Epilogue

5 years later - Ana

„Honestly, I don't know how they do it." Mia says as we are on the patio watching Grace and Carrick in the backyard playing with their grandchildren.

„Me neither, I feel like looking at a schoolyard, there are so many kids." I giggle. It's true, there are so many children in our family. Mia and Ethan have five kids, Elliot and Cadie have six and twins on the way and then there are Christian and my children. After Wyatt, I had twin girls which we named Phoebe and Grace and two years ago little Liam was born. After him, Christian and I decided that five kids are enough, but apparently, my body didn't get the memo and rejected the effect of the pill, which made us proud parents of our now eleven-month-old daughter Danika, who we all just call Nikki.

After I had her Christian went through with having the snip again, only this time he gets checked every six months to make sure it's still effective. I always wanted to have a big family, but I also want to give all my children the attention and love they need, so six children are enough, after all, I also have a husband who needs a lot of love and affection, which I love to give to him at any given chance.

Christian and I got married again a few months after Wyatt was born and I have to say, even thinking about how that came to be makes me want to laugh...

5 years prior - Ana

Today Wyatt has been with us for three months and I love my baby boy to pieces. He has my dark hair but his eyes are slowly changing from blue to gray and I know that in the end, he will have his father's beautiful eyes.

Today my Dad is coming over and he will stay the weekend to spend some time with his grandchildren. I just wish I knew what is going on with my Dad. He has been acting grumpy each time he was here for the past maybe six months. Even Christian has noticed it, but we both couldn't figure out why Ray is acting like that.

So, I have made the decision that if he is acting like this again when he comes over later, I will just ask him. I know my Dad well enough to know that he is not going to tell me unless I ask him because he likes to deal with everything himself.

I just hope he isn't sick or anything. I just want my Dad to be around for as long as possible because I cannot imagine not having him in my life. I will always be a daddy's girl, so I need him to be around for many more years to come.

In the evening, after the kids are in bed, Christian, my Dad and I are in the living room where my Dad has a beer while Christian and I are having a glass of wine. While looking at the wine I get a little upset. I wanted to nurse Wyatt for at least six to nine months but had to stop after only two months because I had gotten mastitis first in one and then the other breast to the point where it had gotten so painful that Rachel and my midwife told me to stop nursing.

I was really upset then, but Christian tried everything to cheer me up and reminded me that with me no longer nursing, we could start taking turns with feeding him, so I wouldn't have to get up quite so often during the night.

Looking at my Dad, he again looks really grumpy, especially since Christian has mentioned that we are thinking about having another baby in a year from now.

„Dad, is everything alright?" I ask and he looks at me.

„Sure, honey, why do you ask?"

„You look mad... have been every time I have seen you for months now. Aren't you happy to get more grandchildren?"

„You know I love those little munchkins Annie, what I don't like is the fact that you two already think about having more babies when you should think about getting married first. To be honest, I would have expected you to marry my daughter before she had Wyatt, but I guess I was wrong." He says looking at Christian, but all I can think off is that Christian and I are not married.

No, we are still divorced and I... I completely forgot. Between us getting back together and living together it just automatically felt like everything was normal again. Hell, I have called him my husband a million times since we are back together... I mean, how on earth did it slip my mind that we are divorced and not married?

Turning to look at Christian, he looks horrified. His eyes are wide, his mouth is hanging slightly open and I know, he too simply forgot the fact that we are no longer married and that's it, I burst out laughing.

Christian, however, doesn't seem to find this even remotely funny, because before I know it he is on his phone.

„Andrea, I need the jet ready within the hour... to Vegas..." He says and I grab the phone.

„Hi Andrea, it's Ana. We won't need the jet, sorry for interrupting your evening, bye." I say and hang up.

„Why would you do that?"

„Because I'm not getting married in Vegas... and besides, you haven't even asked me yet if I want to marry you." I smirk at him.

„Is that so... you want me to woo you?" He says with a grin.

„Maybe... but above all, I'm not getting married in Vegas." I pout and he pulls me into his arms.

„I'm sorry, baby, I panicked... damn it, I completely forgot, everything just felt so right and you are my wife, paperwork or not." He says and kisses me.

