Until the End of Time | A Team Foster-Keefe story

:: Epilogue ::

Epilogue 

"Do I have to wear this?" Leulla asked, her nose crinkled in disgust. 

"My sentiments exactly," Sophie replied, laughing at her daughter's lack of interest in her dress. "But Aunt Linh would really appreciate it if you wore that. She picked it out for you and everything." Sophie looked back into the mirror and moved a piece of hair back into place. "You get to match with Celeste." 

"I love Auntie Linh but I just can't love this dress," Leulla complained even more. 

"Well, just don't tell her and I'll let you take it off before the reception and never wear it again," Sophie stated, rolling her eyes. While she loved how the seven year old shared her disinterest in fancy clothing, there were times that they could run into trouble because of it. When Leulla was five and they were going through a similar situation, only with Tam and Syden instead of Linh and Fitz, Leulla had reacted the same way."Please, if you love me you'll stop complaining." 

"Daddy says complaining isn't a bad thing because when people complain to him about his paintings he knows to fix it instead of leaving them with something ugly."

"How many times have I told you to not listen to your father's life lessons? I love him, but he doesn't have the brightest ideas sometimes." 

"Daddy says he skipped a grade when he was in school which makes him smarter than you so I have to listen to him."

Sophie's eyes widened and her eyes snapped away from the mirror and to her daughter, who looked like a female version of Keefe except with Sophie's brown eyes. Sophie knew brown eyes were a dominant trait, but that didn't stop her surprise when Leulla was born with similar eyes to her own. It made her wonder if Leulla would eventually have the same abilities. She questioned Mr. Forkle, but he said it would become a learning experience for everyone. 

"You tell your father if he wants to keep living in our house he'll keep his mouth quiet about who's smarter," Sophie snapped, knowing she was a second away from chasing her husband down and inflicting as much pain as possible. Suddenly she let out a breath of air and calmed down. "We're equally your parents, so you equally listen to us." Then she smirked. "And just so you know, your mommy skipped a lot more than one grade." 

A knock on the door interrupted them and Keefe entered, wearing a formal tux. Sophie was too busy glaring at him to acknowledge the way he looked, but he didn't notice as he smiled at his daughter. "Loo! You look so pretty!" He picked her up and spun her, making her giggle. She was definitely a daddy's girl, annoying Sophie to no end. He put Leulla down and grinned at his wife, who was still frowning. "And you look absolutely stunning as always." 

"And you're in trouble," Sophie scolded him. 

"Oh no, what happened now?" He looked confused. 

Sophie mimicked her daughter's voice, a trick she finally mastered once she reached the elite towers, as she said, "Daddy says he skipped a grade when he was in school which makes him smarter than you so I have to listen to him."

"You little snot! I told you not to tell her that," Keefe yelled at his daughter, laughing all the same and he tickled her, making her start to laugh as well. 

"I'm sorry!" she shouted, laughing. "Please stop!" 

He stopped tickling her just as two small boys entered, one half carrying the other. Sophie's eyes widened and she immediately scooped up her youngest child and placed him against her hip. "Ivan, what did I tell you about carrying your brother like that?" she scolded Ivan as Eamon immediately took the initiative to try and play with her hair. 

"You look pretty mommy," Ivan said instead of arguing. Sophie had learned he was a deflector when it came to lectures, he liked to change subjects instead of facing his consequences. 

And sadly the little bugger would get away with it too. "Thank you, baby." She turned to Eamon, who dropped the piece of her hair he had previously been holding. "How's my little ring bearer?"

"Ivan says I'm not allowed to be ring bearer because I'm too young," Eamon replied, his tone laced with sadness. 

Sophie frowned at Ivan. "Why would you tell Eamon that?" 

"I want to be ring bearer alone," Ivan complained. 

"You got to do it alone at Uncle Tam's wedding," Sophie told him. 

"How come Leulla got to be flower girl alone twice, then?" Ivan frowned at his mother, and she resisted cooing at how adorable he looked. 

"Because Celeste was too young to be a flower girl at Uncle Tam's wedding," Sophie explained. Celeste, Biana and Dex's daughter, was a year younger than Ivan. Celeste was really excited to be a flower girl for Linh and Fitz's wedding alongside Leulla, but Leulla wasn't as ecstatic as her cousin. 

"Celeste ruins everything," Ivan moaned out, making Sophie belt out laughing. Her and Biana were convinced Ivan and Celeste would be getting married one day. 

"You keep thinking that, sweetie," she told him, walking to the door. "Come on guys, all of us have to walk ahead of the bride." 

Keefe took both remaining kids by the hands as Sophie, still holding Eamon, exited through the doors. "Mommy?" 

"Yes?" she looked at Eamon. 

"Do I have to get married one day?" he asked her. 

"No," she told him. "It isn't required. Auntie Marella isn't married." Then she thought for a moment. "Bronte and Mr. Forkle aren't married either, you remember them, right?" 

"I don't want to get married, I want to be a councilor like Bronte," Leulla stated. 

Keefe grinned as he replied, "You would be a great councilor, Loo."

"When I become a councilor my first decision is going to be to make it illegal Ivan to steal my toys," Leulla added, making her parents laugh. 

"You can do that!" Ivan protested with a whine. 

"Leulla when you're older you're not going to care about your brother stealing your toys," Sophie told her. 

"Hey, daddy," Ivan attempted to get his father's attention. 

"What's up?" 

"I'm never getting married either," he stated. "Is that okay?" 

"It's okay if you never get married," Keefe told him. "But being married is more fun." 

"Mommy says that being married is a lot of work, especially because of who she's married to," Leulla declared. 

"When did I say that?" Sophie immediately questioned, shocked. Of course she knew she had said it, but never in front her kids. 

"When Auntie Biana and Uncle Dex said they were getting married," Leulla told her. 

"Leulla, you were two when that happened, how do you remember?" Keefe interrupted, shocked. 

"I just remember stuff," she stated. 

"We both have photographic memories," Sophie told Keefe. "I'm not that surprised she inherited it. Wouldn't surprise me if these two end up with them too." 

"Mommy I think I want to get married one day," Eamon spoke up. "Just not right now." 

"You're too young to be married anyways, buddy," Keefe stated. "But getting married is the best decision I've ever made, so I recommend it." 

"Better decision than these guys," Sophie questioned, gesturing to their children. 

Keefe grinned at his wife. "They're pretty alright too." 

---

okay i'm posting a sequel announcement in maybe thirty-ish minutes to an hour ??? idk unless i fall asleep but that will include a contest. 

but instead of chapter questions for you guys, this is your opportunity to ask me questions. comment below any questions you have about this book, the sequel, or maybe even me as a person and i'm making a q&a chap to answer them. feel free to ask a ton of questions in a row i don't mind.