Tied Together (The Cade Siblings Duology #1)

Epilogue

ALANA

Seven Years Later

The house is in total chaos, and I’ve been trying extremely hard to get us out of here on time. It seems like we’re always late these days, and I attribute it to the little monster running around here somewhere. Motherhood took away the last of my control freak tendencies, and now I’m just accustomed to the chaos.

I’m curling my hair in our bathroom and Alex is taking the dog on a walk before we leave. It’s Christmas Eve, and we always tend to be away at his mom’s house until late in the evening on holidays. We moved to Texas a few years ago to be closer to her and it’s been a great shift for us. Alex’s best friend Banks always brings his family, Charlie and Cami of course attend, and the crowd has grown through the years. There’s usually a gift exchange, card games, Christmas carols, and movie watching plus whatever his mom added to the lineup this year. She tends to find new things for us to do each year.

“Mom!” Charlotte, our five year old, yells and I hear her feet pitter patter down the hall to our room. “Where’s Santa now?”

About a year after we got married, we were surprised with little Charlotte, named after my brother—a fact he never lets us forget. She’s asked me about Santa’s whereabouts no less than fifteen times today, but I wouldn’t dull her excitement for anything. It heals something in me to see her so giddy about the holidays, and I love experiencing it all through her eyes.

“Let me finish curling my hair first and then I’ll check, okay?”

“Okay,” she says with a firm nod and then salutes me before walking out of the room and back to wherever she was before. I’m not sure when the saluting started or who taught it to her, but it’s adorable and makes me laugh every time she does it.

Kids are funny like that. If they discover something that makes you laugh, they’ll do it on repeat just to see you break out in giggles again. It’s kind of sweet when you think about it.

Not five minutes later, I hear her coming again. I take my phone out and pull up the Santa tracker, knowing that’s what she’s going to ask, and get to it right as she enters.

“Mom, did you check?”

“Sure did, it looks like he’s in Australia right now.”

“Aster-rail-ee-ya. Woooow.”

“I know. He’s getting closer.” I lean down and press a kiss into her chocolate brown hair, my mini-me in every sense of the word. “Why don’t you go and get your dress? Bring it here and I’ll help you put it on.”

“I can put it on all by myself. I’m big now because I’m five.”

“Oh goodness, how could I forget. Okay you put it on yourself then and come let me know if you need help.”

She salutes me again and runs out of the room and down towards hers.

A few minutes later I hear the front door chime and Alex making his way up the stairs. He stands in the doorway to the bathroom watching me, and I pretend not to notice for a few minutes, letting him look his fill.

“How did I get so lucky?” he eventually asks before walking over to me and wrapping his arms around my waist, placing kisses on my neck.

“Charlotte is going to be back any minute. No funny business.” I squirm a little, trying to move him off of me. After getting a few more kisses in, he pulls away.

“Yes ma’am,” he says, then salutes me. Well, that’s where that came from I guess.

Just like I said, Charlotte comes running in a minute later. She’s in her Christmas dress that she picked out for this year, it’s red and has a fluffy skirt that ‘ swirls when she spins ’. She’s got something behind her back, although I can’t quite tell what it is.

“Daddy!”

“Hey princess, you look absolutely beautiful.” She blushes and rocks back and forth on her feet, glowing under her dad’s praise. “Whatcha got there?”

“I found it in Mommy’s closet. Can I wear it?”

My eyes are immediately misty when she pulls the bow out from behind her back. It’s a little worn now, but it’s still in incredible shape. I wore it for a while after Alex and I got together, but eventually wanted to keep it safe, so I put it in my keepsakes box. She must have found it when she was snooping around, as she’s been doing more and more often lately.

Alex takes the bow from her hands reverently, turning it over in his hand and inspecting it.

“I think it would be really special if you wore this tonight. What do you think?” he asks me, making sure I’m okay with taking it out of the keepsake box and back into the world.

“I think that’s a great idea.”

I watch as Charlotte spins and Alex takes his time tying in her hair, like he did for me once upon a time. I’m transported back to a time when my mom tied a bow like this in my hair, and the significance of my daughter wearing one now isn’t lost on me. It’s surreal and almost an out of body experience, watching this happen.

He finishes tying it and spins her back around.

“You look perfect. Why don’t you go and put your shoes on?”

She takes off running for her shoes and he reaches out for me. He wraps me up in his arms and tucks me under his chin.

“I’m lucky to be living this life with you, Lana. I love you so much.”

“I love you, Ashford.”