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Epilogue

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Chapter 56: Epilogue (Tristan's POV)

Six years later...

"Daddy," came a whisper as tiny fingers lightly prodded at my cheek. 

"I've told you not to do this, Leo," I sighed drowsily, my eyes refusing to open no matter how hard I tried. 

"But I need your help," he whisper-yelled, clutching at my shirt and jumping in place beside the bed. 

Amara stirred beside me, and as soon as she shuffled, my eyes snapped open. Turning on my side to face him completely, I propped up an elbow and held my head in my hand. "Yes?" I asked. 

He grinned cheekily and attempted to cover his smile, but I tugged his hands down, a small laugh escaping me. 

"What's wrong?" I whispered. 

"The baby woke up," he mumbled. 

I sat up slowly, kicked the covers off, rose to my feet, and took his hand in mine. "What did you do?" I asked as we tiptoed out of the room, careful not to wake Amara. 

"Nothing," he sang, trying to keep up with my strides, walking merrily in his Superman pajama set. 

I began swinging our arms back and forth out of habit, knowing it brought a smile to his face. "Did you get in her cot?" I asked knowingly, quietly opening the door to the kids' room. 

He peered up at me sheepishly. "No," he mumbled out the lie. 

"Leo," I said pointedly, stopping at the cot and turning to him. 

"I just wanted to see her," he whispered, pushing onto his toes to peek inside. 

My eyes drifted to his hair when I realized it was sticking up in all directions, and lifting a hand to it, I ruffled it out, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. 

A loud giggle erupted in the room as Julia noticed me, grabbing the cushioned bars lining the cot and rising on wobbly legs, slowly stretching her arms out to me. 

"Hey," I mumbled softly, gently taking her in my arms, leaving a light kiss on her cheek. She cooed and hummed lightly in my hold, dropping her head on my shoulder as I turned my attention to Leo. A grin danced on his lips as he jumped in place out of excitement while I slowly crouched down to my knees, bringing Julia closer to him. 

"She's always here with you," I said, watching as he held out a hand to her, and she instantly wrapped her fingers around his. 

"But I miss her," he giggled, quickly snatching his hand back. "That tickles," he laughed again. 

I had no idea what time it was, just that it was the middle of the night. The concept of time altogether had grown foreign to me in the past four years. 

"Should we get back before Mom wakes up?" I asked in a hushed whisper. With Leo's frantic nod, I headed back, bringing both the kids with me. The moment I opened the bedroom door, and my eyes landed on Amara, I went utterly still in the doorway. Even Leo went still beside my legs. The only movement and sound echoing in the room was Julia's giggle. 

Amara was now wide awake, sitting up against the headboard expectantly. "What are you doing? All of you," she demanded. 

"Mommy!" Leo exclaimed, running forward and leaping onto the bed, rushing forward and snuggling into Amara's side. 

Chuckling in amusement, she put an arm around him and left a kiss on the top of his head. "Caro," she said to him, brushing his hair back. I closed the door behind me and headed to my side of the bed. "You took your Daddy away from me. We talked about this, remember? I get to keep Daddy at night. What happened?" she asked knowingly, watching me in amusement. 

"He accidentally woke her up," I explained, settling back into bed, still holding Julia until she was comfortably laying on my torso, her head resting on my chest. 

"Sorry," Leo mumbled through a small pout. 

"That's okay," Amara told him, raking her fingers through his hair soothingly. "She's your sister. I'm sure you were just trying to take care of her." Tipping her head back as Leo lay his head down, Amara turned to me, an amused smile playing on her lips. "They're never giving us another night to ourselves," she chuckled softly. 

Six years. It had already been six years since we got married, and in all the best ways possible, everything had changed. 

A year after our engagement, Amara and I got married. That year was only the first we spent together, but little did we know it was just the beginning. In that first year, Amara and I solely focused on ourselves, our relationship, and working together. 

It wasn't always easy when it came to dealing with the people around us and their expectations, but every person working against us only brought us closer together and made us stronger. 

Exactly a year from the day I proposed to her, Amara and I got married in Italy. Neither one of us wanted a grand wedding, but with Mr. Milano volunteering to organize most of it, it exceeded all our expectations. Everyone in this world who was important to us was there, and it was absolutely perfect. All the people that mattered to us united in one place for our wedding. 

