Reading Lara (#3)

Epilogue.

Eight Months Later...

Maddox Teller-

"She's perfect," Lara pants, holding our daughter against her chest. I kiss her sweat-drenched temple as Caroline hums softly in her sleep. Her dark locks of hair match my own, but her eyes are a gift from her mother. The same with our twin boys, Reed and Asher. When the boys were only a couple months old, Lara confessed that she was pregnant again. And here we are four months later. When Lara's water broke during a family dinner, Mom and I took her to the hospital while the boys stayed with Dad. Lara was in labor for over eighteen hours and is now completely exhausted.

"Yes, she is, baby. She's absolutely beautiful. Like her mother," I say, taking Caroline into my arms. She's a lot smaller than the boys were at birth. Their shoulders were broader and their legs longer. I hear a knock at the door but ignore it.

"Hey, man. Has the package arrived?" Leo asks from the door, making Lara giggle.

"He's too caught up in the package at the moment," she says.

"I take it you want me to cancel the meeting, then?" Lennon joins in.

"Thank you," I say to no one in particular. I brush my fingers against Caroline's soft, wrinkled fingers. "Daddy loves you so much, princess. Your brothers and I will always protect you," I whisper to her. Her eyes open slightly before drifting shut again.

Sometime later, Caroline is taken into the nursery, leaving Lara and me alone. I take a seat in the chair beside her bed as she gazes back at me with a soft look in her eyes. "What is it?" I question.

"I love you," she whispers, yawning. I lean forward to kiss her lips gently.

"I love you too, sweet pea. So much it hurts."