„I know, it's the same for me. So, how are we going to do this, I mean first I guess I should move into the guestroom..." I tease and giggle when his eyes widen in horror.

„I'm just teasing you... and it's not like we've ever waited to be married to ..."

„Still here, god damn it." My Dad interrupts me and while I blush Christian laughs.

„So, you two figure this out, and you better not knock her up before you managed to put a ring on her finger, Christian." My Dad says and heads upstairs to his guestroom.

„What kind of wedding do you want?"

„Something small and intimate... just family. Maybe at the beach, do you remember the house at the Outer Banks we stayed at for our second anniversary, I really liked it there."

„Sounds like a really good plan, I'll look into it tomorrow. I'm so sorry baby."

„Why are you sorry?"

„I wanted to do everything right this time and I just completely forgot. I should have given you a great proposal, hearts and flowers..."

„Christian, I don't need any of this. All I need is to be with you, a piece of paper doesn't change how I feel about you, besides I forgot as well, actually, I'm pretty sure our entire family besides my Dad doesn't realize that we never got remarried." I grin and he kisses me.

„That might be true, but now that we are going to get married again, I can't wait to see you in a beautiful dress again... have the first dance with you... take you on a honeymoon." He says and kisses me again.

Present time - Ana

And so just a week later we all flew out to the Outer Banks where Christian and I got married again with our children and family as witnesses. It was a beautiful wedding at the beach, everyone was walking around barefoot and after the ceremony we had a huge cookout at the beach and just made sure that everyone had a good time before Christian and I went on our honeymoon, which we had split into one week on the Seychelles for just the two of us and then we made a quick stop in Seattle to pick Wyatt and Arielle up to take them to Florida with us where we spent five days at Disney World with them.

A little after our honeymoon Christian and I sat down to have a conversation about his future at GEH. I offered to fully support him if he wanted to go back fulltime, but he didn't. He told me that for all of his life he could never enjoy his life for one reason or another and while doing business and working at GEH was part of what he loved to do, he far enjoyed it far more to spent time at home watching our children grow up and reach new milestones in their development every day. He enjoyed spending so much more time with me or being able to just stop by at his sibling's places or parent's home chat with them when he felt like it.

And I can completely understand that. Sadly, it had taken thirty-five years of his life for him to truly be able to start living. So, I told him whatever he wanted to do with his life, I was there to support his decision. Shortly before we welcomed our twin girls he officially declared Ros CEO of GEH, while he has taken on the role as Founder and President of the company. So, now he still works but can do that mostly from his home office, which allows him to watch our children grow up and have more time to do the things he likes, while still having an active role within the company he has built.

I have to say, I wasn't sure that at one point he wouldn't just go back to work full time, just because I have known him as the busy CEO for so many years, but my husband truly is a family man and these days, I'm mostly the one getting scowled at when I'm on my phone for too long working, because I have taken over some responsibilities at Coping Together to give me something to do outside of being a wife and mother. It's not that I don't love being just that, but sometimes it's also nice to see that I can be more than that and to combine it with a good cause seems ideal to me.

As for Grey Publishing, I still own it, but just like Christian, I have a CEO to run it for me. I just didn't want to be apart from my family for many hours every day and have staff and my husband raise the kids. After all, Christian and I are in the lucky position that we don't have to work and can devote our time to raising our children showing them the world and also take time to ourselves every now and then. Which is why we have two weeks each year where we just take off and spend time as a couple while the kids are spending time with Grace and Carrick for a week before they head to Ray for the second week.

I wish I could say that they also get to spend time with my mother, but sadly I haven't seen her since before I had Arielle. For the longest time I thought at one point she would realize what she is missing out on, but she never called and so I have given up on her. I know that she has remarried again, lives in New York now and is doing well, but I don't think I'll ever contact her again.

As for the past, well I guess karma really does exist. The man we knew as John Flynn passed away three years ago when he got himself into a fight with another inmate which got him killed. Rhion and the boys have relocated to California, where she met a nice guy whom she has married last year and they had a baby girl just a couple of months ago. We are still on contact, usually over the phone, but I went to her baby shower and it was so good to see her and the boys being happy with a man in their life who has made it his life's mission to give them a good life and make them happy.

