Hidden Feelings

Epilogue* Pt.1

Elias Lorizio

"Tag!" Zahir ran up to Eliana to tap her on the shoulder.

"That's not fair! You were cheating." She shoved him and he laughed before pushing her to the floor.

"I know one thing. Y'all keep running in my damn house, I'm tagging both of your asses with a belt." I threatened.

"That's cool and all, but your daughter is a straight brat, bruh. You need to do something about that." He sat next to me on the couch and turned the channel to Cartoon Network.

"Did I tell you to touch my remote? You have a TV in your room." I snatched it and turned back to my channel.

"Daddy, Zahir doesn't play fair." Elaina climbed herself into my lap. This was my big baby. Her and Zahir are two years apart.

He's eight and she's six. He has a tendency of being rough or letting his anger get the best of him, but we're working on that.

"Little girl shut up with that whining." He said and she rolled her eyes.

"Lai, you did push him first."

"So?" She rolled her neck with an attitude like I won't smack those pigtails off her head.

"Eli, have you seen Elisa?" Zahria walked in, kissing Zahir all over his face then Elaina.

"No, I thought she was with you." Elisa was our three year old daughter that was always running off hiding somewhere.

"Here I go!" She crawled from under the couch giggling.

Where do I begin? My bar has been successful and Zahria is pursuing her career as a social worker. I married Zahria shortly after Elaina turned one. We had a small, intimate ceremony.

When she got pregnant the second time I invested in a house. A place that our children could call home and make memories in. A few months after Elisa was born we had a pregnancy scare and Zahria got her tubes tied.

We agreed three was enough and I damn sure wasn't getting a vasectomy. And why would I use condoms with my wife?

"What were you doing under there?" I picked her up.

She motioned for me to get closer so she could whisper in my ear, "Mommy says it's time to get my hair done."

"Exactly and you're not getting out of it either." She took her from me and held her on her hip as Elisa pouted. "Elaina, you finished your homework?"

"Yes mama." She said sweetly.

"Zahir, did you finish your homework?"

"Yes ma'am."

"I want to see it before you go to sleep. Your teacher called me today."

"She lying."

"I didn't even say what she told me."

"You don't have to. I just know she lying."

She smacked him in the back of the head, "You're skating on thin ice."

"How if I don't know how to skate?"

"Don't talk back to your mama, boy." I told him in a stern tone

"Sorry." He mumbled.

She gave him a look before going upstairs with Eliana while the other two bothered me until their bed time.

"Finally they're all asleep." I tiredly walked into me and Zahria's room and fell back on the bed next to her.

"I love you, pookie." She grinned.