Vikk's P.O.V.
"Hey look at that one." I was pointing to a simple black and white photo, the day of our wedding. The both of us were wearing suits and sitting on the hill just above the church where we said our vows, alone with our heads bowed.
Lachlan smiled, twisting the ring around his finger, the tiny diamond in the top catching in the daylight streaming in from the window above us.
"I remember that day like it was yesterday." It obviously wasn't yesterday, it was actually 12 years ago but I remembered it so clearly too, as it was one of the best days of my life.
I was giggling, watching as Lachlan struggled up the hill in his fancy shoes. He pouted at me, reaching up for my hand as I pulled him to the top of my hill and stumbled along beside me. We were up there for a photoshoot, the more natural and simple one of our wedding where we could be alone.
It was simple and beautiful, something to remember the day by.
I turned the page of the album, going back a few years to our anniversary, the stupid photos we took of each other when they weren't looking and the photos with the rest of the Pack. The book was full of them and it was mostly for memories sake because we often forgot about certain times without photos.
"What about that one?" I grinned, it was of myself, Rob and Preston in Texas walking down the road and Lachlan had taken a picture of the three of us without any of us knowing.
"Preston!" I shrieked, ducking underneath his outstretched arm as he tried to grab me, chasing me down the road. Rob was doing nothing to stop his boyfriend as he continued to chase me, just laughing with Lachlan as Preston grabbed for my waist to try and pick me up.
"That one too." Lachlan pointed at one of the only group photos that we had of the Pack as we didn't get together all that often. It was a few days before Rob and Preston's wedding and we were in Texas just relaxing and helping Preston's family getting everything organised.
The photo was taken at a family dinner, the six of us sitting side by side and Rob making a stupid face behind the rest of us. We were all laughing having a great time.
"This food is awesome! Thanks Mrs Arsement!" She grinned at Mitch across the table. I swung my legs under the table, my hand clutched in Lachlan's. He hadn't said much, a little overwhelmed with all of the people in the room because there was the Pack and pretty much all of Preston's family too, grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles, cousins and siblings.
He had smiled for the photo with the 6 of us, staying in silence for the rest of the afternoon. He was still having fun through, butting in on the conversations with the Pack and his input was normally a horrendous pun or some sort of sarcastic answer.
I turned the page again and snorted with laughter, seeing a fair few more terrible photos of Lachlan that I had taken without his knowledge. There was a lot that were just us being idiots, chasing the ducks in the park, going to other countries and being tourists or pictures of us with our friends.
There were so many memories going back so many years and it was amazing going back over them and reminiscing, especially with the man I had spent so much of that time with.
But then I turned the page and I saw her face. Our little girl.
Lachlan saw her too because he froze up, his hand clenching into fists and almost at once the tears started to fall from his eyes. Neither of us had really gotten over her death and I doubted we ever would, but it put a stain on our lives that we could never wipe away.
"Dad! Help me!" I looked over to our little girl, Lachlan's actual daughter, slung over Lachlan's shoulder and shrieking happily. Lachlan had a huge grin on his face and was bouncing around with our girl over his shoulder, a rough game being played.
"Why should I?" She shrieked again, her blonde hair bouncing around as Lachlan threw her up and down.
"Cause daddy's not putting me down!" I laughed, coming to Lachlan's side and taking her from his arms. She clung to me, scrambling up to my shoulder, giggling the whole time.
She was a bright ball of energy at 3 years old, using us as jungle gyms and running all over the house and very outgoing, making friends with absolutely everyone.
Lachlan hadn't told me the exact details that came to her existence and I didn't press him because the girl hadn't wanted she when she was born and dumped her on Lachlan. He was with me at the time and neither of us had any qualms about taking her in.
And so she became ours, even though we were only 25 at the time, but we never regretted it especially as she grew older, into a beautiful, intelligent, bright young girl.
But the happiness didn't last long.
She was a month off turning 5 when she died, leukemia taking her just 2 months after being diagnosed. She died in Lachlan's arms, the two of us curled up on her bed, holding her tightly. Her last words were to the two of us.
"I love you."
We had a child at 25, married at 28, lost our girl at 30. Now at 40 her death a decade ago had never left us but we made no move to start our own family again. We had no reason to, not when it was still so raw in our minds.
"Hey, hey, don't cry." I wiped Lachlan's eyes, bringing him close to me. "Don't cry, it's okay."
He always got upset whenever there was a mention of her without him expecting it and the mention caused all sorts of emotions, often ending in him crying. And I ended up comforting him.
"Sorry-" He hiccupped. "I ju-just wasn't expecting it."
"It's okay." I whispered, carding my hand through his hair. "I forgot her photos were in there too."
Rob and Preston had married just a month before we got her and so only met her a few times when they can to visit, as did Mitch and Jerome who saw her even less, although we bought her to their wedding just a year after Rob and Preston's.
"I hate that I still feel like it's my fault." I placed my fingers under his chin and forced him to look at me.
"It wasn't your fault that she died Lachlan, there was nothing that you could do. She was your girl in every way." He smiled, leaning his cheek onto my hand.
"She was yours too Vikk, if not by blood, but she was family." I leaned in and kissed him passionately, smiling at the tiny moan that emitted from his mouth.
"You're family too. I love you." He smiled.
"I love you too."
