bound to happen | complete

epilogue

M E L A N I E M A D D O C K S

TEN YEARS LATER

THE STADIUM IS filled with screams as the full eighty minutes comes to an end and Wales are announced as the official Six Nation Championship winners.

Screams and squeals erupt from the little area we are all stood in as I watch my husband run across the pitch to get his Grand Slam medal, and trophy.

This is his first season as captain and oh my days, he took that title and he ran with it. He's been the best captain I've ever seen, don't tell my dad that.

Watching him play in the same fields I grew up watching my dad play on does something to me, it makes me a little sad. I went from behind the child, watching her father play with her brothers and sisters and mam, to being the wife watching the husband, with my friends and children.

After Carter come home properly after his first season back in 2008, he asked me to marry him. It was soon, and we both knew that, we had only been dating for a year, but something about it just felt right.

As well as Carter becoming captain of the Welsh rugby team, I am officially a lawyer. I mainly deal with domestic abuse cases, one's that are similar to my life. To Connor and I.

I haven't seen him once since that night all those years ago, but I'm sure he's still watching me, even if it is through a television screen now.

Carter and I didn't get married until we were both twenty one, and a couple of months after our wedding, I found out I was pregnant with our first baby.

We now have three more beautiful babies together, and we're a very happy family.

Corey is seven, Alexander is six, Bobby is five and our only girl, and Carter's little princess Elizabeth is three. They're all here tonight, watching their daddy take the stand after his photo with the team.

It's then we're allowed in the pitch, Iwan of course is here and he runs right over to his best friend. Jess and their children stay with us and walk slowly towards the boys.

Carter and Iwan tackle each other onto the ground like we're eighteen again, and I can see the childish teenage boy in the both of them. Whenever they're together I always see it, and I love it.

Jess and Iwan have two little girls, Miley who is six and Olive who is three. Twice Jess and I have been pregnant at the same time and both times she took absolute pride in it.

Picking up Elizabeth when the walking gets a little too much for her tiny legs, I hold onto Bobby's hand as the boys run up and wait for Carter behind the camera he's currently doing an interview for being Man of The Match.

Carter's voice echoes through the stadium as I walk on up to where Corey and Alex are stood.

"It's truly been an honour to not only win this year, but also win the first time I am captain. I'm incredibly proud of my teammates and everyone else who has helped us this season, we couldn't have done it without you." His eyes land on me, I offer him a small smiles and point him out to Lizzie.

"Look, it's Dada." I whisper as she puts her hand out and waves at him.

"Dada!" She calls out, Carter waves back at her but continues talking.

"I'm also incredibly grateful for all my friends and family who have stuck by my side this whole time. For my best friends Iwan and Jess who have always encouraged me to stick with rugby every time I've felt like giving up, and for my beautiful wife, who came into my life and took it through a hell of a whirlwind."

"He's talking about you!" Corey smiles up at me as I nod down at him, tears in my eye.

"And where if your wife tonight?" The interviewer asks.

Carter points over to me, "she's right there," he says, the interview calls me over, I put the baby down next to her brothers and walk over to him. She's safe with them, they may only be young but god Damn it would they kill someone if they went anywhere near their baby sister.

I walk in over to him and stand beside him, his big arm comes around my shoulder as I look down into the camera.

"Melanie Maddocks, how lovely to see you." The man is one who has interviewed my dad many times before, I'm surprised he's still alive actually. "We know about your life being the daughter of an incredible rugby star, but what about being the wife of one?"

A smile reaches my lips as I talk. "It's not very different, but also completely different. I used to worry a lot when my dad was away playing games and I wasn't aloud to watch, but now, it's a different kind of worry when I see Carter play. I know he'll be fine, but every hit to the head or scrap to the shin always worries me."

"And at home? Is he the big bad rugby player we see on the pitch?"

I lean into my husband. "No. Definitely not. He's a huge teddy bear for our children, he loves each of them the same but also different, he'll spend hours playing rugby with Corey in the back garden, then play a game with Alex in the front room, read books with Bobby and then have a dinner party with Lizzie. He's an amazing father, and amazing husband too, I'm very lucky to have him." I admit out loud as I place my hand in his chest as he pulls me closer to him.

"You guys met in high school, correct? High school sweet hearts, what was that like? Does it affect your relationship now? Do you wish you had met later on in life?"

"No." I shake my head. "I'm glad I met him when I did, if I hadn't, my life could have been completely different. I'm happy everything happened the way it did, even if it meant having to send a message to the wrong number. And even if he is my fathers biggest fan." I look up at him and laugh as he rolls his eyes.

He's never living that one down.

"I don't know." I continue, "something about it tells me that... I guess we were bound to happen from the very beginning."

THE ACTUAL END

AUTHOR SPEAKS !!

wheewww, and we're done!!

thank you all for all the love and support I've had on this book! once I had finished writing growing pains I never expected to write another book, but when I had the idea of a girl with a rugby player father and boy who's whole life is rugby who fall in love, I knew I just had to do it!!

I'm honestly so thankful for everyone who read this book, but honestly I could not do it without hearts4_soph , she had helped me incredibly throughout this book and when I was so close to giving up on it she always managed to pull through and help me, and, you should all go and take a look at her books, they're absolutely amazing and I can't wait to see what you do with them. I love you and all your support, thank you baby.

I think for now I'm going to take a small little break on posting books, but I might continue to write my new book that is hopefully coming soon, a couple of months at the latest,

I hope you've all enjoyed Mellie, Carter, Jess, Iwan, the Leighton's and the group of Cwmllyn High. seeing everyone grow and become who they are now.

I hope you've enjoyed
I'll see you in the next...
love you always
— kbabyyx