Relentless

Epilogue

Juliet

Five Years Later

As I sit in the living room reading one of my new books, I listen to the sound of a child's laughter coming my from down the hall. I turn the page and look over the couch to see a little girl running towards me.

"Momma, can I play with Heather yet?" My little girl asks me.

"Not yet, Melody. She isn't here yet."

"Well where is she?"

"Her, Aunt Maris and Uncle Greg are on the way over." I tell her, closing my book. "I can play with you before she comes."

"Yay!" She says, taking my hand and leading me to her playroom. "When is Papa coming home?"

"He'll be here soon. In a little..."

"Where are my girls?" I hear my husband yell as the front door opens.

"Who is that, Melody?" I ask, pretending to be surprised by who just walked in the door.

"Papa!" She shouts, running down the hall and straight for her father. I walk out of the hall and see my handsome husband in his police uniform standing at the door, picking his daughter up and spinning her around.

"How's my girl doing?" He asks her.

"Good! Do you wanna do play tea party with Momma and I?" She asks. Ashton looks up at me and gives me a wink.

"Of course I would." He says.

"Yay!" She cheers running to her playroom and leaving Ashton and I in the hall. He moves closer to me and wraps his arms around me.

"Hello my beautiful wife." He says, kissing the side of my head.

"Hello my handsome husband." I reply. He looks at me and I place a tiny kiss on his lips. "Maris and Greg are almost here with Heather."

"I never liked that guy."

"Why? Because he got to taste my cherry chapstick?" I joke. Ashton always uses that expression when he talks about the boyfriends that I had when we broke things off years ago. He hates it when I use it though.

"Ha ha ha very funny."

"Good think I don't use cherry anymore." I say walking towards the playroom with his hand in mine.

"What flavor do you use now?" He asks. Before we go into my daughter's room I pull Ashton to the side and get on my tiptoes to whisper in his ear.

"Piña Colada." I whisper. I hear him chuckle and walk into Melody's room to see her wearing a tiara and pouring imaginary tea into our tiny cups. Ashton and I sit at her princess table and smile at each other, watching Melody play with her toy food.

"Would you like a cookie, Daddy?" She asks.

"Yes, please." He says, holding out his hand for Melody to place the cookie in.

"Momma, would you like one?" She asks.

"Of course, Melody." I say, doing the same thing as Ashton. Just as I'm about to take a pretend bite of my pretend cookie, I hear the door bell ring. "I'll get it." I say, getting up and walking to the door. I look out of the window and see Maris and Greg with their daughter. I open the door only to be jumped on by Maris. I land on the ground with a thud and hear the sound of someone running.

"Oh geez." I hear Ashton's voice behind me and hear Maris giggling. She lifts me up and I start laughing with her, hugging her.

"Hello Juliet." Greg says.

"Hi Greg." I turn around and look at Ashton to see him giving Greg the death glare.

"Hi Aunt Juliet." I hear Heather say from behind Greg.

"Look at you! You're so tall!" I say, bending down to her level. "Come here and give me a hug." I say. She runs into my arms and gives me a hug with her tiny arms. "Melody is in her playroom. Go on in." Heather smiles and then runs down the hallway yelling Melody's name.

"Well, here we are finally!" Maris says, sitting on the couch with her husband. Ashton closes the front door and comes to sit next to me on the other couch. He puts his arm around me and I rest my head on him.

"I like how we all get together once a month. I want Melody and Heather to be as close as we were when we were little." I say to Maris.

"We didn't know each other until we were almost fourteen."

"Well it's good that we have them hang out together now." I say.

"So how are things going with Josh?"

"I recorded some new stuff, but not a lot."

"What about you Ashton? How are things at the precinct?"

"As good as things could be. There hasn't been that much criminal activity these days which is pretty good." He says.

"So when are we leaving for dinner?" Maris asks.

"I think our reservations are for four o'clock." Ashton says.

"I thought you said four thirty!" I say.

"I'm almost positive it's four." He says.

"I have to go and get Melody ready." I say.

"She looks fine, baby." Ashton whispers. "Relax. She's already wearing her dress."

"She's wearing a dress?" Maris asks.

"I want her to like dresses. Is that a crime?" I ask looking at Ashton. He smirks at me and then kisses my head.

"Let's get going, then!" Ashton says. We all stand up and call our kids. The two girls run out of the house with Maris and Greg and jump into their mini van while Ashton and I close the door to our house and lock it.

"Is Antonia meeting us there?" I ask Ashton.

"I think so. You know eighteen-year-olds, moody and hot-tempered. They change their minds at the drop of a hat." He says, chuckling and putting his arm around me.

"I love you, Ashton."

"I love you more, Juliet."

I look back at our house as we walk to the van and let everything sink in. I have my own home with a family full of love. I remember thinking that I would never have something like this, but then I bumped into a bad boy on the streets of Los Angeles and everything changed.

It's amazing how things can change.

It's amazing how people can evolve.

It's amazing how one person can change your life forever.

And after all of this time, after everything that has happened, I can honestly say that I kept my promise to my father.

I never lost my artist's soul.

~~~~~~~~~The End~~~~~~~~~