Page 103 of Lilly

Epilogue

Lilly

In just a few days,my babies are going to be six months old. I have no idea where the time hasgone.

Mum and Dad stayed for a week after we got back to Devon with the twins. They loved spending time with us all, but they were soon on their way back to Oxford when they got the phone call from Ruben to tell them their next set of grandkids were on their way. Emma gave birth a long thirty-six hours later to a healthy baby girl and boy. They called them Alice and Harry, and they are almost as cute as ourtwo.

I finish up cleaning a mountain of bottles and put them in the steriliser before going to find out what’s going on. It’s suspiciously quiet upstairs, where Lucas should be getting Natalie and Nathan ready forbed.

I walk through our house and it makes me smile, like always. We moved in a few weeks ago, and I love it. I also love not being in a hotel. I insisted that we had to be in for the six-month mark, because I was not starting weaning in a hotel penthouse with no kitchen. It just wasn’thappening.

I make my way upstairs and I stop in the doorway of the nursery. Lucas has his back to me. He’s got a baby in each arm as he sways from side to side singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. My heart melts. This man, who was so freaked out about the idea of becoming a parent that he ran away, is the most incredible dad. He puts them both first in everything hedoes.

As I stand and watch, I continue to fall deeper in love with him, just like I do everyday.

When I got that promotion to clean his suite back in Cheltenham just over a year ago, I never could have imagined that he would become not only the love of my life, but the father of my kids. It just shows that you really have no idea what life holds foryou.

I continue to stand there silently as Lucas puts each of them into their cots. Although he showed no sign of knowing he was being watched, he must have known because when he turns around, he has a smile on his face. The closer he gets to me, the darker his eyesget.

“They’re out for the count. Let’s make the most ofit.”

I try to keep the surprised squeal in when he picks me up and throws me over his shoulder. We just get to the doorway to our bedroom when a loud knocking sounds fromdownstairs.

“Leave it,” Lucas growls. “If it’s important, they can ring or comeback.”

“Okay,” I agree. But only seconds later, there’s more banging, along with my name beingcalled.

Lucas lets out a huge breath before turning us around and heading downstairs. I’m still over his shoulder and staring at his fine arse when he pulls the front dooropen.

“Shit, what happened?” he asks in shock, making me fight to get down and see what’s goingon.

When I do, my heart drops. There are two guys stood in our porch. One I vaguely recognise from somewhere, although I have no idea where, and the other, who is leaning against the first for support and is covered in dried blood and the beginnings of some serious bruising, isTaylor.

“Shit, Taylor. What happened to him?” I ask as Lucas takes his other side and helps to get him in. “I know you,” I say to the other guy once we have Taylor on the sofa, “But I can’t placeyou.”

“I’m Caleb, Beth’s brother. Taylor lives withme.”