A.N: This is the last chapter! Thank you so much to all of you who took time to read this story and to follow the updates. I appreciate all of the positive feedback. I know some of you are a bit shocked as this seems like an abrupt way to end this story…but it's supposed to please you guys It kind of wraps the whole thing up! So, enjoy this and take care. Perhaps it won't be long before I write another fanfic!

Disclaimer: I don't own Life with Derek (in case you've missed it ^^)

Epilogue

It's a bright and beautiful morning. It's spring. The sun is shining and there is a soft breeze. The tree in the backyard is flowering. Casey looks out of the kitchen window as she washes the breakfast dishes and scrubs the maple syrup that has stuck to the plates which are now empty of the pancakes that occupied them fifteen minutes ago. She breaks a nail and almost curses but knows better than to do that in front of Jamie, so she just hums along to her favourite song which she is listening to on the CD player and continues to wash the remaining dishes.

She looks at Jamie and smiles at him and he smiles back. Then she remembers that she has to do the shopping today so she phones Sandy up. Sandy moved to Canada not long after Seth, her second child, was born. She missed Casey and asked Joe to apply for some jobs in Canada as she knew Casey couldn't leave Canada now that she had gone to stay. Apart from that, Sandy knew that he could get a better-paying job in London. Joe got offered a job as a sales rep for a furniture company and is now a manager there. Sandy and Joe live with their two sons a few blocks away from Casey and they often take the kids to the park and enjoy themselves together.

So Sandy picks up the phone, "Hey Case; I was actually going to call you. We've got to do the shopping today; I had almost forgotten."

"I know," Casey replies, "I just remembered." The two laugh.

"How about I pick you up at about ten thirty? Would that be ok for you?" Sandy asks.

"No, I'll pick you up. I feel like driving today."

"Ok," Sandy replies, "I'll see you then. Bye Case! Love ya!"

"Yep me too! Send my love to Joe and the kids!"

"You too," Sandy replies. They hang up and Casey goes back to the dishes to dry them using a dishcloth. She's actually against dishwashers as she is convinced that they leave all the germs lurking around on the dishes and the cutlery.

She looks at the round clock that hangs upon the beautiful oak cabinets. The time is seven thirty. She realizes that her husband, who may I add is smoking hot, is gonna be running late if she doesn't prepare his lunch right now so she takes out the sandwiches and prepares the lunches. It doesn't take her too long and after she finishes up she packs them into individual lunch boxes which go into individual bags. She now has to wash the knife as well so she finishes that up immediately and sits down and sighs. She can't be rushing about all this much; it won't do her any good.

I finally find myself walking down the stairs.

"Hey baby," I say.

"Hey," she replies, "How are you feeling today?"

"I'm feeling awesome!" I reply.

"That's great," she says.

"You look tired. You've been rushing about all morning again, haven't you?" I ask her.

She nods.

"Just because you don't have to go to school doesn't mean you have to stress yourself out here. The reason you're off school now is because of the stress levels. They're supposed to be close to zero right now! Don't do these things to yourself."

"Stop bossing me around," she teases, "Next time I won't prepare your lunch then."

"Ok ok, no need to get all hormonal," I reply. I walk over to her and plant a kiss on top of her head and then I ruffle Jamie's hair who's currently playing with some new toy Casey bought him last week. Suddenly I hear two pairs of footsteps coming down the stairs.

"They're ready," I say, "So…I'm gonna take Jamie and the twins to school…and you take care ok?"

"Yeah of course; let me say goodbye to them first, and then you'll get your kiss," she teases. I stick out my tongue at her.

She hands ten-year-old Jamie his lunch and kisses him on top of his head.

"Good luck in your math test," she tells him. He looks up at her with his beautiful brown eyes and smirks at her, "Of course I will." He's gonna be such a charmer – like father like son.

Then, our six-year-old twins are next in line.

"You be good in school Lisa," she says, "I don't want to get another call. Leave Andrew alone." Lisa nods.

"And you take care of your sister," she tells Zack, "She's always getting into trouble."

He smiles at her and she hugs them both. They look up at her with their beautiful blue eyes and she sends them off with Jamie. Then, I'm next.

"Hey Miss," I tell her, "You gotta teach me some grammar someday soon…maybe tonight would be a good time for a lecture."

"I'm on maternity leave…we're not doing anything until the baby is born. I've told you that ever since you got me pregnant." She tells me.

"I know," I say, "I'm just playing with you. I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to my Mrs. Venturi or our child." I rub her belly and she places her hand over mine and smiles at me.

I kiss her on the lips.

"Take care," I tell her, "I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I won't get hurt," she assures me. She kisses me.

"I gotta go now cos Coach will fire me if I go to work late one more time."

"Good luck for your practice," she tells me.

"I'll be home earlier today; at around three p.m."

"Ok," replies, "I'm going shopping at around ten thirty with Sandy cos we need to stock up on groceries and veggies. And I might buy you a chocolate treat while I'm out."

I smile at her like a puppy that's been promised a biscuit. She kisses me.

"Take Care Derek," she says, "I love you."

"I love you too Case…only God knows how much."

And she touches her nine-year-old ring and smiles, "I know how much." I touch my own.

"Forever," I reply.

Jamie and the twins have been in the car for fifteen minutes, and we've had this amazing conversation which is one of the many we have on several mornings.

I smile at her and walk out of the house. Jamie rolls his eyes. He knows his mother and I have been all romantic while they were in the car. But deep down he knows how much I love his mother.

The twins are fighting over something in the back and I tell them to quiet down. I drive them all to school and get stuck in traffic, knowing that coach will yell the same things he does to me every morning, but fire me he won't cos I'm the star player of the team- I'm their captain.

So what if every morning I get stuck in traffic whether it's wind, snow or sunshine? So what if I spend all of my cash on my three ingrate children (like their father was at their age or older) and on my beautiful yet hormonal and pregnant wife? So what if I'm raising three and soon to be four children in a world where time runs by so fast there's no time for a normal person to see even one kid in a day?

Maybe I don't like being normal! Maybe this is the way it's supposed to be; maybe I'm not rich cos I spend all my cash on my family, and maybe I'm not relaxed cos the only free time I have I would rather spend with my family than with my team buddies…but maybe it's what I want…maybe this is who I was supposed to be to begin with…

Well…whether or not it's who I was supposed to be will not be an issue where this is concerned…who I've become is the most important thing that has happened…I've become Derek Venturi; a husband, a father and a man who's head over heels, inside and out, totally and unconditionally in love with that blue-eyed brunette whom I adore. And I realize I just have to kiss her one more time so I turn my car around and text Coach to tell him I'll be running late again.

He texts me back telling me to fuck off and I send him a smiley face knowing he doesn't mean it. I arrive in front of my house, walk in and go upstairs where Casey is getting ready to go out with Sandy. I open our bedroom door and look at her.

Hey…if you had to go somewhere you'd better get a start…this is gonna be one long kiss.