~ Epilogue~

I finished writing, closing the spiral bound notebook and shoving it back into my desk. I had decided to take Kanaya up on the advice she had given me so long ago, and it had taken me a month to actually write the entire story down.

Arms were flung around my neck, taking me by surprise."Daddy, I'm home from school!"

I turn around, lifting my adopted daughter Jenny and hugging her properly. "I can see that," I laugh, getting up from my chair and carrying her to the living room where Sollux is sitting at the table, probably illegally hacking into something. I set her down, kissing the top of Sollux's head as I pass. "So now that schools out for the summer..." I begin, waving a hand in front of Sollux's face idly to see his response, "what do you two want to do first?"

Sollux slaps my hand away, grinning up at me. "I say we go to an amusement park."

"Sollux, I wasn't asking you, you ahhh..." I glance at my Jenny, censoring myself just in time. "I wasn't asking you."

Jenny tugs Sollux up from his chair with difficulty. "Ice cream, ice cream!"

I grab my car keys and wallet off of the counter, smiling down at her. "You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream?"

"Yes!"

"Let's go then." Sollux takes Jenny by the hand, leading her out of the front door and out into the bright summer sunshine. I watch them go for a few seconds, smiling fondly. It seemed so long ago when I had sunk into that pit of depression. Yet I wouldn't have it any other way, as it had set off the chain of reactions leading me to this moment, this happiness.

Shaking myself out of my brief reverie, I follow them out the door, locking it behind me.

After all, why would I linger in the past while the present is so sweet?

The End

A/N: Ahhhh before I leave you guys to find some other, better fic, I'd just like to thank y'all for all the reviews, favorites, and follows. You guys provided me with the motivation to actually finish this whenever I was frustrated and as a result, this is my first completed multi-chapter fic. u w u So thank you, thank you, and thank you some more!