Madam Mafia

epilogue

Ryder

"Dad!!!" My little boy comes running at me as I enter the house.

I smile and scoop the 4 year old up, spinning him in circles. He squeals, laughing.

"I cawught you!" My 2 year daughter screams as she wraps her tiny arms around my calf. I freeze, throwing her brother over my left shoulder and slowly looking down at her.

She beams up at me with her mother's chocolate brown eyes and my stubby chin. Her brother climbs up my neck, placing his legs on either side of my head, and taking two handfuls of my hair.

He knows exactly what to do now, huh? He's getting too smart.

"I'm gonna catch you." I bellow, as Olivia, scrambles away from my leg and her and her brother, Adam, scream, giggling as I begin chasing her.

"She went left Dad!" Adam points, pulling my hair right, the opposite direction.

Olivia leads us to the kitchen, where Rose stands flipping over a piece of meat. Her head snaps to us running at her, and she graces me her smile which slowly turns into a smirk.

My heart swells, as a spark goes through me and butterflies fill my stomach like they always do, whenever I see her.

"Mommy! Save me!" Olivia runs right into her mother's legs and is snatched up, put where her brother is, on her mother's shoulders.

"Steak night?" I ask.

"Yeah, I haven't had a good piece of meat in a while."

I scoff.

"I beg to differ." I say, shooting her my own smirk as she rolls her eyes at me.

"Not around the-"

"Mommy, we have to rwun!" Olivia pulls at her mother's hair, cutting Rose off.

"Remember you can't pull Mommy's hair, that's not nice." Rose scolds, and Olivia's face instantly falls as she loosens her grip on her mother's locks.

"Sorwy mommy."

"As long as you understand, hold on tight, Mommy's about to go to war!"

Olivia squeals and laughs loudly as Rose begins trying to tickle me and Adam. I go in for the kill as well, letting my fingers get to work.

"We're losing, dad. We gotta run." Adam shouts, mixed in with his chuckles.

I nod and take off to the living room, Rose and Olivia follow.

I hop on the couch, pulling Adam into my arms and cradling him as Rose catches up and attacks my sides. Olivia jumps from her shoulders and onto my leg, using her small finger to try and tickle her brother.

"We lose!" Adam shouts, crawling away from me. Rose picks him up and he puts his head in the crook of her neck, tired.

"Next time, partner up with Mommy, ok baby? Dad always loses." She flashes a grin at me and I shrug.

"Mmhh." He hums, drifting to sleep.

I watch as Rose softly rocks him and slowly turns, heading up to his room.

She was meant to be a mother the way she cares for everyone around her, and I'm lucky she fell in love with me.

I sit up, still watching Rose walk up the stairs, and Olivia crawls into my lap.

"Again! Again!" She pats my knees and I look down at her.

"Sorry, baby. It's bedtime." I scoop her up and take her upstairs as well.