“I love you,” I whisper sleepily before passing out completely once both babies are safely out of my arms.
A couple hours of shut-eye later, my dad, Andrew, Dustin, Brody, Alexa, and Julie join us. Alexa and Dustin high five over picking the correct sexes. Cooper is cradling our son in his arms and Julie looks him over, cooing softly. I'm holding my sleeping daughter on my partially bare chest.
My dad kisses the top of my head, telling me how proud he is of me, and runs his finger over my daughter’s full head of soft, dark blonde hair.
“She reminds me of you when you were born…small and wrinkly,” he says with a proud smile.
“Alright, now we know what they are, but can we get some names, weights, anything, please?” Brody groans, standing beside Cooper.
“I guess you’ve all waited long enough.”
“Nine months, now spill it, Vi,” Brody pushes.
“This little girl is Summer Lilly Reid. She's four pounds eleven ounces, and 19 and a half inches.” I look at Cooper and nod my head, letting him do the honors for our son.
Cooper hands our baby boy to Brody, who readily accepts him into his arms. “Hey buddy, let's hope they didn't give you some crazy name…”
“Some will think we're crazy for it.” Evelyn and I laugh knowing what's about to come. “Dustin might kill me for it, actually.”
“Say it already, while we're young Coop,” Dustin retorts. “We don't need a speech because I already know you two are crazy.”
“His name is Axl Brody Reid.” Cooper pauses letting the name sink in. Brody’s head pops up, his jaw dropping open in surprise. His eyes dart from me to Cooper to the baby.
“Seriously?” he stutters and for once we've rendered Brody speechless.
We wanted our kid's names to have a mix of Rockstar persona and the middle names to be connected to someone special in our lives. Brody is well, Brody, and Lilly was my dad’s mother’s name. I didn’t get to know her well because she passed when I was eight, but she’s the reason my dad gave me such a flowery name.
“Yeah, you said it yourself, you deserved it…” I answer, but I’m quickly cut off by Cooper.
“If it wasn't for you dragging my ass to Vegas, who knows if we would be here now.”
“Yeah, you do owe me pretty big.”
“But also, as much as you deserve it, we couldn’t give you the first name. We wanted to make sure he only heard Brody when he was in trouble,” Cooper adds the extra jab in for good measure. The compliment wouldn’t be complete without the sarcastic input from one of them.
“Asshole.” Brody glares while everyone laughs. “Be glad I’m holding your son or I’d hit you.” His glare quickly washes away and smile replaces it. “Thanks, man.”
Once everyone leaves, letting us get some much-needed rest, Cooper lays next to me. I cuddle with him, while our twins cuddle in the bassinet. We tried separating them, and even wrapped up tightly they awoke, wanting to be close to each other. Cooper pushes his lips to my temple, my body ready to crash from the full adventure we've had the last day and a half.
“You know, the day you left Riverside, I knew no matter what we'd be together…” Cooper says, drawing my attention from my restlessness. “I knew, in the end, we'd have to find each other and come back together.”
“I thought so too.” I cuddle deeper into his side, inhaling him. There’s a trace of his cologne underneath the smell of hospital soap.
“As much as I hated not having you around for years,” he continues, brushing his hand up and down my shoulder. The gentle caress and the smoothness of his baritone voice is lulling me to sleep. “I don't think we could have had this good of a chapter in our lives if we hadn’t been apart. This is better than anything I could have ever dreamt for us.”
“Same.” I pause, my eyes finally drooping closed. “I never dreamt of us having twins…” I tease, half asleep.
He pulls me closer. “No, that’s a nice added surprise to the dream of me finding you again.”
“I found you first, buddy,” I whisper, drifting off to sleep. Dreaming of what's yet to come.
EPILOGUE
August 9th, 2010
Violet
“I used to be told dreams were only for dreamers
And I shouldn’t believe in the make-believe.
I almost believed it—‘till I saw you
My everything
You were standing in the crowd, your eyes on me.
I dreamed you would be mine.
You quickly became my dream come true
when you told me you loved me too.
My undying love is for you
For only you
‘Cause your everything to me.”
