Meaningful Mistakes

Epilogue

M E A N I N G F U L
M I S T A K E S
Epilogue

"It's Uncle William's birthday today!" Harper shouts with excitement in her tone, startling both Hunter and I when we're in the middle of making sure the cake is perfect.

She plays with the end of her bright purple dress and bounces back and forth on her feet. There's not a moment where she isn't filled with energy.

"It is. Are you excited to see him again?" William and Chuck had taken a three week long cruise, which was strange for Harper to not see him for that long.

She nods eagerly, her long dark brown hair bobbing all over the place. "Is everyone coming over?" She asks, swinging her dress in her fingers.

A shriek breaks free when Hunter unexpectedly swoops her off the ground, spinning her around as her happy squeals fill the air. "You sure bet they are." He stops spinning, but keeps Harper in his arms as she laughs with her father.

"Can I wake Ollie up yet?" She asks, placing her hands on either side of his cheeks and pushing them inwards to squish his face.

"Go for gold." He places her back on her feet, and instantly she sprints out of the kitchen to her younger brother's bedroom.

"I would do anything to have the energy of a five year old." I sigh after watching Harper have all the energy in the world, and it's not even ten o'clock. I'd need at least three coffees until I can feel like her before lunch time.

Hunter chuckles and carefully puts the cake back in the fridge. "Not just any five year old, Harper. I guess she got my athletic genes."

I snort unattractively and wipe down the bench with a cloth. "Your basketball days ended in high school."

"I was naturally athletic!" He defends and leans against the marble counter top. "I'll teach Oliver when he's older how to play basketball."

"He just turned four, don't go making plans just yet." I toss the cloth by the sink, reminding myself to put it away later, when my husband more than likely would.

"Says the girl who put Harper in dance classes."

"She's five! She's a whole year older than Oliver meaning it's the perfect time for her to find something she likes doing as a hobby." I say. "And besides, you agreed she would like dance because of her energy. Now look at her- she's dancing with the older kids because she's so good."

He sighs through a smile when we leave the kitchen, following me as I go to check on Oliver and Harper who are being surprisingly quiet. That's very unusual for then. Some days they remind me of what William Henderson and I were like as kids.

I step into my son's room, almost immediately having him crash into my legs when he attempts to run out. My hands shoot out and grab his forearms so he can't spring backwards and fall.

"Woah, careful there." I sing out and Harper laughs at her brother. Oliver wraps his tiny arms around my thighs, muttering a childlike good morning. I crouch down to him, letting him get a proper hug instead of my legs.

Oliver has always been so dependent on other people. He is always either close to someone or latched onto them, wanting their attention. It never bothers me. I enjoy his constant cuddles and wanting to hold my hand.

He may be four, but he's almost as tall as Harper. She has her father's dark brown hair, whereas Oliver got my light blond hair. It's strange to see how they simply inherited it like that.

The loud door bell sudden echos through the house, forcing my lips to curl into a smile. "Guess who that is?" I excitedly ask Oliver, his own eyes lighting up at my tone.