Until Her (Sequel)

epilogue

Kids screaming, our new puppy licking cake off the kitchen floor, confetti in my hair, kids happy.

In thirteen years, my house had turned into a mosaic of child toys, birthday parties, stained carpets, and dirty coffee mugs on the windowsill, but I wouldn't change a single thing. Sophia Bea's thirteenth birthday was last week, but due to her Christmas birthday, we always delayed her party. She didn't enjoy that too much.

But she did enjoy soccer; in fact, she was almost better than Carter. Once the twins were born, he retired from North Carolina FC, joining their Hall of Fame, and became the Social Media Marketing Director for the team, pursuing his passion for photography and film. Having him around the house more often was a dream, and the kids loved it.

Meanwhile, when the twins turned three, I went back to work. I published the story about Cole, of course, and it quickly became a bestseller. Writing the story from a fictional point-of-view helped me put the words on paper, but when I made money off of the story, it felt wrong. I donated that money to start a children's home in Wilmington; one where no child would feel abandoned or neglected, where the amenities were constantly updated and clean. A place that would always leave a happy memory in their mind, where the volunteers were thoroughly background-checked and were happy to be there. Being the nurse on-site, Peyton pursued her passions right along with me, making the Children's Home of Grace highly-ranked and loved by all the children who passed through.

The children that did pass through came out on the other end in loving homes, and I made sure of it. If it was ever a possibility that a child wouldn't be put in a healthy, loving environment, we welcomed them back with open arms, and sometimes even into my own home.

Sophia, Jack, and Josie learned early on that our home had open doors and that all were welcome. They were great hosts, sometimes even sneaking out of their beds at night to play with their new roommate, just to make sure they felt right at home. Carter and I never stopped them. Maybe one day we'd confess that we knew their secret all along, but for now, I was putting candles on Sophia's birthday cake.

"Looks good, baby." Carter said, laying a swift kiss on my temple. I kissed him back, forgetting what I was doing. I leaned into him, and he held onto me tightly.

"You look good, baby." I winked, biting my lip.

"Chloe James," he said in a joking tone, "are you suggesting we take a detour to the bedroom? Because I wouldn't be opposed." He chuckled against my lips. He kissed my neck tenderly.

"No," I softly retorted. "I was kind of thinking right here was a good spot." I rubbed the counter and watched Carter almost lose control at the sight.

"God, I love you." He pulled me close again, kissing me until I almost lost my footing.

"Gross! Mom and Dad are making out!" I whipped around, keeping my arms around Carter. I cracked up when Peyton and Jonathan appeared from the garage. Peyton held up two bottles of wine, and I cheered.

"Thank God!" I squealed, hugging my best friends. "You're just in time for the cake! Let's go!"

"Actually..." Jonathan began warily. "Sophia's outside."

"Huh?" Carter asked.

Jonathan leaned over the counter, a smirk on his lips. "Sophia waited outside for Nate. His knees practically buckled when he got out of the car and saw her standing there."

"Holy shit, shut up!" I elated. Maybe our kids were falling in love, just like Peyton wished for so long ago.

"Young love." Peyton giggled.