Shourtney AU - Loving So Hard (Mature)

Epilogue

*Courtney*

Dazzling white light barraged my eyes, attacking the corneas relentlessly, frying my very pupils into non-existent specks. Mucus coated the lids, congealing into a gloop stuck stubbornly together. Palming my face, the mixture peeled off and into my hand, granting me my vision.

Familiarity washed over me in an utterly resounding manner.

Home.

Our old home, to clarify. A neatly decorated cobbled pathway arrowed through the well-kept lawn, darting perfectly towards the front door. Rich mahogany met my gaze, stark against the golden '22' centrefold in the frame, directly above a slick golden letterbox. Nostalgia ablaze, I peered over to the yellow yarrows of which Shayne and I used to tend so dearly to.

Whilst everything was the same, something massive was different, and I had been so absorbed in the house that I hadn't noticed the one thing that was out of place. Me.

Catching a glimpse of myself in the window, blonde locks struck my eyes, as opposed to the grey ones of which I had grown accustomed to. Eyes flickering down to my hands, I noticed they weren't calloused and worn, but instead smooth and pink, flush with warmth. My face felt softer and fuller, exuberant with youth.

Leaning forward further still, my young self gazed back from the window, eyes alight with intrigue.

I'm young again. That must mean...

Tentatively, I stepped through the threshold, easing the door open with ease as it hadn't been locked. I briefly thought of calling out his name.

No. I want to see him first.

The steps creaked in all the same places, groaning under my weight as I trundled upwards, barefoot. Everything felt material, and that convinced me I wasn't dreaming.

Our bedroom door came into sight, perched proudly at the end of the hallway, clean white and polished. My breath caught in my throat, heart thumping in my breast.

Palming the door, I pressed my cheek to the cold surface, listening. Nothing returned, and hope began to shimmer under my disarray.

No, he's in there. You know he is.

The door swung slowly open with a quiet creak at the end, the hinges in need of an oiling. Glistening sunlight pierced through the translucent curtains, white and elegant. A gentle breeze swirled through the room, air conditioning and external currents mixing into one. Distant din barely reached the open window, falling pointlessly on my perked ears.

Fresh magnolias slouched in their transparent vase on the bedside table, the scent wafting towards me, my attention diverted elsewhere.

Rich, pale skin magnetised my gaze, the accompanying glacial blues causing my cheeks to ignite with passion. Soft features returned my line of sight, and youthful expressions matched them. My chest swelled with pride and overwhelming happiness at the sight.

"Shayne,"  I exhaled, rushing to my husband and leaping atop him on the bed.

He chuckled blissfully, holding my body so close I felt as though we'd melt into one. His dirty blonde hair fluttered in the soft torrent of my breath on his face as we kissed, my teeth cinching his neck and tongue meandering from hickey to hickey. He soon returned the favour, flipping us so I lay under him, submissive and ablaze with desire.

"Where are we?" I gasped, his teeth nibbling my ear lobe.

He grinned against my skin, softly palming my bare stomach, massaging circles into the muscle, "You're here with me now, Courtney, so, heaven, I'd assume."

"Heaven?" I mused, intrigued and awestruck all at once.

"Heaven," Shayne repeated, smiling still.

"But what about Skylar and Grayson?" I asked, feeling sad for our children.

Shayne's smile was warmer now, "They'll miss us, but we'll always be with them. They know that."

His optimism soothed me, and I realised he was right. Our children still had a good portion of their lives to look forward to. Their own families to care for and love.

My fingers hooked into Shayne's waistband, yanking the offending article down his legs and subsequently, off the bed. He smirked in response, grasping my hair carefully.

"I love you, Shayne," my voice was soft and slow.

My husband pulled me up and claimed my lips, "I love you more, Courtney."

"Not possible," I interjected at once, and we kissed again.

The End