C ooper’s eyes meet mine with a wink like they do every night, as he performs one of his biggest hits, written for me, on stage to a sold-out crowd. All these years later the man still attracts giant flocks to come and see him. Maybe it’s because, now at twenty-six, he’s even hotter and the songs keep getting better, or simply because his silky baritone voice makes all the girls melt. Whatever it is, it’s keeping his dream alive.
My hand falls to my pregnant belly. We’re having our third child in January. This time I’m only carrying one and it’s a boy. Our twins, Summer and Axl, have just turned three and are little handfuls. They both love being on tour with us, hearing their father sing, and helping their mommy and uncle ‘plan.’ They walk around here with paper and crayons, telling people what to do. Thankfully, the crew finds it adorable.
Our crew is our family too.
“Mommmmy!” my son screams as he comes running over to me. His blond hair is sticking up around his ear muffs as he comes diving into me. I gather him in my arms, his blue eyes glaring behind him at his uncle.
Axl looks just like his father when he’s annoyed with Brody.
“What’s wrong?”
“Uncle Brody stole my Cheetos.” He crosses his arms in a huff.
“I did not,” Brody declares as he approaches us with my daughter Summer upside down in his arms. She’s in a fit of giggles as he swings her around.
It makes my heart stop, but she loves it.
“Yeah-huh!”
“Nuh-uh,” Brody argues back playfully and sticks his tongue out at Axl.
“Stop being a child, Brody." Alexa slaps his chest.
Alexa and Brody are still going strong, but their relationship is a little rocky, at the moment. Alexa doesn’t know why he won’t propose, and then they have their time apart with the tour and it adds to the struggle. She comes on tour with us when she can, but it’s not nearly as much as Brody wants, and I think it’s where he gets hesitant about asking. Alexa is passionate about her job and doesn't want to give up her dream just because Brody has to travel all the time. I don't know how many times I tell Brody I can handle the job and he can go be with Alexa, but he refuses.
“Down, down.” Summer squirms in Brody’s arms and he puts her on her feet. I do the same with Axl because the boy weighs a ton now.
“Daddy,” Summer yells trying to wave at her daddy as he plays the cords of “Trouble follows you” which is her favorite song.
In the whole wide world, she’ll tell you. Over and over again.
Before I can blink, Summer is grabbing Axl’s hand and running toward the stage.
“Crap!” Brody is fast on their heels, since I don’t move nearly as fast anymore, but I’m right behind him.
There’s a large cheer from the crowd when the twins close in on their father. I’m shaking my head, somewhere between embarrassed, and laughing hysterically at the situation. These two know better than anyone not to run onstage, but once in a blue moon, they forget, wanting a piece of the limelight.
Cooper notices them and nods to Van to pick up his cords to take over, while he keeps singing. He bends down to scoop them into his arms. Summer sings the lyrics excitedly and they vibrate through Cooper's head mic. While Axl waves to the crowd as they scream louder. Brody and I stand bac
k waiting for the song to end since Coop has it under control.
The audience is going nuts and I grin watching them together.
“Trouble, Trouble. Follows me.” Cooper finishes the final lyrics singing them directly to the handfuls in his arms.
Summer grabs his face and places a kiss on his cheek. All the girls in the audience swoon, while Axl buries his head in Cooper’s shoulder.
“I was going to introduce you to the band now, but I'll start with these little troublemakers slash backup singers first. Meet Axl and Summer Reid. Now, they’re still in training, but I’m sure soon they’ll be where I am.”
“I’m gonna be a star—” Summer yells out to the thousands of people. It’s almost as if I can see her little ego inflate as the audience goes bonkers for her. My little Summer, since she was born, has been the most vocal and knows what she wants.
My Axl has always been shyer and laid back. I have a feeling he’ll end up being more like his uncle and me, behind the scenes. Or maybe Andrew and Evelyn will get that doctor or lawyer they always wanted.
Cooper walks over to where Brody and I are standing. Handing off Summer to me and Axl to his brother. “I know all of you know my brother and tour manager, Brody.” The throng of people cheer their love for him. Brody is a bit of a star in his own right, and over the years, has gained his own fan base. The girls think he’s so cute, especially after he posed for pictures for music magazine about the ins and outs of touring.
