The Nose Piercing Boy

Epilogue

"I look like an overpumped balloon." I say, shifting from side to side in front of the tall mirror. My straightened hair whips around as I do so.

"You look absolutely beautiful." Elijah says, wrapping his arms around me from behind and planting a soft kiss on the right side of my head. I hold onto his forearms as he rests his chin onto my shoulder as we sway side to side.

"Don't lie to me." I demand, looking up at him in the mirror. He's wearing a dark button up, the top buttons unbuttoned, with skinny jeans. His recently cut silky, curls sit messily on the top of his head.

"I swear, I'm not." He whispers, uncrossing my arms to turn me around. I turn around to face him and come to see his huge eye to eye smile. I run my hands through his hair as he rests his palms on my bloated waist.

"God, you're so beautiful..." he mutters as his lips trail down my jaw, all the way to the deep neckline of the dress. His places a gentle kiss in between my breasts and looks up to me from in between his eyelashes.

"You're not so bad yourself." I tease and he rolls his eyes, before hauling me into his arms, bridal style.

"I'd make you wrap your legs around me but the mini me in there would make it kinda uncomfortable." He says, poking my bloated stomach with a sheepish smile. He places a kiss on my lips, before placing one on my stomach. His lips linger on my stomach for a bit, as he stares down at it.

"Are you okay?" I ask, running a hand through his soft hair.

"Yeah, just proud of you. You're so strong, babygirl." He says, his eyes glistening with tears as he looks up at me.

"Daddy, you call me?" A little voice says from the doorway.

"Ah! Look who it is!" Elijah says, placing me gently on my feet, before turning to the owner of the voice.

"You call me?" She asks again with the tilt of her head, except it comes out as more of a statement.

"No, I was talking to mummy." He tells her and her face falls slightly and she scrunches up her little eyebrows, making little crinkles on her forehead just like her father. She attempts to cross her arms but instead holds her elbows, her chubby little rolls squished in between.

"But, I was looking for you earlier. Where were you?" He asks, scooping up our first born in his huge muscly arms and placing a kiss on her cheek, causing her to smile, revealing her small teeth.

"With uncle Jay-Jay." She says sheepishly, shoving her head into his chest, her curls falling around her face.

"Jay? Where are you?" Elijah yells with a hint of annoyance lacing his words.

Let's just say they haven't been on the best of terms lately.

The door creaks open slightly to reveal a nervous Jay. He's 15 years old now and takes after his brother with a slightly muscly build already. He workouts a lot for his age, but loves spending time with his niece.

"She's my damn niece!" He yells back at his brother.

"Watch your language. If you're gonna speak like this around her, stay away. She doesn't need to grow up like that." He mutters the last part quietly.

Harper, looks utterly confused, glancing between the two men. I quickly grab her from his arms before they begin a fight.

These two used to be so close until Jay came to live with us when he was 10. He began to put pieces together and quickly figured out about the gang and his late parents. He was really angry at his brother and started smoking, drinking and doing drugs at the age of 12. Once Harper was born, he began to sober up but these fights wouldn't let his sober times last long.