141 | | ash

➳ epilogue part two

➳ 

A S H T O N 

➳

"Daddy!" Caroline squeals as I bring her into the warm, blue waters of Sydney. "Put me down! I want to touch the sea creatures with my feet!" I laugh remembering how Hannah had told her earlier that the beaches of Australia were special because there are sea creatures on the bottom of the seafloor. It was meant to scare her to make sure she doesn't go too far into the ocean because she can't swim. But, she is her father's daughter and made the most of the situation.

I put her down where the water is at her hips, so my calves. She giggles as her legs and lower body go through the clear water. "It's so squishy!" She yells clinging to my leg. I chuckle and kneel down so I'm at her level. She pokes my dimples and laughs. "You look funny with your hair like that!"

My hair is wet, so the color is darker and my curls are slicked back on my head. I run my hands absentmindedly through it and shake my head. "That's not nice!" I say faking a pout.

Caroline whimpers and throws her arms around my neck. "No, Daddy, I didn't mean it! I'm sorry! You're a very beautiful daddy!" I hear slight sobs in my neck. I love five year olds for their innocence, but sometimes, they just cry at the most random things.

I shake my head and coo into her ear. "No, no, baby girl, I'm not upset! I was just faking it. I'm sorry if I've upset you."

She sniffles and pulls away from my neck flashing a smile. "You're silly, daddy."

"I love you, Caroline."

"I love you more, Daddy."

- - -

After a long day at the beach, Caroline and I finally return to my mom's house. My mom decided to take Hannah out for some spa day, and Hannah, being the nice person she is, didn't object. However, spending the day with my mother doesn't sound like the most pleasurable thing to me. Then again, I am her son, and spas aren't really my thing.

I wash Caroline down, and we wait for Hannah to come home waiting on the couch watching, you guessed it, Frozen. Caroline suggested it, and it takes everything in me not to say no. I don't want to make her upset (again), but at the same time, if I have to hear that damn Summer song again, I'll explode. It's not even well written. I can write better songs in my sleep.

Lucky for me, Hannah and my mom come home before Anna has a chance to open her mouth about Hans. I smile greeting my mother before my wife so I can sneak a kiss or two to my wife while she's keeping Caroline busy.

"You look beautiful," I whisper as I sneak a kiss on her lips, cheek, and behind her ear.

Hannah giggles and shakes her head. "Ashton, my stomach is the size of a watermelon. I'm bloated everywhere, I even made the people at the spa cringe."

"You're beautiful," I reassure kissing her forehead and holding my lips there. Hannah always does this. She always thinks so poor of herself, and I just think it's because of her upbringing. I don't blame her. I'm lucky for my mom. Even though I don't have a dad, I don't know what I would do without my mom.

"Thank you, Ash," she says smirking a bit.

"No problem, Han."

- - -

"But I only have one song left!" I hear Luke groan from his living room. Hannah, Caroline, and I took a nice trip over to Luke's house with his new girlfriend, Marrisa. He plans to pop the question to her in a few weeks, and I'm happy for him. He's the last in the band to get married, but he's also my closet lad. I can't imagine a life without Luke. I care about him almost as much as I care about my wife and kid. Almost because he's a hormonal bîtch at times, and I can't deal.