The Deadman ✔

Epilogue

Babies are born as angels.
-Lailah Gifty Akita

4 Years Later

I've never been so proud and so happy at the same time.

At my side, sitting on a single chair meant for one full person, is my daughter Thea and next to her, is her twin Addy. Resting on my hip, I have their little brother Benjamin held to me as we watch their other dad graduate college together.

Beside me is who I consider now to be one of my closest friends, Mikayla Washington who is watching her best friend graduate like we watched her and Luke do last year. Like we will with Chip in a year.

Theodore walks out on stage, dark green gown lined with the same flamboyant rainbow glitter that his cap is completely covered in.

He still looks- -and acts- -soft as ever.

And I wouldn't change him for the world.

Especially considering the way the glitter sticks to skin and makes the girls gasp and tell me he looks like both a magical unicorn and a Christmas tree, and our one year old son giggles wildly as he watches the cap spin.

His beautiful smile crosses cheek to cheek, hands waving to us before he takes his diploma and shakes the headmaster's hand.

Me and the girls clap loudly, I stand with Thea still on my hip but with Addy now on my shoulder and squealing out "Dada, Dada!"

Giving a wolf whistle, Kayla raises up Benjamin so he can see them both clap too.

My boyfriend's grin is so wide I'm surprised that it doesn't break his face, but the pure happiness that he radiates evaporates any worry I could manage to have at this moment. Sitting down with his peers, Teddy turns to wave to us again.

"Okay, girls," I say, turning the four year old's to face me. "Do you remember what to do?"

"Yeah." Thea answers me. "Tell Dada about..."

Addy excitedly finishes off the thought, "A surprise!"

"From?"

"From you!" The twins answer at the same time, making me grin.

Ruffling their heads, I pull the t-shirts out from my backpack get them in it. It's a small class, so the college students clear out quick but it's enough time to get ready.

Over the crowd, I can see Theodore coming towards us.

"Get ready!" I tells them, crouching on the ground to let them run over to him. "I can do this, I can do this."

Kayla winks from me from where she's sitting slyly in the chairs, recording everything the same time she's facetiming my parents- -and Celeste- -with my phone, trying to keep Benny from grabbing it at the same time.

"Dada!" They shout, taking off to their dad, who puts his cap on Theodosia and picks up Addy. Like predicted, the lovable man, who has absolutely no spatial awareness, doesn't notice their shirts.

Dork.

"Daddy has a surprise." Theodosia says, hands clinging to the front of his now open gown.

"Oh?" My boyfriend turns towards me, cyan eyes giving me a one over. "Does he?"

Thea answers by nodding, making grabby hands for her twin and once their dad gets the memo and places Addy on the ground, they both come over to stand by me like we practiced.

Teddy frowns, looking rather confused, but a few more glances at the girls does it.

"Will you..." He reads Adelaide's shirt, then Thea's. "Marry..." His hands fly to his mouth as I get on one knee, holding out the ring box.