The next two years were better than I ever imagined. With no one to bother us, our lives finally blending together effortlessly, we were the happiest we'd ever been. We worked together, we traveled the world together, and we simply enjoyed our time as husband and wife. I was the luckiest man in this world to have Amara as my wife. 

Looking back, I thought I loved her madly before I proposed to her. After that, I thought I loved her more than that while we were engaged. Once we got married, my love for her intensified tenfold. 

With each day that passed, I loved Amara more and more, and I knew that I would love her more today than I did yesterday, I'd love her more tomorrow than I did today, and I'd love her intensely and devotedly like that until the day I died. 

Two years after the marriage, Amara got pregnant. It wasn't something we had initially planned, but once it happened, the thought of letting our baby go never once crossed our minds. Amara was over the moon, perhaps the happiest I'd ever seen her, and although I was anxious about the future awaiting us, I was so fucking grateful. For everything. For Amara and for our baby to come. 

And so four years ago, we had Leo. I distinctly remember seeing him for the first time just after the delivery. 

The way my hands trembled as I reached for him, the way my knees buckled the first time he held my finger, the way I cried as I held him when he called me Dad for the first time. My wife and my son were my beginning and ending. My world started and ended with them. 

He looked just like me, so much that it almost freaked us out. Pictures from when he was younger were scattered around the house on display, and anyone who saw them couldn't deny the uncanny resemblance. I had never been so proud to have a family of my own. 

Nothing could have prepared me for what it felt like to be a father. 

Four years after Leo, only eight months ago, we had our little angel, Julia. If there was anything that I was certain of in this life, it was this: I was made only to love my children and my wife. 

Leo had always been a Mama's boy, he hardly left Amara's side, and after Julia, I realized perhaps there was a precious little girl I could love as much as I loved my wife. 

The thought of naming them after Amara's parents never crossed our minds. It was Mr. Milano who suggested it, and once he did, we couldn't imagine naming them after anyone else. 

"What time is it?" Amara finally asked once Leo had dozed off in her arms and Julia lay fast asleep over my chest. 

I shook my head slowly. "I have no idea." We both stared at each other for a minute before laughing softly. 

"I think we can tuck them in now," she whispered. The two of us cautiously got out of bed. First, I handed Julia to her and then scooped Leo up myself, exhaling softly. 

He stirred slightly, and I instinctively rubbed his back warmly. "Come on, baby," I mumbled, following Amara into the kids' room. 

I felt her eyes on me as I tucked Leo in while she waited at the door and spun around to find her staring at me. Lifting a brow as I approached her, we stood still in the doorway, mere inches between us. "What are you looking at?" I whispered. 

"Your ass," she whispered, leaning into me with a grin. 

"In the kids' room at that?" I shook my head, clicking my tongue. "You're a bad girl, Mrs. Harper." Tilting her chin up, I leaned down to place a soft kiss against her lips. 

She smiled against my lips before drawing back. "Let's go to bed, come on." 

I shut the door behind me and kept an arm around her waist. "Come on," I sighed, grunting softly as I tucked my arms under her and scooped her up. She laughed, barely stifling it as I rushed to our room and gently closed the door once I set her down on the bed. 

"They'll sleep through the night, won't they?" she asked, throwing a leg over mine as she scooted closer and rested her head on my chest. 

"I hope so," I mused, running my fingers through her hair. I stared down at her until she lifted her gaze to mine. 

"What?" she smiled. 

"I love you," I said quietly. 

Leaning up, her lips brushed against mine as she whispered, "I love you."

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Chapter 56

And with that, this book has come to an end!!!

OMG I LITERALLY CANNOT BELIEVE IT.

Once again, thank you to everyone who read this book and showed it so much love <3

This book is always going to be so special to me, it's one of my favorites I've ever written. Tristan and Amara superiority, you heard it here first.

I am not ready to let go of them yet, and I'm so happy I'll get to write them in the other books too!

ALSO

I've made a Pinterest board for this series and just my books in general. I'll still be uploading aesthetics on my Instagram, but they'll also be available on my Pinterest.

With that being said, I couldn't help myself and made little aesthetics for our babies, Leo and Julia. Those are linked in the first comment <3

I'll be taking a break for a few days, maybe a week at most, and then I'll be back with Dante and Anastasia's book... so I'll see you guys then ;)