The Plan | l.r.h

forty (epilogue)

Ten Years Later

Ryan's POV

The past ten years have been a whirlwind of a ride. And it has been amazing. A year after our wedding, Luke, Ashton, Calum, and Michael decided to start a band called 5 Seconds of Summer. They immediately blew up on YouTube and started getting a huge following. They opened for One Direction, signed with a record label, released six albums, headlined six tours, and have spent nine years together as a band.

Tonight, 5SOS were performing on the final night of their headline tour at Madison Square Garden. It was also Luke and I's ten year anniversary and I couldn't imagine a better way to spend it than standing backstage with our four kids, watching Luke and the boys perform.

As they played their final song, the kids were getting tired. I told them there was only a few more minutes and then the concert would be done, so they could find their energy again to greet the boys.

The final note of the song echoed through the stadium and I could see Luke pull his guitar from shoulder. He was thanking the crowd as Calum and Michael started walking off stage.

"Uncle Calum!!" Maisy, our four-year-old daughter, screamed. He ran over and scooped her up as she threw her arms around his neck. "You were GREAT," she exclaimed.

"Thanks Maze, you were pretty great, too, dancing backstage," he smiled.

"Yeah, Uncle Cal, you were SO COOL," Caden, our nine-year-old, yelled, jumping on his godfather's back.

"Thanks buddy. And you're my godson, which makes you cool by default," Cal laughed, putting a huge smile on Caden's face.

Michael walked over to where I was standing and gave me a hug. I congratulated him on the performance and he thanked me, picking up the little two-year-old girl from arms.

"Hey there, sweet Aurora. It's your uncle Michael. Are you tired?" He asked the toddler, cooing in her ear and bouncing her up and down.

Ashton also appeared and gave me a hug, then walked behind me to say hello to Luke and I's seven-year-old daughter, Sutton. She was falling asleep on the back bench, probably tuckered out from all the dancing she was doing during the concert.

Finally, Luke came off the stage and ran right over to me. He picked me up in his arms and swung me around, planting a big kiss on my lips.

"Hi baby," he mumbled against my mouth. I pulled away from his kiss and looked over Michael, Calum, and Ashton, who were keeping my kids occupied.

"Would you guys mind watching the kids while we went out?" I asked, half joking and half serious. They all agreed in unison and I gave Luke a look.

"Oh, I already asked them. I made big plans for tonight." Luke gave me a cheeky smile and gave me another kiss. "Let's get out of here," he motioned to the door.

My life couldn't be more perfect, I thought. Who knew the plan my parents came up with when they first introduced Luke and I would have given me everything I ever dreamt of?

☆