Epilogue

Nearly five years later…

Mia and Tim stood in front of their estate waiting to greet guests for the twins' first birthday party. Tim held Rosemary, who was dressed in a pink ruffled party dress, her dark curls falling around her little face. Mia held Cinna who was dressed identically. Their four-year-old, Fen was tugging insistently at Tim's pant leg asking insistently to go see Ginger and Sage. They were helping Grandma Laura finish the setup for the party along with Chef May and the kitchen staff.

Mia watched the three children she could see and the good-natured exasperation on her husband's face as he looked at his son below him. Finally, Tim told the boy to go, and he took off like a rocket back through the house toward the backyard. Tim looked at Mia as the first car pulled into the drive. Mia shook her head at who it was.

Shelly and Sharon Barrett stepped from the car and walked up to greet the girls. Shelly smiled wistfully while Sharon complimented the girls on their pretty dresses and bouncy curls. Shelly seemed to have learned her lesson after surviving Chuck and as a widow with wealth chose to keep to herself, but she had told Mia once that she wished she had such beautiful children too. Mia told her that she had plenty of time, but Shelly just nodded.

The morning after Caleb and Jasmine's wedding they had gotten a call from the detective telling them that the plot against their children had been worse than they knew, and it was only because of Shelly's bruises that the children were still alive. The night before as the police took Chuck Nolan and Luna Maynard in to be processed in the unmarked SUV, Nolan had attacked the driver causing the vehicle to crash. Nolan had killed a police officer and attempted to run only to be shot dead in the attempt.

Luna had admitted at the station that Nolan had been her partner, and it had been his job to get rid of the children. If Timothy hadn't detained him then the twins would have died, and they would have gotten away with it by admitting they missed the ceremony because they were having an affair.

Instead, the trial took several months but, in the end, Luna was convicted of all the charges and sentenced to life in prison. Everyone was relieved. Then Luna who had managed to avoid the death penalty by only a slim margin made the biggest mistake of her life.

Luna attempted to escape from the cushy prison her father had her sent to and was shot in the process. She was on life support for nearly three weeks before the mayor ultimately had to pull the plug, and she passed away. Mia felt bad for it but was relieved that she was dead and Tim felt the same.

Mia turned her attention to Sharon greeting her and directing her to go to the backyard with Shelly. Mia still didn't care to have her around but about six months after Fennel was born Sharon was calling every week begging to see the children and that she would not cause problems.

So, Mia and Tim worked out a compromise for his mother. She was allowed to come to major events and holidays if she didn't try to come to house any other time. She was also allowed an outing with the children under the supervision of Angela's and Peyton's, who were now married. Sharon could do this semi-regularly if plenty of advance notice was given.

The two women headed inside, and Mayor Shelbert stepped from the next car. Mia and Tim greeted him warmly and directed the man where to go. The mayor had a tough time after the truth came out about what Luna had done and that he had originally released her from jail to bring her to Norde City in the first-place. People called for his resignation.

Mia and Tim chose to lend him their support. Since the Barrett's were the people victimized by Luna and had chosen to stand by him the mayor retained his position and slowly built his credibility back up.

Mia bounced Cinna as the toddler began to get bored as the next arrivals stepped up to say hello. Mia greeted Nathan and his fiancé Caroline. They had met around the time that Mia had found out she was having twin girls. Caroline was a program developer that had been hired at Technosphere and she had hit it off with Nathan right away. They had started dating and shortly after the girls were born had gotten engaged. They were going to marry next week at Aide Castle.

Mia liked Caroline a lot and lately had noticed that it was good that the marriage was soon because Caroline was showing. Mia smirked at Tim who had noticed the last time the pair had come over for dinner. He nodded slowly back at Mia trying to not be too obvious. They welcomed the pair and turned to greet the next two couples.

Connor and his girlfriend Aubrey were standing next to Jason and his wife Natalie. Mia didn't understand why Connor was still unmarried and with the same girl but if it worked for them, she guessed it was their business. When Jason had met Natalie, he told Mia that the reason they worked was because she was a doctor and worked as many long hours as he did. Mia was just happy that some of her brothers were settling down. The two couples headed out back.

Liam and Claude arrived in the same car and hopped out, each giving Mia a kiss on the cheek and doing the same with the girls. Rosemary giggled and Cinna tried to go with Liam. Mia swatted at her brothers as they greeted Tim. Claude with a friendly nod and Liam asking her husband when the next little ones were coming, which was why she was trying to swat him. They laughed and headed inside.

