Again, thanks Mandy for creating such an awesome contest and allowing me to be a part of it! And thanks to all who read!

Epilogue: The Every Day Portrait

The sun was eager to shine and shine it did, as it had pushed away the cloudy mess the prior night had become. It was nice to wake up with the sunrise as it tickled my face; hearing the endless but distant sounds of the waves crashing in to shore adding an even nicer touch to the morning. But it was the best feeling in the world waking up next the love of my life, feeling his arms around me, not having to do or say anything to know that he was completely in love with me, knowing his love was unconditional and timeless.

My eyes opened to find a gorgeous smile on the face and in the eyes of my charming husband.

"Good morning, beautiful," he whispered, taking on of his fingers, tracing the outline of my lips.

"Hey there, handsome. . ." I allowed for my words to trail off as I pressed a casual peck against Dimitri's lips, pressing my body closer to his. Immediately, with no more suggestions or encouragements from me, Dimitri put his arm around me, pushing me even closer to him. He kissed my lips again, fast, but with the simple kiss, my mind detected such strong emotions. Among the feelings were lust, wanting. . .but love overpowered every other emotion present.

My lips formed a smile, while I closed my eyes and took pleasure in the moment with my amazing husband.

Of course, the peacefulness of the morning could not be enjoyed for long because soon we heard noises coming from somewhere in the house.

Dimitri chuckled, leaning back against the bed. "That is our wakeup call."

I stretched and yawned. "That is your wakeup call. Saturdays and Sundays are Rose's days off, remember?"

He blew me a kiss and after quickly getting ready for the day ahead, he walked to another area of the house.

Not for the first time in my life, I was thankful I had married Dimitri Belikov.

Without my husband inside the bed with me, I decided to help Dimitri out. So once I was done showering and changing, I made my way into the kitchen. As I walked through the hallway of the beach home Dimitri and I owned, I caught glimpses of my past and present, visible to me in the form of portraits.

The picture that always caused my heart to beat a tad bit faster was the one of Dimitri and me on our wedding day. It was the simplest wedding, happening right in the comfort of our backyard, our backyard being the beach. My parents, Dimitri's family, and a few friends of here and there were present. I wore a casual wedding gown made out of tulle and lace; he wore khaki pants and white loose shirt. After the ceremony, Dimitri and I thanked everyone for attending, politely kicked them out of the "reception". After everyone was gone, Dimitri and I celebrated together in the comfort of our recently purchased home.

It had been a casual event. . .but anyone present could tell the couple getting married definitely did not have casual feeling toward the other; the couple, Dimitri and I, only had intense feelings for each other.

The day Dimitri and I had married. . .It was the unification of soulmates.

With a sigh, I moved on from the wall of pictures to the kitchen.

Steps before I reached the kitchen, I had to admire the beautiful every day portrait I had in front of me. The picture never was the same each day. . .but as most pictures did, this picture spoke a thousand words, a thousand words of happiness and delight.

Dimitri made my life easier, a million times easier, bringing amazingness into every second of my life. Of course, I didn't just love him because he made my life easier. I loved him because he loved me, gave me the love I had been seeking for ever since I learned love existed. But I loved him most for allowing me to experience something I hadn't exactly been able to experience I as grew up.

Dimitri gave me the gift of family.

"Mom!" three boy voices yelled when I was spotted.

A grin overpowering my lips, I went past the kitchen to the outdoor dinner table where my three beautiful boys sat, giving each a hug and a cheek, earning a couple of whines and groans as my lipstick stained their faces.

It wonderful, this amazing gift Dimitri had treated me with.

"How are my babies?"

"Bored. We want to go play on the beach but daddy doesn't let us," whined Joshua, my oldest baby.

"Mommy, can we go? Please. We've been good boys all week," came from the second kid, Andy. "This house is so boring!" Both Andy and Joshua looked longingly toward the ocean.

The third boy—I had no favorite from my kids and there wasn't one a I loved more than the other. . .but the third boy, Dalton, really had me crazy. He was so much like his father, loving, caring, and reasonable, while the other two were just as unoriginal—for lack of a better term—as me. With a serious look, he turned to his older brothers. "No. Remember, what daddy said. We have to help mommy clean the house, we have to clean our rooms, and we have to do one good thing today before we can go to the beach."

I smiled over at my son, leaning over and giving him a huge kiss. "Let your two brothers work. . .you're going to stay with me and we're going to splash around on the beach. And we're going to go buy ice cream. But shhh—don't tell your brothers," I whispered very quietly in his ear.

In a total cute manner that just warmed my heart and brought a large dose of love inside me, he began to laugh quietly, putting both his hands over his mouth to hide his chuckles from his brothers.

"Oh, kid! You're so adorable!"

Dalton stopped laughing, giving me a serious look. "Thank you, Mom. But do you know. . .you're very beautiful."

I was so moved I embarrassingly shed a tear. I enveloped third boy into my arms, hugging him tight. The other two boys detested any caring touch from Dimitri and me, a similar trait of my childhood, so that was a lost cause.

"Boys, I love you all so much."

"And what about this little monster in my hands?" asked Dimitri, coming outside, with a large plate of food for the boys in one hands and an infant baby in the other.

"That little monster," I began, reaching for the baby in his hands, knowing it was a failed attempt, since the baby never would leave father's side, "I love very much." Dimitri kept hold of the latest addition to the Belikov family, kissing both her cheeks. Dimitri and I had been happy with three boys but before I knew it, I had been pregnant with the last. Dimitri and I had been told we were expecting another boy. . .but when I gave birth, our desperately wanted baby girl came out; we named her Aliana.

And from right then and there Aliana had been daddy's little girl.

I stuck my tongue out the little girl. In response, she only gave her five-month old baby laugh, hiding her face into Dimitri's chest. As always, every little thing she did, her father was wonderstruck.

Dimitri grinned, setting the food on the table, leaning down to kiss my lips, hugging as much as he could of me with his arm. "Sweetheart, happy fifth wedding anniversary."

I clung to him for a second. "Well, this is awkward. Isn't it usually the guy that forgets the wedding anniversary?"

Dimitri shrugged, smiling. "Don't sweat it. . .I just remembered too."

I looked over at Dimitri as he took a seat at the other end of the table. "Has it really been five years since we married?"

Dimitri nodded, grinning. "The real question is: Are you ready for five more years?"

"Five more years?" I asked, raising a brow at him.

"I mean. . .sixty more years?"

"That is more like it," I said, looking around the table at my children, at my husband. "I am ready for sixty years more. I am ready for a lifetime with you. I have always been ready for a lifetime with you."

"Good. Because if you haven't already, you'll come to know I am not planning to ever leave you."

"Same here, Belikov. If you were planning for death to separate us, you're wrong. I am going to follow you. . .and I am going to be with you."

"Just what I wanted to hear, Hathaway."

Dimitri and I looked at each other and laughed.

Looking at my husband and four beautiful children, I knew this must have been a dream.

This probably was still a dream.

If our life was a dream, this was by the far the best dream, far better than anything we could have ever dreamed of.

Thanks for reading! Share the thoughts:)

-Mel