Dare To Love

EPILOGUE PT. 2

Second Epilogue| Dario

"Mariana, don't run away from me." I chase my five-year-old around, trying to get her to put her shoes back on.

But, she decided to run around the backyard barefoot after getting out of the bouncy house.

I give up running after her.

"Don't throw your back out now old man," my wife speaks up from behind me.

I turn to face her.

Sunkissing her beautiful skin as it sets behind the trees of our backyard. She holds our other daughter, Victoria, on her hip while she is fast asleep.

Yup, twins, a shock to both Sunlyn and me after leaving the doctors. Only going to find out the sex of our baby, just to find out that there are two of them. I was over the moon with joy and so was Sunlyn. But, then she started crying because she was dreading the moment she would have to push both of them out.

Luckily I calmed her down that day. But, when she went into labor, she didn't want me near her at all. Eventually, she let me near her, after they gave her the epidural, I rubbed her stomach through the entire delivery. She said it calmed her down.

Now, I have two beautiful daughters and I couldn't be more grateful. But, I wish they would stop growing. Today is their fifth birthday, it is Princess Tiana themed. Because that is in fact their favorite princess. And they didn't want anything else.

I stare at my daughter fast asleep, "How is she even sleeping right now?"

"She was so hyped for the party, she woke up at six this morning," my wife spoke.

"But we woke them up this morning."

We did in fact wake them up to sing happy birthday.

"She came into the room before you got up. I told her to fake go back to sleep so she could get cake."

I shake my head. Taking her from my wife's arms, taking her to the living room, rested her on the couch, and wrapped a blanket around her. Sweeping back her curly hair from her face.

Walking towards the stairs as the front doorbell rings, I open it. And Cass walks in giving me a hug, "Where are my nieces?" she asked.

"One asleep in the living room, the other in running around the backyard barefoot," I say.

She heads towards the back. A pair of tattooed arms carries in two large boxes wrapped in pink wrapping paper.

Placing them down, I smile as Theo catches his breath.

"Hello, brother," I say. "I see the fiance has you running around like a guinea pig."

"Shut up," he retorts as I laugh.

He says nothing else to me. Walking towards the backyard.

I shut the front door. Going upstairs to get Mariana's crocs, so she doesn't fight me to put her sneakers back on.

Heading back outside to see that, the Magician I hired somehow rangled up about twelve five-year-olds to sit down and watch his show. I spot both of my girls front and center watching the show. How the hell did Victoria get up that quick, she was just out like a light.

I spot Sunlyn and Cassidy near the cake table having a glass of wine with the other moms at the party. I place Mariana's crocs down near the other shoes around the bounce house.

I walk back into the house, straight for my study. Opened the door, to my brother exhaling smoke from his lungs.

He picks up his glass of whiskey and hands it to me. I gulp down the remaining liquids in the cup.