids half siblings or maybe because he acted so long as their father. "It's alright buddy. Just be careful will ya?"