THE WAY WE STAY

EPILOGUE

RILEY'S P.O.V

"The heck, I'm not wearing pink." I threw the tie to Toby who was laughing his lungs out.

"You never know she might change her mind to wear pink?"

"No! Let's bet 50 bucks, she wouldn't." I growled in pain. "Oh gosh my stomach is-"

"Said the man who's married once." Connor bit his donut. "Chill bro, it's supposed to be easier."

I looked at my pity self in the mirror. The new year has come. Last round of last year was easier since I had Jane. The twins were always happy, we worked well as a little family.

And today I would turn us into a real one.

"Shit, it's down." I whispered under my breath.

"Uh-huh, language, father." Connor shook his head but walked up to me. "Dude, you're doing okay. You guys will be fine from now on. I can sense it."

"Thanks." I breathed out. 

"Let's go, the bride would run away any seconds now." Toby dissed me.

"She wouldn't come out without me being present at the altar-"

"The groom talks to much. Proceed to kidnap?" Toby signaled to Connor who did not join his imaginary world, but laughed instead.

The best boys of mine remained the same. The family and relatives, too. The beautiful daughters I knew were standing and giggling behind the door, ready to leave rose petals along the aisle. I scanned everybody's face; teary, proud, and happy. I must have done a good job.

The soft singing voice of Can't Help Falling in Love was echoed. I saw the kids slowly entering the aisle. They giggled at me as I waved back. Connor and Toby signaled them to go slowly. My mother had to squat to make sure they did not trip over other ornaments along the way. The wind softly blew. The beautiful afternoon in our family villa. 

"Please welcome the bride." 

The white gown looked stunning, as the long end made a beautiful effect. Her make-up was soft, she refused to go bold at all. Her cheeks turned red like a full bloom as the smile rose from both ends of her lips. She stepped slowly while squeezed her Daddy's arms. I gulped in tears. How could I be so lucky for a second chance?

"Please still know that I'm a Police, so..." Her handed the daughter for me with the playful glare of a happy father.

"Sir, copy that." I giggled and welcomed her fitting hand into mine. "I'm honored."

"Pap, please." Jane chuckled.

"So he wouldn't forget." Jane's father kissed her cheek and walked back to his seat with the family.

The rest of ceremony went soft and perfect. We did not fireworks and party to start a family. Jane, the kids, and myself, were enough to tackle the world. We tied our knots with kiss and tears being the seal. 

The day was followed with a casual band performance of friends and family. Toby and Connor sang us some old beautiful songs that we wrote back in our garage. The rest of family blessed us with their performance too. I maybe remembered how happy I was when I married Natasha, but obviously I was not this happy.

"Mommy!" Cassandra was the one jumping into Jane's hug. 

She was a bit caught. "Hey sweethearts! Did you enjoy the party?"

"A lot of chocolate!" Calista came up to me to show her chocolate-y teeth.

"Ah..." I rolled my eyes to the newlywed wife. "We got a long night tonight.

She smirked at me and turned to Calista. "Come here baby, let me have a look?"

Calista got her teeth cleaned by Jane with a tissue and glass of water. Staring at her little sister, Cassandra, of course, had a brilliant mind of copying the chocolate teeth. They made Jane overwhelmed with the teeth drama that Connor and Toby had to pull them both off the scene. We laughed a lot because the family also witnessed the cuteness.

"Apologize for the cutest chocolate monsters on earth," I held my drink when it was finally time for the groom's speech. "Is this thing on?"

"Dude you're the vocalist." Toby joked from his microphone.

"I'll get back to you." I glared playfully and everyone laughed. "Uh, so..."

I stared at Jane for quite ten seconds, and of course it was not enough. She turned red again, bowed her head and repeatedly asked me to resume my words and stop torturing her. 

"Where should I start? Oh, my chaotic self." I cleared my throat. "Jane, or should I first call you Miss Jane, was the twins' teacher. I've always heard her name mentioned, not only by the girls, but also by every single family member of mine who's ever picked them from school. I guess her reputation proceeds her."

I stopped and smiled.

"Years have passed and you all know my story. It's too embarrassing for me to admit that I failed. I failed a family, let alone thinking about restarting the chapter. But there is Jane, being committed in helping get through the nightmares since day one - nosebleed and all." 

Jane giggled from her seat. 

"I could go on with the list of Jane as the most amazing, kind-hearted, soft, thoughtful woman I've ever met. But no, she's beyond them all. She's the mother my kids have been longing to have. She lets me know, every time, that I'm worth as a father of these beautiful angels. That I never fail them. She reminds me how the girls are so proud of me - even to our little fur ball at home - that they never stop talking about our little family at school... The little family that I thought was broken."

I took a deep breath.

"I was so selfishly having nightmares and temper as if I was the only suffering person in the world. I didn't know Jane suffers twice as worse. She's the embodiment of what incredible mother looks like in real life. She represents everything that I'm not. Babe, you know I never deserve you-"

I startled in my own throat.

"But thank you for picking me up. Thank you for taking the girls since day one and let them feel the warmth of a mother. Thank you for choosing to stay in our little mess."

The sun started to set, the sky turned purple and orange. Cassandra and Calista were each holding to my and Jane's hands as I asked them to stay with me at the microphone. Jane did not know that I have prepared something for her.

Connor and Toby played the short clip of whatever crumble of Jane's memory with Amelia that we could gather. Her family played the big role of revealing her happiest and saddest memory. Most of my family have known Jane and everything about her, but not about Amelia. Jane just attacked me and cried inside my arms since the first second of it. Everybody did cry. I did not aim it to be the crying session but that was it. I felt completed. 

"Amelia!" Cassandra and Calista both pointed at the short clip. They happily watched and jumped here and there out of excitement.

The clip was finally over. Our family was giving a standing ovation for the brave Jane that I just showed to them.

"Guys, I don't-" Jane got stuck in her own words, she already cried so much.

"It's okay. I don't want Amelia to just be our little secret. She's part of our family now, our first born." I kissed her forehead. "So welcome home, Jane and Amelia McDonough."