Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 101662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Epilogue
Kierra
One Year Later
Ava, Gabriel, and I sat outside our home, staring up at a huge tree in front of us. Stacks of lumber lay beside said tree, waiting for the build to take place for our future. A future tree house, that was. It wasn’t just any tree house, though. It was a carbon copy of the one Gabriel’s father built for him when he was a little boy. When his mother gave him those blueprints, I knew it was something we’d have to re-create on our property. I loved that Gabriel and Ava added a few of their own architectural ideas to the design, too.
As Gabriel sat on my left side, and Ava on my right, I held both of their hands in mine as we stared up at the sky, drunk in love with stars. I felt a burst of peace as the quietness of the night swept over us.
“He’s kicking!” I said, nudging Ava in the side. She quickly turned toward me and placed her hands against my growing stomach. I was eight months pregnant and felt it through my whole body.
“Oh gosh. The dude sure has a lot of movement going on,” she observed.
“Maybe he’ll be a track star,” Gabriel joked.
I went to laugh but a yawn came out instead.
Gabriel kissed my cheek. “Bedtime.”
I agreed. “Bedtime.”
He helped me stand and Ava headed off to her room for the night.
“I’m so tired,” I whispered as Gabriel led me to our bedroom. “But so, so happy.” My back hurt, but I was happy. Whenever I sat, I was uncomfortable, but I was happy. Whenever my sweet baby boy turned in my stomach, I was happy.
I had so much to be happy for. For Gabriel. For Ava. For my future baby boy, Elijah Gabriel Sinclair. Named after two of the best men I’d ever known.
After so many years of trials, I couldn’t help but feel as if I was finally getting the one thing I thought I’d never receive—my own authentic happily ever after.
Gabriel pulled back the blankets on our bed, and after I climbed in, I collapsed into the pillows. I was beyond tired, and my feet were swollen and aching. Without me even stating that fact, Gabriel moved to the edge of the bed, took off my socks, and began massaging my feet.
I closed my eyes, feeling a level of bliss hit my soul and my sole as his thumbs circled the arch of my foot. “Thank you,” I said, melting even more into my pillow.
“Always.”
“How are you?” I whispered when he lay down beside me after the foot massage.
“Happy,” he replied. “How are you?”
“Happy,” I echoed. So, so happy. “Thank you for finding me again.”
He kissed my forehead and pulled me in more, holding me so close that I was able to rest my head against his chest. “Thank you for staying this time.”
As we fell asleep, I knew, come morning, I’d be just as happy as the night prior because I had everything I could ever want surrounding me day in and day out. I had laughter, I had peace, I had joy, and I had love.
This was it. This was ours. The good and the bad. The uphill battles and the downward slide. The easy days and the hard nights. We’d faced them all together, no matter what.
Gabriel Sinclair was mine, and I would always be his.
Therefore, I had no other choice but to stay by his side, to stay in his arms for the rest of forever. I was home.
Home.
I was finally home again, because of Gabriel Ayodele Sinclair.
My joy had come home.