Eight years later.

"Hello, love," he whispered.

"Are you feeling any better?" she replied a small grin on her lips.

"Much better now that you're here."

"I was right next to you the whole time," she gave him a droll stare.

"Just not close enough," he wiggled his brows.

Eva lightly slapped his head, "don't get any ideas! we're still basically in public."

He laughed and grabbed that same hand and placed a soft kiss on it.

"That thought never crossed my mind," he feigned innocents.

"Go to sleep Ivar."

Ivar closed his eyes at that and Eva continued to gaze at his handsome face. She couldn't help herself from tracing his features. Ivar just grinned in reply, loving the feeling of Eva's body close to his.

"How many children do you want?" he randomly asked.

"I think two is enough."

"Why only two? do you not enjoy the pleasures of making a child?"

"Don't be so crude," she lightly smacked his chest.

"So modest my love, I guess someone needs to be," he chuckled.

With that Ivar stood up with his crutches, he stole one last glance at Eva before he started to hobble down the plane aisle. Eva didn't think much of it until he reached the end of the aisle and turned back with a forlorn look on his face. At that moment she panicked because she knew something bad was going to happen.

"Ivar! Ivaaar! Come back!" She yelled as he continued to walk.

"Ivaaar! Where are you going? Don't leave me! Ivaaar!" she cried but he continued to walk off the plane as if he couldn't hear her.

"Babe, wake up! You're having a nightmare." 

Eva woke with a start, startled into reality once again. She tried to calm herself by breathing slowly. 

"Honey, deep breaths before you pass out!" Riley says as she rubs Eva's back. 

"Riley, what are you doing here?" Eva manages to say as she tries to slow her heart rate. 

"Waiting for your lazy ass to wake up, you're the one who called for a celebration, not us, sleeping beauty," Riley said as she rolled her eyes. 

 Joseph landed a job with Hail's corporation, he and Riley had been living in Wellington while he was studying to become an accountant and had found it hard to get a job back home. After a few years of experience, Nick was finally able to offer Joseph a job so he and Riley could come home. Eva was over the moon, she had missed them both dearly and seeing each other had become a rare occasion for everyone's busy schedule. 

Once Eva had managed to get a hold of herself, she finally saw the bulging melon sitting where Riley's flat stomach would usually be. 

"Riley, you're pregnant!" Eva exclaimed.

" Surprise! Can you believe it, Joseph and I are finally starting a family." 

"Aw Congratulations, girl. I'm so happy for the both of you!" Eva cried, "I'm finally going to be an aunty!" 

"That you are, baby!" Riley chuckled, "Everyone is waiting in the lounge, we're waiting for you." 

"I'll just freshen up, then I'll come in," Eva smile as Riley left the room. 

Eva couldn't believe she was finally going to be an aunt, Riley and Joseph had been trying for the last five years. They had a few complications and two miss carriages, to say it had been hard on the happy couple was an understatement. But they had stayed positive and had finally pulled through, Eva understood completely why they would have kept everything quiet until now. They had had too many false alarms, it would have been so hard for them both to have to break the news to everyone they had told. 

As Eva walked to her ensuite she could hear her sister laughing at something. Elaine had grown into a mature successful woman these past years. After Ivar had left, Eva had found it hard to cope with her broken heart, to the point of depression. As Elaine took care of Eva she took up sewing classes as a new hobby, once Eva was healthy again she decided to ditch high school and studied at fashion tech. Four years later she opened her own clothing line, her career since has only gone up. She's the third most successful women in New Zealand, to say she made her parent's proud would be an understatement.  

For the most part, Elaine had decided to stay based in New Zealand close to her family, despite her crazy crush on Avery she was able to get over it. Now she was dating the famous NBA player Lui McIntyre , all 6.75ft of him. He was a lovely man, gentle giant and most of all he loved Elaine. After three years of dating, he finally proposed with Elaine's family approval. They were due to be married in the next four months. 

Eva finally moved towards lounge where she knew everyone was waiting, as she entered the sight before her filled her heart. It had been a long time since the gang had gathered together and it felt like home for Eva, though two people were missing. Elaine was touching Riley's stomach as they busily chatted away, while Joseph was playing Halo on the Xbox with a teenage boy and a primary kid. 

The doorbell rang and both the younger boys yelled, "Got it," as they ran to the door. Eva laughed at the boys as she moved down towards Joseph and put him in a headlock. 

"Eva what are you doing? We're pregnant!" Joseph wailed. 

"What?" Eva laughed out loud. 

Joseph pushed her off of him, "Are you trying to sabotage our pregnancy coming in here trying to choke the life out of me?" 

Eva just rolled her eyes, "Still dramatic as always, I see. And Riley is pregnant, idiot, not you."

"We are one, dear Eva. Hurt me, hurt my girl and my baby." 

