Epilogue - Five Years Later

Ranger POV

We got married a few weeks later in a quiet ceremony. It was everything Stephanie wanted, and I was so blessed to be able to be her husband. She showed me every day how much she loved me, and I reciprocated that love all the time.

Not too long after that, Stephanie gave birth early to a Luca and Sophia. It was difficult and they told her she would never be able to have any more kids. Neither she nor I were too regretful of that, all things considered. We felt lucky to have what we did.

Luca and Sophia had to spend time in the NICU, and it was during that time that I had a weird dream. Stephanie and Joe were both there, and they were embracing. Stephanie was crying, and Joe was holding onto her as though he never would get to again. He looked at me over her shoulder, and I gave him a tiny nod. I knew, then, what this was.

"I love you, Cupcake. I do. I won't be seeing you again, except in your memories. It's time for you to move on now, but I wanted to say goodbye."

"I don't want to, Joe. I'm not ready!" She sobbed.

"I know, my love, I know. But it's time. It is time. Before I go, I wanted to tell you how proud I am of you. How proud I am of our babies. They're perfect, and they're beautiful, and they'll be just fine. You'll be able to take them home tomorrow."

"I love you, too." She finally said.

He gave her one last kiss goodbye and then we were awake, her sobbing in my arms.

Now, here we are at the park. It feels like dejavu. Stephanie is pushing the twins, and Luca yells to me.

"Watch us, Daddy! Watch us. Look how high we can go!"

I am watching, from my seat on the bench. And sitting there, at my feet, is Bob and Pricilla, the Great Dane puppy Stephanie insisted on bringing home when we found her on the side of the road. They were guarding the bundle in the car seat, one very unexpected Gabrielle Rosa Morelli-Manoso. While I didn't relish Joe's name attached to mine, it was how Stephanie had changed her name. She'd hyphenated it, and the twins names, so no one would feel excluded.

My life was so much better than I had ever thought it would be.

Luca POV

I really liked swinging at the park with Mommy and Daddy and Sophie. Gabby and the doggies didn't do much, but they were cool, too. Today felt different at the park. Mommy was pushing me and Sophie and daddy was watching us all like he did a lot.

I looked up at Daddy and I saw dream Daddy sitting next to him on the bench. I know that dream Daddy was my real daddy that I never got to meet, sometimes he came and talked to me. Sophie and I did the thought thing, and I could hear her tell me she saw him too.

We didn't tell our mommy or daddy about dream Daddy, because we didn't want to hurt their feelings, but we really loved when he visited us in our dreams. This was the first time we saw him in person, and not when we were sleeping or in the pictures mommy and daddy kept around the house.

I love you, dream Daddy, I thought.

Then I yelled out to him, "watch us daddy, watch us! Look how high we can go!"

I could hear him answer in my thoughts.

"I see! I see, my bambinos! I love you both and I am so proud of you, proud of the little people you are becoming. Luca, you do such a good job watching over your sisters, and Sophia, my sweetheart, you're so kind to your animals. Bob is old now, and he loves it when you pet his ears. Keep being good for your mommy and your other Daddy, okay? It might be awhile before you see me again, but I'm always in your heart. Always with you. And if you ever really need me, I will be there."

He blew us a kiss from behind the bench, and then he was gone, with one sat lingering thought.

Even when tragedy strikes, something beautiful can still be built to last.

A/N: thank you for sticking with me, everybody. I was reading back through this, and I decided this would be the perfect place to end it. It is how I originally planned on it ending, although I had also originally planned on more content after the proposal. Thank you for sticking with me through this journey, and I hope you really enjoyed this.

I want to add that I have my own self published novella, which I will warn now has storing language, releasing as an ebook on 3-31 via Amazon, B&N, iBooks, kobo book, and smashwords. Other ebook retailers, too, but those are the main ones. Feel free to follow me on Facebook as well at J. Rastelli Author Page.

I love fanfic and the other ones I have started I will keep going, I won't abandon them. Love and light to all you wonderful folks who read and reviewed and messaged.

~ J