Chet |Complete|

Chapter 55 - New Beginnings - epilogue

I sit in the living room scrolling through photos on my phone; I feel myself becoming nostalgic. Time flies by so quickly, one moment you're holding your tiny baby in your arms and in the blink of an eye they're all grown up.

As I scroll, I stop at a photo of Charlie and Lane at ages four and two. We were at the park having a picnic on this day, and the two of them were so excited to feed the ducks swimming around in the pond. The phone shows the two of them doing just that, feeding the ducks, and Chet standing right behind them in case either of them lose balance and fall.

Chet as a father, I couldn't have asked for anyone better to help me raise our children. Both Lane and Charlie have grown up into such kind and giving humans, and anyone who doubted our parenting style have surely eaten their words.

Because Chet and I both grew up with very overprotective parents, and both ended up rebelling and getting ourselves into the trouble, we chose not to take the same approach with our children. We made sure to raise them with as much love as we could, we never wanted there to come a day where they ever doubted that they not our entire world, but at the same time we've never smothered them.

If they want to go out with their friends, we allow them and we don't pry by asking a million questions, as long as we know who they are hanging out with, and they text us to let us know they're safe and tell us if they're not coming home, we leave them to do so.

School is another thing we never wanted to push too hard. Coming from someone who didn't always get the best grades myself, I know that book smarts and college isn't for everyone. So without putting pressure on them, we made sure to always remind them they are smart and they can do whatever they put their minds to. We wanted them to have good grades and work hard, but they didn't need to be at the top of the class unless that's what they wanted.

Since finishing school Lane is now working for Chet, like me he was never interested in going to college, but he did get good grades throughout school which we were proud of. Even without being pushed and knowing he would never go to college, he still tired his best.

As I continue scrolling and come to a photo of Lane, Charlie, and Shay. Lane is six years old in this photo, Charlie and Shay four. We should have known right back then of Lane's crush on Shay because he never left her side, now that I think about it, nor did she leave his.

"Morning Sweetheart." Chet grins as he makes his way into the living room and sits down next to me on the couch. "I thought you'd of left for work by now."

"I took the morning off to have breakfast with you guys." I smile up at him from his side. "I just ordered Lane's cake for tonight."

"Twenty huh." Chet breaths out with a laugh. "We're getting old, sweetheart."

"We are." I giggle softly and nod my head in agreement. "Soon they'll be moved out and won't need us anymore."

"They'll always need us." He whispers as he presses a soft kiss to my forehead. "Don't tell me you're scared to have the place to ourselves again?"

"It's been twenty years since we've had the house to ourselves. I don't think I'll know what to do with myself when they're gone."

"I can think of a few things." He winks, which causes me to giggle.

"Gross." Lane huffs from the doorway.

"Not as gross as you banging my best friend's daughter." Chet rebuts with a smirk as he looks up at our son.

"You two are so alike you drive me insane." I comment as I look between them, both looking at each other with disgusted looks on their faces.

"Nah' I'm better looking, I got your looks Mom." Lane winks at me.