EPILOGUE

The morning light was soft as it spilled through the kitchen window, bathing the counter in a golden glow. Lance sat at the table still in his sleep shirt, sipping coffee and scanning through birthday plans in his phone, when Lily appeared behind him with a soft thud — the sound of a wrapped box landing in front of him.

He looked up, brows arching. "A present? I thought it was the twins' birthday."

"It is," Lily said with a mischievous grin, arms folded. "But I figured… you should have something too."

Lance blinked, feigning suspicion. "So, I get a gift just for surviving four years of twin parenthood?"

She leaned over and kissed the top of his head. "For surviving it gracefully."

He unwrapped the package slowly, carefully — the way he always opened her gifts, as though they might hold something fragile inside. His hands stilled when the cover came into view: Caught You, Finally! by Lily Storm.

He glanced up, eyes slightly wide.

"Your novel is out already?" he asked, almost hesitant.

"You are the first to get the published copy," she confirmed gently.

His thumb brushed the cover. "Past lives? No heartbreak I missed while we were changing diapers?"

She chuckled, sitting across from him. "Not this time, its the story of us. It ends on the day we found out about Ethan and Eliana. Everything after that felt too big, too real, to fit on paper."

His throat tightened, but he only nodded, turning the book in his hands, reverent. "Thank you."

"You've lived it," she said softly. "Now you can read it too."

By afternoon, the terrace was alive with chatter, sunshine, and the faint sound of children laughing. The garden Lance had cultivated was a vibrant masterpiece — climbing roses, marigolds, hydrangeas, and jasmine weaving scent and color into the breeze.

Ethan and Eliana darted across the grass in matching straw hats, chasing bubbles and butterflies, squealing with delight. Mr. and Mrs. Davis were watching from the lounge chairs, cups of tea in hand, while Mr. Storm — who had remarried two years after the twins were born — was twirling his granddaughter in slow circles, laughing with a joy that still surprised him sometimes.

His new wife, a warm and elegant woman named Ruth, was laughing with Auntie Claire, both of them keeping an eye on the snack trays Ellie had laid out with surprising grace and quiet maturity. The once-spunky teenager was now a composed seventeen year old, earphones out and camera slung around her neck, taking photos of her niece and nephew with a soft smile.

Lance sat on one of the cushioned terrace chairs, legs stretched out, the book open in his lap. He hadn't moved for the last twenty minutes. His coffee sat forgotten beside him, long since cooled.

Lily settled next to him with a fresh cup.

"Still worried I slipped in a tragic ending?" she teased lightly.

He shook his head, eyes not leaving the pages. "No. I'm just… reliving it. Every page. I remember this moment, and that one, and—"

She rested her head on his shoulder, finishing the thought, "—and now we're here."

He glanced at her, love as deep and unwavering as ever reflected in his eyes. "And I still can't believe I get to have this life with you."

Behind them, Eliana shrieked with laughter as Ethan sprayed her with the garden hose, soaking himself in the process. Mr. Storm chased them both while laughing so hard he had to stop to breathe.

The sky was turning to gold.

"I almost wrote another chapter," Lily said softly. "About this."

He looked at her. "Why didn't you?"

She smiled. "Because this… this is the part we keep just for us."

Lance closed the book, resting his hand over hers.

"I like that ending," he said. "No, our ending."

She squeezed his fingers. "No tragic rewrites."

"This time I… caught you" Lance said, kissing the crown of her head.

"…Finally!" she finished.

And just beyond them, life — sweet, bright, full — went on.