♥ Epilogue ♥

Anthony Cooper.

Five Years Later

I can’t believe how quickly my life has changed. It feels like just yesterday I was on the streets, and now I’m married to a beautiful businesswoman and have a wonderful child with her. How lucky am I? Damn.

“Daddy, I want meat!” My son came running up to me.

“Did your mom say it was okay?” Hilary is a bit strict with our son; she doesn’t want to raise him to be spoiled.

“She told me to ask you.”

I took him to the pool where we’re having a barbecue with friends and family—well, just Dylan, David, Carol (David’s girlfriend who gets along really well with my wife), and Vicente (Dylan’s boyfriend). Vicente is a good guy, twenty years old.

“Let’s get some meat then,” I said, kissing his cheek.

“Yay!”

We went to the table with the meat. I grabbed some for him and some for me, set him down, and he ran to Dylan, who picked him up. Indeed, Dylan has become an uncle to Klaus.

“We’re spoiling him,” said my beautiful wife, who is five months pregnant with twins.

A big, beautiful family.

“Of course not, love. You’re not spoiling Klaus at all.” She laughed.

“I don’t want him to become like my cousins, those spoiled brats.”

Yes, her family tried to get Hilary to speak to them again. The only thing they achieved was a lawsuit. I laughed so hard at their surprised faces. I know I shouldn’t laugh, but they did a lot of harm to my beautiful wife, so they can deal with it.

“He definitely won’t be like your cousins, my love.” I kissed her lips.

“I hope not, love.”

“Hey, couple, we have some news.” David said, catching our attention.

“What is it?”

I asked, moving closer to him with my lovely wife.

“We’re getting married.” Carol said, and Hilary let out a joyful scream.

“Oh my God, congratulations!” She hugged Carol.

“Thank you.”

“I’m just sad that you have to marry this idiot.” She teased David.

“Hey!!”

We all laughed at that.

“And she’s pregnant.” David added, making us all smile.

“Oh, congratulations! I’m so happy for you. You both deserve happiness.” She said, kissing David’s cheek. “Make her happy, you monkey.”

“What a love for my person.”

“Congratulations, David. You both deserve this.” I said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Thanks, Anthony.”

“Okay, since everyone is sharing news, I’ll announce something too.” Dylan approached with Vicente. “We’re getting married as well.”

“Wow! Today is definitely a day for celebrations.” I said, surprised.

“Yes, let’s celebrate our friends’ happiness.”

We grabbed our beers, except for Hilary and Carol, who got water.

“Our family.” I said.

“Our family.” We all toasted.

We started eating and chatting. I was talking with David and Dylan, while Carol, Hilary, and Vicente were conversing among themselves.

“I’m so happy, damn it. I never thought I’d fall in love and get married so quickly,” David said, taking a sip of his beer.

They’ve only been together for three months.

“It’s love, my friend,” I said, laughing. “Hilary and I made our son pretty quickly, just in three weeks.”

“Indeed, yours was really fast,” David said, shrugging.

“No one can hold Hilary back.” Both of them laughed.

“Definitely, that woman is a danger to humanity.” I shook my head.

“Oh, but being so in love is so good,” David said. “Vicente makes me a better man. Being with him feels amazing.”

I nodded.

“Yes, when we’re in love, that’s how it is; we become so silly, love-struck men.”

They laughed.

I looked at my son, who was eating for the fifth time while playing on his phone.

“She gave me a family, a child I always wanted, and now we’re expecting two more. I’m such a lucky man.” I smiled as I looked at my son.

“Yes, I’m really happy that Hilary found a good man; she deserves it, just like you do.”

I smiled at that.

“What are you guys talking about?” My wife asked, sitting on my lap.

Carol also sat on David’s lap, and Vicente on Dylan’s.

“We’re talking about how lucky we are to have you in our lives,” I said, kissing her shoulder.

“Yes, we’re very lucky,” Dylan agreed.

“We’re also lucky to have found wonderful men to call our own,” Carol said, kissing David’s lips.

“Can we have a threesome?” David asked excitedly.

We all burst into laughter; that David never changes.

“I’m not sharing you with anyone, you idiot.” Carol hugged him.

“I’m not sharing you either, Dylan.” Vicente hugged his neck.

“Neither am I.” My wife said, hugging me. “No one is crazy enough to touch him.”

I laughed at her possessiveness.

“I love you.” I kissed her cheek and gently caressed her belly. “I love everyone.”

“They love you too, my love.”

We went back to chatting, and I watched everything around me.

I’m truly lucky to have this family and these good friends. Thanks to David, I am a free man; thanks to Dylan, I was able to propose to my wife. And thanks to both of them, I got to marry her.

Thanks to Hilary, I found true love.

I have a beautiful son who I love more than anything, and we’re expecting two more.

I’m truly a lucky man.

“I love you.”

She whispered in my ear.

“And I love you too. I love you, I love Klaus, and I love the twins.”

“Our family.”

“Yes, our beautiful family.”

I will always protect my family.

I love everyone, and I will always love them.

THE END.