Epilogue
Four Years Later
Erica
“You got the ultrasound?” Chase asked me as I jumped into the passenger seat after buckling Charlotte into her car seat.
“In the purse.”
He pulled out of the driveway toward Alexa and Max’s house for Apollo’s birthday party. We’d been spending a lot of time over at their house with how close Charlotte and Apollo had become. They were the only kids in our group, but with Lilly and Greg now expecting and us with another on the way, it was bound to get more chaotic.
“Where is Mr. Stuffles?” Charlotte asked from the back seat.
“I have him here with me. We want make sure he gets to Apollo safe.” Mr. Stuffles was a stuffed bunny Apollo had given Charlotte on her last birthday and she took it everywhere with her, especially to see Apollo. He always made sure to hold on to it when they were together. He said he wanted it to smell like him when she took it home.
It was cute to see the little crush they had on each other, but the dagger eyes Chase shot Max a few weeks ago when Apollo kissed Charlotte’s cheek had me cracking up.
“Hmph.” Chase stared out the window, trying to pretend he didn’t approve of what was happening between Charlotte and Apollo.
“It’s adorable. They’re only children,” I whispered to him.
“For now they are.”
He adjusted the rearview mirror to see Charlotte more clearly and turned down the next road, leading straight to Alexa and Max’s house. They only lived a street down from us and then Lilly and Greg on the opposite street. We all wanted to be close to one another, just not right on top of each other.
“We’re here!” Charlotte shouted and I was out of the car just as Apollo was reaching for Charlotte’s door and opening it. He grabbed her hand and waited for me to unbuckle her before he helped her out of the car and they ran toward the house, Mr. Stuffles long forgotten in the bag I had slung over my arm.
“She’s only four, peaches.”
“And he’s only seven.” I tossed a wink to Chase, quietly reminding him of the age we first met and how we knew instantly from that moment on that we were meant for each other.
“Don’t remind me.”
He placed a hand on my belly and leaned down.
“You’re going to have to watch out for her, little man.”
“Let’s head inside before you spill the news too soon.”
Chase led us in to where Apollo’s birthday party was in full swing. I searched the living room where Apollo was sitting in a chair with Charlotte on his lap as he talked to a few of his friends I recognized from school.
“What’s the chances of us becoming in-laws one day?” Alexa came up next to me and Chase let out an exasperated sigh.
“Not you too!”
“It’s all she keeps talking about.” Max laughed as he joined us in watching our children sit together. Apollo had been drawn to Charlotte the moment he met her. He was the only one allowed to call her Lottie, and he had now started to call her Little Lottie, since she seemed to have stopped growing for a moment and he was still springing up line a bean sprout.
“What are we looking at?” Lilly and Greg came up next to us with Jack tagging along.
“Apollo and Charlotte,” Chase mocked.
“Aren’t they the cutest?” Lilly joined in on the adoration and all the guys rolled their eyes.
“Wait until your little dude pops out and wants to start kissing girls on the cheek, and then you tell me it’s cute.”
“Excuse me.” Lilly snapped her fingers. “But my son will be a gentleman, just like Apollo is. So, suck it up.”
“She’s not wrong.” We all watched as Charlotte became restless sitting there with Apollo. He excused themselves and took her hand to the kitchen, coming back to the table with a plate of carrots and ranch dip. He was the only person she would eat vegetables for and it baffled all of us, but we never tried to figure it out, in case it ceased to happen again.