Cooper takes my face in his hand, and I bite down on my lip as he looks at me lovingly. “And my beautiful wife, Violet.” My skin flushes under the bright lights now pointed at me. I’ve only been onstage with Cooper a couple of times and it never gets easier to be in front of these large crowds. To this day, I admire Cooper for his ability to get in front of thousands of people. He kisses me on the lips and whispers he loves me, but the words still echo through the sound system making the fans go wild. I wave shyly and take it as my cue to leave. The concert is on a time limit due to a noise ordinance of the town, so we can’t have any extra delays. I’m mid-turn on my heel when Cooper calls back out to me.
“Oh, no Mrs. Reid, don’t go anywhere yet. I need you around for the next song.” I shake my head wildly and mouth ‘no’. He smirks and turns to the sea of people. The people who will agree to anything he says.
“Go, mommy…” Summer yells in my ear.
“Don’t you all think my wife should stay?” I’m not sure if my cheeks could get any redder than they are now, when the masses scream out ‘yes’ all at the same time.
I really should kill him! I’m not dressed to be out in front of thousands. I’m wearing an oversized black t-shirt with the words Crew on the back, and a pair of jean shorts. My hair is also a mess in a high ponytail from running around the last six hours. I don’t move, glaring at my husband.
“Kids, bring your mom out here…”
Summer wiggles out of my arms and I put her down and she takes my hand.
Brody drops Axl to the stage and pats my back. “You better go.”
“Yeah, mommy, we have a time crush.” I laugh at Axl’s pronunciation of crunch as he takes my other hand.
They both yank me to the center of the stage beside their father. He slings his arm around me, making sure I can’t go anywhere as he introduces the band. Summer goes and runs toward Van and Axl runs to Alex the bass player, where they each lower the mics to their level.
Why do I get the feeling I’ve been set up? They’re too prepared.
Cooper finishes announcing the band and looks to me. “Remember the time when we spent four years away from each other,” I nod. “We’ve been back together for a little over four years now. I’d say life has been pretty good to us.” His hand spreads over my stomach, his thumb brushing over my tattoo of our family tree, “Our little Angel has been watching over us pretty good.”
I wipe tears from my face. The bastard is making me cry and I’m going to kill him if there are pictures of my mascara running down my face all over Facebook tomorrow.
“I haven’t sung this song on stage in a while, and I figured it was due. We went through a lot in the beginning. I think it’s safe to say we won…” He winks and lays another kiss on my cheek.
Moving his arm from around me, he grips his guitar, and starts to play the opening chords to “I Found You.”
After he performed this song all those years ago, he reserves it only for special moments now. I’m not sure what brought on this one, but I won’t complain, as his silky voice rings through my ears and the words land deep into my heart.
“We’ll keep proving them wrong
We won’t let them win
This time we’ll conquer all.
Because our love is all we need
Love led me back to you.”
My eyes dart to my kids who sing only at the uh-huh’s and realize how lucky I am. He’s right, despite everything that happened at the beginning of our first and second start, we won. Nobody can stand in our way anymore. Not even tabloids making up lies to try and rip us apart because we know how to handle bullshit stories now. Our mothers taught us something in the end.
Never believe anything without proper sources.
Evelyn is now the perfect mother-in-law, who I now actually call Mom. When I look back and compare her to the woman I knew in the beginning, it’s day and night. I’m glad she had her wakeup call because my kids adore their grandmother.
As for my mother, last I heard, she remarried and moved somewhere on the east coast. She tried calling me once after the twins were born, leaving me a voicemail, telling me how disappointed she was I didn’t tell her about the twins. Upset she had to hear it through some trashy tabloid. I never called her back, and well, she never did either.
In the end, it doesn’t matter, because I’m surrounded every day by the only family and friends I’ll ever need.
But most importantly, I give thanks every day that I found the love of my life again, to have and to hold for the rest of eternity.
Uh-huh.
The End!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I'm a wife and a mother always... but a writer in my free time...whatever that is with four little ones hanging around. :P
I've always had a vivid imagination and a passion for writing. All I ever wanted to ever do was share my art with the world. Tell the story that needs to be told and possibly make someone smile, laugh, or cry with my words.
As long as I have idea for it... I will write it.
Erica Marselas
Living The Dream Through Words
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I Found You Page 32
