Annabeth's Return

Epilogue

16 years later

Valentino's pov

"Ares, can you smile for once?" I ask him he keeps the same straight face he always has on. "Ares you do realize you have to smile in the pictures right?" Vittiorio says he just rolls his eyes.

I fix my tie letting out a deep breath. I run my hands through my hair trying to let go of my nerves. I still can't believe it.

I have been married to Anna for 20 years.

We have been through hell and back but in the end it was always us. We have our forever and always. It's better because it's us. We have our family. I couldn't be happier.

"Apollo get off the fucking phone" Vittiorio snatches it Apollo hits him trying to get it back. "You're texting Emi. She's talking about a guy. Shit does little Emi have a boyfriend" Ares head shoots up he takes the phone looking through the messages.

"No she doesn't have a boyfriend she has a crush" He says handing Apollo his phone back. He sits back down drinking the rest of the liquor in his cup.

The only people that can bring a smile out of Ares is his mom and sister.

I make sure all the boys are good to go before we make our drive to the same place I married my love 20 years ago.

Annabeth's pov

"Oh my god mom you look beautiful. Dad is not going to leave you at the alter after 20 years of marriage. Hell you guys have been together longer than that so why leave you now?" Artemis tries to take away my nerves.

"Alright alright fine let's go" She thanks god as we go into the limo. Her auburn hair is down her back but tied with a white bow. Her hair is something I will never let go.

Her and Ares are the only ones with Auburn hair but Emi's has natural highlights in it. I freaked out thinking Aunt Mia dyed her hair without telling me but it was just natural.

When Dante saw Ares and Emi's hair growing he cried and kept saying how much they look like Arianna. Ares I would say is an exact replica of Arianna. Vittiorio is his father. Vico is mom's twin, how ironic because that's his favorite person. Apollo is the only one who looks like me. Valerian looks just like Dante.

I can't believe Val and I made it this far. I always thought after Marcello died that there was nothing else. Val was with Brielle. I felt that, that was It.

Little did I know it was the start of something amazing.

"Do you think Ares is going to smile in the pictures this time?" Sofia asks and I nod my head yes. "Ares smiles for select people, if I ask him to smile most of the time he does."

Ares is still the same, since little he's always had his walls built up. He started bringing them down slowly. I have to thank his girlfriend for that. Octavia and Ares started dating in their junior year of high school and have now been together for two and a half years.

He doesn't admit it but he has the biggest soft spot for her. Liam is another person that Ares smiles for. Liam is Annalise's son there the same age and when they are together Ares has no walls up. Ezra is Octavia's younger brother. He's deaf but has the biggest heart. He's Emi's best friend but you can tell Ares cares about him.

Octavia and Ezra's parents died when she was 16, their older brother and sister refused to care for them leaving them alone. Octavia was crushed because she couldn't go to Juilliard because she had to make sure Ezra was okay. There senior year I took guardianship of Ezra so that Octavia could go to school. He lives with us but he still has his house that he shares with his sister.