"I didn't miss you at all." 

"That's why you put on a celebration party for my welcome home? I know you love me, Eva," Joseph smirked as he pulled her in for a hug. 

The youngest boy came running back into the lounge straight for his controller, "Little Ivar, who was at the door?" Elaine asked. 

"Uncle McIntyre!" 

With that McIntyre and Cole walked through the doorway, Everyone said their hello's and went back to relaxing, as lunchtime hit they all moved the kitchen where their feast was waiting for them. Just as everyone was digging in, Eva sat back and watched as her family dished up their plates. She couldn't help the feeling that something was missing, or more like 'they' were missing. 

After their trip to Europe, Avery moved down to the south island where his parents had lived. To say Avery had lost contact would be an understatement, he had literally fallen off the face of the earth. No one ever heard from him, unless he decided to pop by when he was in town. That only happened once when he drops by Nicks, a year after everything had happened. No one knows where he is now or what he's doing. Eva wasn't too happy about it but she respected him and his wishes. 

Nick, on the other hand, he had continued to be a mechanic at his shop for five more years before his uncle became very Ill. Despite Nicks protest, his uncle guilt tripped him into taking the company. Within a year Nick went from overalls to suits. He wasn't really happy but he did what he thought was best. Much to his surprise he was actually good at what he was doing and led his uncle's company to increase profits by 25% in his first year. 

To say Eva happy for him would be an understatement, but with an international business, it meant he needed to be flying to different countries constantly. Eva was upset. When Ivar had left, Nick was with her every step of the way with her recovery, not only that but he understood the loss because he loved Ivar too. 

Nick had become a big part of her life, so when he left for his first business trip she couldn't help but feel like she was having deja vu. It hurt just like when Ivar had left, sure it wasn't permanent but it a long three months, not only that but he stopped at home for two weeks before he was off again. 

Eva didn't realise she had zoned out until her son spoke up.

"Mum, can you pass me the mash please," Cole asked.

Eva passed the mash potatoes to her youngest son, little Ivar who then passed it to her eldest Cole. 

"I forgot to ask, where that father of yours, little man?" Uncle McIntyre asked Little Ivar. 

"Oh, dad's in Australia." Little Ivar shrugged as if it was no biggy. 

That caused Eva's heart to ache, she hated that her boys felt indifferent about their father's lack of presence. Her boys knew that their father loved them, but having him physically there was just as important. 

In a couple of years, everyone had changed and grown immensely including Eva herself. She had grown from an immature teenager into a young mother of two. Cole was the eldest, she adopted him, he was the little boy from the hospital. He was now 16years old and was walking around with prosthetic legs, he was an aspiring NBA playing like uncle McIntyre. He was a good kid and Eva couldn't be happier to have him as a son. 

Little Ivar, on the other hand, was a little surprise bundle of joy, his full name is actually Conrad Ivar Sorenson. As little Ivar grew up he decided he liked his middle name better and told everyone to call him Ivar, everyone thought it was fitting as he looked very similar to his namesake. To say he wasn't impressed when everyone started to call him 'little' Ivar was a bit of an understatement but it grew on him. 

Eva studied to be a nurse a year after giving birth to Little Ivar, she loved it. Helping the sick was exactly something she loved doing, though some days were really tough. To say Eva wasn't completely over Ivar would be true. She still had a part of her that couldn't stop loving the man who gave her everything. But Eva managed to push through it and find happiness in someone else. That someone else is the father of her children, Eva was happy with her own little family. Sure her husband wasn't always home as he was busy with work, but he loved her and her kids and that's all that mattered to her at the end of the day.

The doorbell rang once again while Eva was dishing up her own plate of food. 'Who could that be?' Eva thought, they weren't expecting anyone else. 

"I'll get it," Cole said as he left the table. 

Eva finished her plate and looked back at Coles seat, he hadn't come back yet. 

"Cole, who is at the door?" she yelled. 

Just as Eva was about to push her chair back, she felt someone breathing down her neck. 

"Honey, I'm home." A familiar deep voice whisper. 

Eva quickly turned her head to the voice and couldn't help the cry that left her lips. 

"What are you doing here?!" Eva asked in disbelief. 

"Came home to see my favourite girl." He winked. 

Eva couldn't control herself, she had missed her husband and pulled him down into a passionate kiss. 

"Ew, mum!" Cole shouted. 

"Yeah, Ew! Stop it Dad we're trying to eat." Little Ivar joined. 

All the adults laughed at the embarrassed boys. 

"Surprize, honey. You seriously wouldn't think I'd missed Joseph and Riley's welcome home party?" he smirked. 

"Well, I..?" 

"This punk wouldn't let me," he said as he ruffled Josephs' hair.

Joseph pushed his hand off but then stood up opening his arms wide for a man hug. 

"Welcome home, Nick!"