Maybe Just One More

Epilogue Six Years Later

Stormie's POV

"Damn it, Avery," I huffed. "You promised me."

"Babe," his voice broke out. "I'm sorry."

"You usually are," I snapped. I hung the house phone up and threw it down onto the counter. I gripped onto the edge of the counter tightly to keep me from going through the roof. Tears fell from my eyes.

Rachel came through the back door with the twins. 

Avery had done a lot of renovations to the house. It didn't even look the same inside. There was no longer a back porch. It was just one big kitchen. It was now only six bedrooms instead of eight. He tore out the two bedrooms that were downstairs to make the living room and dining room bigger. He did it mostly based on my ideas. I have been in college for the last four years to be an architect. I only had one more year of schooling before I graduated.

"Hey," Rachel said. 

"Hey," I looked up at surprised. I turned my back to wipe my tears away. I didn't want Corey and Chloe to see me crying. 

They ran to me and hugged me before taking off to the living room.

"He's not coming home, is he?" Rachel asked. 

"No," I muttered. "The coach won't let him."

Avery made it to the big time like we always figured he would. He was the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. He made around thirty million dollars a year. The kids received a lot of attention at school because of it, but they didn't fully understand it. We didn't want the twins to think they were better than everyone else because of who their dad was. Avery was the richest person in Granbury, which was a big deal for a little town.

This was his second season with the Cowboys, and the second Christmas, he wouldn't be home. He hadn't been home for thanksgiving two years in a row either. He also missed the twins' birthday this year. 

"I'm being selfish," I murmured. "I just miss him."

"You're not being selfish, Stormie," she murmured. "I don't think that he is being selfish either. He's always trying to make everyone happy. Sometimes he chooses to make the wrong people happy."

"No, it's okay," I said and shook my head. "I'm sure we'll see him in a few weeks."

Avery didn't get to come home too often when it was football season. I was aware that it would happen this way. 

After Rachel left, I went in to talk to the twins. 

"Awe," they whined when I turned Scooby-Doo off.

"We need to talk," I told them. I walked over to the couch and sat down. Corey crawled onto the couch on my right, and Chloe sat to my left. As I predicted, Corey looked exactly as Avery did. Chloe looked like me.

"What is it, mom?" Corey asked.

I smiled. "I wanted to let you guys know that Dad wouldn't be home tomorrow," I said.

"What? Why not?" Chloe asked.

"He has to work," I said.

"Work sucks," Corey muttered. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"It's okay," I said. "We will see Mason and Claire, Grandma and Grandpa, Grandma and Austin. We'll see Dad soon."

"Fine," Corey and Chloe groaned. 

"Go wash up and get ready for bed. I'll be up to tuck you in in a few minutes," I said.

***

After I got dressed, the twins ran into the bedroom.