~¤♡☆July 26, 2016, ☆♡¤~

I smiled as I was making dinner. Excited that my husband will be coming home from deployment in two months.

"Hello, my wonderful wife," I smiled as I felt my husband's arms wrap around me and his lips on my cheeks.

"Hello, my handsome husband," I  giggled as I held his arms. "You're home early," I gasped in joy.

"Well, I wanted to surprise my wife and children," Chase smiled as I turned and held my arms over his shoulders and Chase's hands rested on my hips.

"Well, we've all missed you," I hummed as I kissed him.

"Papa?" the six-year-old boy smiled as he saw Chase and I. "You're home!" Dimitri cried with a smile as he giggled and ran up to Chase, hugging his leg.

"Hey, Mitri. How are you?" Chase pulled away from me and smiled really big, picking up Dimitri. 

"I missed you, Papa!" Dimitri hid his face in Chase's neck.

"I missed you, Ren, and your Mama, Mitri," Chase kissed his head. 

"Hey, Mitri. Why don't we have a movie night tonight with Papa and Ren? How does that sound, sweetheart?" I asked.

"I would love that," Dimitri smiled as he looked at me.

"Papa!" A small giggle rang from upstairs.

"Marena wants to see you, Papa," Dimitri giggled. Chase chuckled and we walked upstairs in the same house that Chase and I talked about rebuilding and make it a place for our family.

"Well, I wanna see my little Princess, too!" Chase smiled.

"Papa, Papa!" Ren clapped her tiny chubby hands and squealed with joy. Chase gasped and set Dimitri down.

"Renny!" Chase picked up our daughter kissing her all over her face.

"Papa, you ho (home)," Ren gave her father a sloppy kiss on his cheek.

"Yes I am, Dollface," Chase smiled.

"How long are you home?" I asked, dreading the answer.

"This time? For good," Chase smiled.

"Pap, I wanna hear your stories!" Dimitri smiled as he took Chase's hand and pulled him to the library.

"Whoa. Let's let Papa get changed first," I smiled as I took Marena from Chase. "Besides. I'm pretty sure that Papa has gifts for all of us," I smiled.

"You do, Papa?!" Mitri asked.

"Of course, I do, Mitri. You know I always come back with presents for you," Chase smiled lovingly to Mitri, bending down and hugged our son.

"Mitri, dinner is ready. Let's go eat while Papa changes so he can join us and then we'll hear his stories and have a movie night," I smiled.

"Okay, Mama," Mitri said as he took my hand and we walked towards the kitchen. Mitri climbed onto his seat - that was in between Chase and me - while I placed Marena in her Highchair.

"Mama?" Mitri called up to me.

"Yes, Baby?" I smiled at him as I ran my fingers through his hair.

"Are you happy that Papa is back home?" I laughed softly and kissed his head.

"More than you know, sweetheart. More than you know," I smiled as I walked over to the stove and began to serve Ren and Mitri some steam rice and shrimp. "Here you two are," I smiled as I sat down in between them and Mitri started to eat with a smile.

"I love your food, Mama," Mitri giggled.

"Thank you, Mitri," I smiled as I began to feed Ren.

"You didn't serve yourself, Babe?" Chase asked as he walked over to me and kissed my head after he kissed Ren and Mitri.

"I was gonna wait for you," I smiled as Ren started to giggle. "You boys better not be making faces to her, you know it's very easy to make her laugh at anything," I smirked as I was still feeding Ren.

"How did she know that, Papa?!" Mitri asked Chase in a loud whisper.

"Mama is like an angel. She knows anything and everything," Chase answered the same way.

"And she knows that you two are way too loud," I chuckled.

"Girls are scary!" Mitri whispered loudly again, causing Chase and me to laugh. 

"Mama, you eat. Pwease?" Ren said as she took her spoon from my hand and place it in her bowl. 

"Okay, Dragonfly. I will," I kissed her forehead as I said her nickname.

"I'll serve you," Chase said as he stood up and served us. As we all ate together as a family, Chase told us about his deployment to the Pacific Ocean, near California.

"Oh, do you remember the bracelet that you two made for me?" Chase chuckled, asking the children.

"Yeah!"

"Well, my friends took it and asked about it. So I told them: 'You losers! My children made that for me!' and so the boys gave it back to me and we made you, two, these,":

DIMITRI:

MARENA:

"For us?!" Dimitri asked. Chase nodded as he slipped the necklaces around their necks.

"Pwetty, Papa," Ren giggled.

"Thank you, Papa!" Mitri smiled.

"You're welcome, guys. But don't think I forgot about Mama," Chase smiled.

"I love it, Chase," I gasped as Chase helped me put the necklace on. 

"Mama, I don't want a movie night. I wanna go to sleep," Mitri yawned.

"Me, too," Ren said softly. Chase and I stood up quickly cleaned up the kitchen.

"Okay, sleepy heads. Let's get you into bed," I smiled as Chase held Dimitri and I carried Marena up to their room. In each room, a soft melody of classical music began to play. 

"There's only one thing, to do, three words, for you. I love you," Chase sang to them, a ritual that we started when Mitri was born. 

"I love you," was the same response we got from our children. 

"Thank you, Haven," Chase said as we were sitting outside, looking at the stars. 

"For what?" I asked.

"For giving me a life that I've always wanted. For being my best friend. For helping me win," Chase kissed me. 

"I would have walked over a hundred miles, and live through hell itself for you any given day, baby," I smiled as I hugged him. This was our happy ending. This is the moment that we have been dreaming since I was only fifteen. 

~ ¤ ♡☆THE END☆♡ ¤ ~