Eva stepped up to Mia and Tim while Dominic walked up with their three-year-old son Ethan. Dominic hugged Mia and ruffled both the girls hair before shaking Tim's hand. Mia gave Eva a wide smile as the trio headed to the party. When Fen was born, Dominic had arrived at the hospital room with balloons, flowers, and a stuffed puppy for the baby.

Mia remembered how Dominic had rubbed his neck awkwardly. He told her and Tim that he was sorry. That he had been way out of line. Dominic thought that he was protecting Mia but that he had misjudged Timothy. He said he couldn't understand where Tim was coming from.

Then a few weeks before Fen was born, Eva told Dominic that she was pregnant and that she was filing for divorce because he was too controlling. At first, he was devastated and angry but then he realized that there wasn't anything he wouldn't do, there wasn't anything he wouldn't change to keep his wife and child.

Dominic always thought that Tim couldn't change because in his mind people didn't change. He had realized change was possible with the right incentive and he understood that now. Dominic was very sorry and wanted his family to be whole again.

It took a while, but the two families began repairing their relationship. Their relationship was whole now after several years of working at them, and Mia felt so grateful. Her life felt whole as well, and she remembered so many times when that had felt impossible.

Nicholas stepped from his car and walked up to them. He kissed Mia on the cheek earning a 'hey' from a smiling Tim. Nick used tickle-fingers on the girls and they were soon shrieking with laughter. After a minute he went to stand with Tim. The two men had surprisingly become fast friends and spent a good deal of time mucking about together.

Nicholas still refused to marry or produce children of his own. He always asked why bother when he had all the children on the Barrett property to worry about. Mia thought he had designs to make one of her children his heir in Niveo but he hadn't come right out and said it, so she continued to leave that worry for another day.

The final guests came walking up the small incline from the guest house. Caleb and Jasmine had chosen to stay on Barrett estate in the large guest house rather than move and commute nearly daily. The two families spent a lot of time together. Especially now that the Winter's had their two-year-old daughter Adeline and Jasmine was seven months pregnant with their son.

The Barrett household sometimes felt like a small person circus. Mia often commented that their lives were incredibly full, and she could use a nap. Jasmine would laugh and agree. Mia and Tim greeted the family jovially and Nicholas stepped up doing the same. The three men were ridiculous together. They always had some project going on. Last year they built go carts for the older kids. That reminded Mia and she asked where Asher was.

Asher came running up the hill behind Caleb and Jasmine. He told Mia he had to save his video game. When Jasmine and by default Caleb had first taken the boy in since the mayor had no idea what to do with him, Mia had been wary. However, over the next few months of care and patient teaching from the Winter's it became apparent that Asher wasn't a bad kid. He had a bad parent.

The boy was intelligent and generally compassionate. He said his mom used to hit him if he didn't do what she said and so he always did even when he didn't agree. He wasn't a genius like the twins, but he was a capable child. Asher and the twins now spent a ton of time together in various pursuits and Mia, Tim, and the mayor were all grateful for the wonderful job Jasmine and Caleb were doing with Asher. The group turned and walked into the party.

Walking into the back yard, Mia laughed seeing the mayhem that was occurring at the party. The adults were sitting around the party table with glasses of wine. Laura was standing near the lawn as the children chased each other in circles and the estate staff were attempting to serve the BBQ but the grill had flamed up and there was smoke everywhere.

Mia couldn't help but think everything was perfect. Tim handed off Rosemary to Nicholas and went to see if he could help Chef May. Asher took Adeline over to the other children walking slowly to account for her tiny legs. Mia ruffled his hair as he passed telling him he was a good brother then she walked up to stand beside Grandma Laura pulling her into a one-armed hug.

Laura had more energy than Mia could understand. At seventy-five the woman was still a force of nature. Mia adored her and hoped with all her heart that she wouldn't lose her for many years. Laura grinned at Mia holding her arms out for Cinna. When Mia handed her daughter over, Laura walked out into the yard with the toddler.

A minute later Mia felt strong arms wrapped around her waist and a face push into her hair before a soft kiss was placed on her neck causing her to shiver. Mia turned around and placed her hand against Timothy's handsome face.

"I love you." Mia told her husband her heart was feeling so full.

"I love you more." Tim responded by kissing Mia on the nose.

Mia shook her head. "Impossible."

"Is this what you pictured all those years ago?" Tim asked indicating the screaming children and the tipsy family members laughing with each other boisterously.

"No… It's so much better." Mia answered kissing Tim softly on the lips

Tim stared around for a minute before breaking into a wide grin. "You're right, it is…" Tim took Mia by the hand and they turned as one to join their family.

~ And they all lived happily ever after. ~

The End...