And then there is Kate. Well, she is still in prison serving her sentence and according to Ethan, she has gotten herself into trouble so many times, that she was locked away in isolation for the most part of the first two years, then she managed to seduce one of the male stuff there and had gotten pregnant. She lost the baby and nearly died after she had tried to get rid of it, which had gotten her six months in the mental facility which is part of the prison she is at. What happened to her after that we all don't know because Ethan couldn't take it anymore. On the rare occasions, he went to see her, she was just spewing hate at Christian and all of the Grey's so he decided it was time to leave his sister in his past. I know Taylor will probably know more about her, but to be honest, I have stopped caring the day I knew she would stay behind bars and would never be able to harm us again. Even if she will get parole in 45 years from now, she will be an old woman with no means to even get near us, so I know we will probably never see her again.

„Oh my god, my feet are killing me." Mia and I hear Cadie who manages to plop down on the lounger next to us.

„Just six more weeks, Sis." Mia grins.

„Honestly, I wouldn't mind if the boys would be a week or two early. My mom always said big guys make big babies, but this is ridiculous, look at me, I'm 95 percent belly." She pouts and Mia and I start to laugh.

„Well, you wanted to have lots of kids." I point out.

„I know, and I will be crazy in love with them once they are born, but right now I hate everything about being pregnant." She says, but to her defense, her belly is so huge it's almost scary, I had twins before, but my belly wasn't even that size right before I had the girls and I get that she is done with being pregnant for now. I have loved being pregnant each time, but about three to four weeks before I had my kids I was just done with it too.

„Where is Elliot?"

„Inside with Christian, he wanted to show him the blueprints for the playhouse he wants to built in our backyard because Christian is interested in getting one for your kids too."

„Really, the kids will love that, I wish we had trees like the ones you guys gave in your backyard, I love the treehouse Elliot has built."

„I do too, but I still believe that he built it less for the more kids and more for himself and Christian, I swear each time your husband comes over I end up having to bribe them with food to come out of the darn treehouse." Cadie giggles.

„True, but don't believe it's any better with the man cave at my place, two weeks ago I woke up in the middle of the night alone in bed and went to look for Christian only to find him, Ethan and Elliot passed out drunk in there with empty beer bottles and pizza boxes everywhere, I thought I had walked into the aftermath of a frat party." I tell them.

„Do you think they'll ever grow up?" Mia asks and we all three snort with laughter. Our men are all well respected in their chosen field or work, are successful, loving fathers and husbands but whenever they get together, they turn into boys again and all they want is to have a good time.

I know many women would be annoyed with behavior like that, but I love to see Christian this carefree and happy. So much so, that I don't mind him going on fishing trips or even to Vegas with Elliot and Ethan and some of their guy friends. I know he would never do anything that would hurt me, so he can have all the fun he wants and of course, it gives me the opportunity to have some time with my friends or do something that I really enjoy which is to take not just my girls, but all of my nieces for an afternoon to get pampered and then have lots of ice cream with them. They all love it and in turn, Cadie, who is a real tomboy at heart takes all the little boys in the family to adventure playgrounds, plays football with them or does other stuff little boys enjoy.

In the evening, after we went back home and our kids are in bed Christian and I cuddle on the couch in the living room with a glass of wine.

„You know, I keep thinking Nikki is almost a year old and seeing Cadie pregnant..."

„Christian, we have six kids... no, I'm no longer in the babymaking business." I tell him, true, I have thought about having another kid too, but it's just baby fever and it always passes.

„I know, it's just soon they will be in college." He says and I snort.

„It will be another eleven years before our first child will go to college, seventeen until the Nikki will leave home... I think we are good."

„I know, it's just weird to think that one day they will be grown up."

„You are right, I can't even imagine it right now, but think about it like this, we have six kids if each one of them will have just two kids that will be twelve grandchildren... so this house will never be quiet or empty." I say and cuddle more into him while I watch him smile thinking about that.

„I'm so glad you kept on fighting to have kids, baby... you getting pregnant, it saved my life." He says thoughtful and kisses me.

„I just knew that you would be the best father in the world." I tell him and kiss him.

„Well, I'll always have you to keep me from getting too overprotective, even when I think I'm in the right... I love you so much baby."

„I love you too."

„Mine." He whispers into my ear.

„Yours, forever."