Chapter 40: Epilogue (Leo's POV)

Five years later...

I walked into the house while unbuttoning the top two buttons of my shirt and rolling up my sleeves. I unlocked the door with the same code, same beep, and walked in. I sighed in exhaustion from work and ran my fingers through my hair. 

"Hey," she grinned, walking over to me. 

"Hey," I grinned, leaning down kissing her. 

"How was work?" she asked. 

"Tiring," I huffed, following her to the kitchen. 

"I'm making lasagna," she sang while passing her over to me. 

"Hello, princess," I sighed, seating her on the counter. 

"Dada," she sang, poking my cheeks. Let me catch you guys up on how life went for us after that. 

I completely left my dad and the whole gambling life. Cut him off completely. Claire moved in after that, brought everything in here. She fixed her relationship with her father and forgave him for what he did. I proposed to Claire on her 21st birthday, making it three years of our relationship. 

We got married two months after that, she wanted a small wedding so a small wedding we had. With a grand, long, honeymoon in the Bahamas. I would've said Europe but we covered that in the one year Flynn and I went traveling with her and Aesha. After we got back from the honeymoon, we both steadied ourselves a little, got busy with work but always had time for each other. 

After we hit one and a half years of marriage, she got off the pill. It was a long, tedious conversation but it was necessary. We were both ready to start a family, all it took was a little communication to establish that. She got pregnant in September after her 22nd, we had our little princess, our daughter, Rapunzel, in June. 

No, I'm kidding. We named her Aria. We had her on June 20th, then in July celebrated Claire's 23rd, just how we celebrated mine before that in April. Claire wasn't very happy about not being able to drink back then. Or have sushi. Our doctor said no to sushi. 

Then June came along, we went into labor, had our baby girl, and now we're here in December. Aria just hit seven months, we're getting to Christmas and we're not going anywhere. Boohoo! We're not going anywhere this Christmas. I wanted to go somewhere, but we both knew Aria was too little to be traveling with and we were not prepared for that. 

"What did little Aria do today?" I asked. 

"Little Aria broke another baby chair and pushed it down the stairs, little Aria didn't let mommy do any grocery shopping without daddy, little Aria went swimming with uncle Flynn and Ace and Max. Who nearly drowned in your twenty-foot-deep pool," Claire cleared her throat, "Little Aria took some naps, little Aria watched Tangled. Again. And then little Aria took a bubble bath, isn't that right, Aria?" 

Aria laughed poking at my dimple. 

"There we go," Claire chuckled. 

"And what did mommy do, Aria?" I asked in amusement. 

"Mommy played mommy, mommy went to a meeting while little Aria stayed with uncle Flynn, and then mommy bought me dresses with aunt Aesha." 

Flynn moved out when we got married and about a year after that, he and Aesha got engaged. And they're still engaged. Neither of them was ready for the whole husband-wife thing, so they pressed pause for a little bit. 

"And now what's mommy doing, Aria?" I smiled at her. 

She barely got out the words 'cook' and I gave her loads and loads of kisses like every father gives their daughter. She turned out to be a smart baby, considering she said her first words at six months old which I thought was impossible but I guess not. 

Her first words were 'mama' and then three days later she said 'dada' so we call it a tie. We don't let her pick a favorite. I don't work every day of the week, neither does Claire. We both work three days a week, she works Saturdays as well but only from home. She's in her last year of working with the catering business she does with right now. 

She plans to stop after that because we've worked our asses off since eighteen and earned our money. We have more than enough, savings included and she plans on stopping there, I have to keep going a little longer. I also want to because as exhausting work is, it also helps me feel independent and reminds me that I don't need any money from my dad's so-called shares. 

Claire loves being a mother, more than anyone thought she would because she was kind of a baby herself, but when she got pregnant, there was a newfound maturity in her that nobody knew existed. She wants to have another kid when Aria turns three, a little boy but we'll see where that goes. Boy or girl, hopefully, we have one more by then. That's probably where I draw the line. I can't parent more than that. 

I stood up and picked up Aria, walking over to Claire. "Look at mommy, Aria," I sang, brushing her cheek with my finger. 

"Aria tried walking today," Claire chuckled, "Almost fell. But that's okay, mommy caught her, no?" She glanced at Aria and she immediately stuck her arms out. "No, baby, hold onto daddy for a while," she laughed. Aria continued holding onto me, resting her cheek on my shoulder. "You look tired," she said, looking at me. 

"I am a little bit. But tomorrow's Saturday, so my weekend is here," I said, winking at her. 

Still the same charm, ladies. 

"Hmm, you are tired. Maybe I can help with that tonight," she smirked. 

"Haha, and Aria?" I raised an eyebrow at her. She stuck by her word. Makes Aria sleep in bed with us. And I like it more than I admit. 

"Aria's a big girl, I'll tuck her in if you want," she shrugged. 

"If you want," I replied. 

"Of course, I want. When have I said no to you?" she laughed. 

"Fair point," I smirked, "When have I given you a reason to?" I asked. 

"Fair point," she nodded. 

I gave her a kiss before she shooed us both out of the kitchen so she could cook. So I took Aria and we lay on the couch. She lay on my stomach for a while, sucking her thumb lightly which I replaced with her pacifier. I looked down and saw Ace and Max running over. "Hey, you little shits," I laughed, scratching them both and playing with them for a little bit. 

"Language!" Claire called out. 

"Mommy hears everything, huh?" I questioned Aria. She giggled, flashing her dimpled smile at me. She has a dimple on both sides, one from me, one from Claire. Lucky her. 

"Dinner!" Claire called out. I went and put Aria in her high chair first, then washed my hands. Claire gave the dogs their food, then gave me mine, took hers, and gave Aria hers. She usually makes a mess but she hates being fed. Little Miss Independent. 

I ate while talking to Claire, Aria was busy playing with her food rather than eating it. I finished before Claire so I fed Aria the baby food and then cleaned her up. I was doing the dishes, Claire was getting the milk bottle ready, and the dogs were already passed out on the couch. 

"Aria's tired. She'll be asleep by the time I take her to her room," she laughed. Aria got the room Claire used to have. It's the closest, we keep an eye on her. We baby-proofed that room completely and made it a nursery when Claire got pregnant. 

"Come on, honey." 

I loaded the dishwasher while watching the way Claire took care of her in awe. She's the best wife I could ask for, and an amazing mom. I don't regret anything that happened, none of it. 

Before she took Aria out of the high chair, I walked over to her and turned her around to face me. "Yes?" she smirked. 

I smiled before kissing her, she stumbled and leaned against the counter while Aria giggled in the back. We both laughed before turning to her. I picked her up, spinning her around before running upstairs with her. Claire laughed behind us before turning the lights off downstairs and following us upstairs. 

I went and changed while she tucked Aria in before coming back to our room. "Hey," I said while plugging my phone on charge. "I was wondering if tomorrow you-" 

She cut me off and kissed me quickly, pushing me down on the bed and straddling me. This is just always how it's going to be. 

"Stop talking," she mumbled, pulling my t-shirt over my head. 

"I just put that on," I laughed. 

She rolled her eyes in response before trailing kisses from my jaw down to my neck. 

My wife, ladies, and gentlemen. 

I pulled her lips up to mine and kissed her. "I love you," I mumbled. 

"I love you too," she chuckled.

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Chapter forty

There you have it...

thank you so much for sticking through this story and reading it and voting/commenting on it. It literally means the freaking world to me. I have very important news at the end of this so, hold tight for that.

but thank you thank you thank you