Chapter 69 Epilogue

Chapter 69 Epilogue
CASSIAN'S POV

The kitchen was a disaster.

Flour was everywhere. On the counter. On the floor. On my clothes. On my face. The eggs were in a bowl. The milk was in a measuring cup. The batter was supposed to be smooth. It was lumpy. It was too thick. It was probably ruined.

I was trying to make pancakes. I had tried before. I had failed before. I was trying again.

Dominic walked into the kitchen. He was wearing a grey t shirt and sweatpants. His hair was messy. His eyes were sleepy. He looked at the flour. He looked at the batter. He looked at me.

He started laughing.

"Do not," I said.

"Do not what?"

"Do not laugh."

"I am not laughing."

"You are laughing."

"I am smiling."

"That is laughing."

He walked over to me. Wrapped his arms around my waist. His chin rested on my shoulder. He looked at the bowl.

"Cassian," he said.

"What?"

"You are making pancakes."

"I am trying to make pancakes."

"Those are not pancakes."

"They will be pancakes."

"They look like cement."

"They do not look like cement."

"They look exactly like cement."

I elbowed him. He did not move. He just laughed harder.

"Why are you even trying to cook?" he asked. "You know you cannot cook."

"I can cook."

"You burned toast last week."

"That was a mistake."

"You burned water."

"Water cannot burn."

"You burned water, Cassian. I saw it."

I turned around. Faced him. He was still smiling. That stupid, beautiful smile.

"I am trying to do something nice for you," I said.

"I know. And I love you for it. But you are terrible at it."

"I am not terrible."

"You are adorable. But you are terrible."

He kissed my nose. Then my forehead. Then my lips.

"Let me help," he said.

"No."

"Cassian."

"I said no. I want to do this myself."

"Fine. But when the kitchen catches fire, I am calling the fire department."

"It will not catch fire."

He stepped back. Leaned against the counter. Crossed his arms. Watched me.

I went back to the batter. Stirred it. It was still lumpy. I added more milk. It got thinner. I added more flour. It got thicker. I added more milk. It got thinner. I added more flour.

"Cassian," Dominic said.

"What?"

"You are making a mess."

"I am making pancakes."

"You are making a science experiment."

"It is called cooking."

"It is called chaos."

I turned around. Glared at him. He was still smiling.

"Dominic," I said.

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

He laughed. Walked over to me. Wrapped his arms around my waist again.

"I love you," he said.

"I know."

"You are adorable."

"I am not adorable."

"You are. You are covered in flour and you are trying to make pancakes and you are failing miserably and you are adorable."

"I hate you."

"No, you do not."

He kissed my cheek. Left a flour mark on his lips.

"Dominic," I said.

"Yeah?"

"You have flour on your face."

"I know."

"It is not a good look."

"It is a great look."

He kissed my other cheek. Left another flour mark.

"I am going to kill you," I said.

"You love me too much to kill me."

"Try me."

He laughed again. I could not help it. I started laughing too.

We stood there. Flour on both of us. Laughing like idiots.

I heard footsteps. Loud. Running. Two sets of small feet pounding on the floor.

Dominic grinned.

"Here comes the tornadoes," he said.

Two children burst into the kitchen. A boy and a girl. Five years old. Dark hair. Brown eyes. They looked like each other. They looked like us.

They were ours. Adopted. Loved. Everything.

"Dada!" they screamed.

Dominic let go of me. Dropped to his knees. They launched themselves at him. He caught them. Both of them. Scooped them up. One in each arm.

"Prince," he said to the boy. "Princess," he said to the girl.

He kissed their faces. All over. Loud, exaggerated kisses that made them giggle.

"Dada! Stop!" the girl said.

"Never," Dominic said. "I will never stop."

"Dada is silly," the boy said.

"I am not silly. I am fun."

"You are silly."

"I am fun."

"You are silly and fun."

"Exactly."

He kissed them again. They laughed. Their laughter filled the kitchen. It was the best sound in the world.

I watched them. My heart was full. My eyes were wet.

Dominic looked at me. His eyes were soft. His smile was gentle.

"Papa," the girl said. "Papa is crying."

"I am not crying," I said.

"Yes, you are."

"I am smiling."

"You are crying and smiling."

"I am happy."

"Why are you happy?"

"Because I have you. I have all of you."

She wiggled out of Dominic's arms. Ran to me. Wrapped her arms around my legs.

"I love you, Papa," she said.

I picked her up. Held her close.

"I love you too," I said.

The boy wiggled out of Dominic's arms. Ran to me too. Wrapped his arms around my legs.

"I love you too, Papa," he said.

I looked at Dominic. He was still on his knees. His eyes were wet.

"Dominic," I said.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

We were a mess. Flour everywhere. Pancake batter on the counter. Children in our arms. Tears on our faces.

It was perfect.

\---

Later, we were all on the couch.

The twins were in our laps. Dominic was holding the girl. I was holding the boy. The television was on. A cartoon. The twins were watching. Their eyes were wide. Their mouths were open.

Dominic looked at me. His eyes were soft.

"Cassian," he said.

"Yeah?"

"Look at them."

I looked at them. At the children in our arms. At the family we had built.

"I never thought I would have this," I said.

"Neither did I."

"I thought I would be alone forever."

"So did I."

"But we are not alone."

"We are not alone."

He reached over. Took my hand. Squeezed.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you too."

The twins were watching the cartoon. The girl was giggling. The boy was pointing at the screen.

I looked at them. At my family. At my world.

I thought about the past. The pain. The anger. The years apart. The years of hating each other. The years of loving each other.

I thought about the hospital. The gunshot. The blood. The flatline. The three minutes I had been dead.

I thought about the therapy. The healing. The forgiveness. The love.

I thought about the beach. The sunset. The ring. The proposal.

I thought about all of it. Every moment. Every second. Every tear.

It had been worth it. All of it. Every single moment. Because it had led me here. To this. To them. To him.

I pulled out my phone. Held it up. Clicked a picture.

The twins. Dominic. The couch. The cartoon. The mess.

My whole world. In one frame.

I looked at the picture. At the smiles on their faces. At the love in their eyes.

I smiled.

"Cassian," Dominic said.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

He kissed my hand. I kissed his.

The twins were laughing. The cartoon was playing. The world was perfect.

I put my phone away. Held my family close.

This was my life. This was my love. This was my forever.

And I would not change a single thing.