10 years later...

Celia

I add more blood to the cut across my cheek and let it slowly drip down my jaw. I turn my head from side to side, checking in the bathroom mirror, then drape the red hood over my head.

"Rawr!" A deep voice growls over my shoulder, breathing down my neck.

"Jesus!" I jump out of my skin, clutching my chest. I gape at Gio through the mirror. "Seriously?"

"Would you like some apples, little girl?" He smiles creepily under his lashes and whips his black cape open, revealing the woven basket in his hand.

"That's from Snow White, dumbass. You're a wolf, not a witch." I try not to laugh and bend down, picking up Asher from the basket. "Also, can you not use our child as a prop, please?"

I adjust his black baseball cap so it's backwards and pull some of his honey-brown locks across his forehead. He smiles at me, his hazel eyes sparkling under long eyelashes.

"Come on, baby. Everyone's almost here." Gio kisses my temple and taps my butt before leaving the bathroom.

I squeeze Asher, leaning close to the mirror. "Who's the cutest baby in the world? Who's the cutest baby? It's you! You, Asher! Yeah, baby. Look at you!"

"Celia!" Gio drawls from the living room.

"Is daddy calling for us? Is he calling for us?" I widen my eyes, too gone in the baby-voice to come back now. "Is the big bad wolf getting angry? Huh?"

I put the full head mask of the furry wolf in my basket, along with the fake bloody knife, and hang it over my elbow. "It's a good thing mommy beheaded him, huh?"

Gio shakes his head as I walk out of the bathroom, a smile forming on his lips.

"What?" I smirk.

He beckons over his shoulder outside, lowering his voice. "Ari."

He opens the main door, extending his arm for me to step out. Pumpkins line the oakwood steps, leading to the lush green front yard.

"Hi, grandma!" Ari smiles at Marilyn rocking in the reclining chair on the porch, then half-heartedly waves at us like the inconvenient roommates we've apparently become. "Daaad, I'm taking the bike!"

"Is that my shirt?" My jaw slacks open at her bold outfit. She paired my plain, cropped black t-shirt with baggy green bottoms and chunky white sneakers. Her sleek, brown hair shines under the sun, complementing her copper skin.

"Ari, wait up!" Liam runs behind her. He swipes his auburn hair back and pulls the neck of his green sweatshirt away, towering over her. "Jesus, woman. Do you not know how to wait?"

"Do you not know how to keep up?" She smirks, swaying her hips away to straddle the bike.

"Whoohoo!" Chanel calls in a sing-song voice, walking through the gate arm-in-arm with Arthur.

"Arthur, what the hell are you?" Gio scowls.

"I'm Bob Ross." He beams, standing in front of us with his ginormous perm wig.

"And I'm a tree!" Chanel does a weird body roll in her black bodysuit, pointing at the orange and red leaves draping down her hair. "Get it? Get it?"

"Unfortunately, I do..." I grimace, snorting as her smile fades. "You could've put my type of leaves and promoted the business at least."

She rolls her eyes, fighting not to smile. "Like we need help in that department."

I loop arms with her to join Marilyn on the porch when the laughter of kids makes us stop.

"Oh no, the army is here..." Chanel drawls, looking behind us.

Oscar and Lucy appear with their three kids. Ari waves at them before riding out of the gate, Liam holding onto her from the back.

"Don't be too late!" Gio cups his mouth to yell, sighing to himself. "She's riding too fast..."

"Yeah, I wonder who she learned it from." I raise my brows, smirking as he glares at me.

"Luna!" Emma⁠— Oscar's oldest— rushes to the hammock under our apple trees, where Luna chills with our two Rottweilers⁠— Blaze and Cash.

They're rescue dogs we adopted when we bought the cottage. They're half of Luna's age, who's now too weary and slow for their rascal energy. But she doesn't seem to mind one bit.

"Celia!" Chase screams across the street, running to me with open arms like a mad man in a flower field.

Did I mention he's dressed as Jafar from Aladdin? Yup, with pointed shoulders and a red cape, a foam turban with silk draped on both sides of his face.

"Oh my God..." I break into a smile and hand Asher to Chanel. "Can you hold him please? He's about to tackle me and I think I know why."

"It worked!" Chase ignores literally everyone— Gio, Lucy, Oscar, Arthur, the kids— and wraps me in a bear hug, shaking me like a rag doll. "Oh, I can't thank you enough, dude!"

"Hey! Put my wife down!" Gio snaps, only half-kidding.

"Tell your therapist I said thanks, because whatever she helped you with also helped me." Chase puts me down with a breathless grin and opens his phone to show me the romantic dinner I put together last night at the beach. "I opened up to her, the way you told me I should."

"She looks so happy." I coo at Sophie's shy smile as she sits on the blanket of roses and candles. "So, are you guys officially back together?"

"Mhm." Chase smiles, now much calmer. His eyes swirl with relief and warmth that I've started to experience myself in the past couple of years.

"How'd you meet your girlfriend, anyway?" Chanel bounces Asher on her hip. "I know it was at a wedding, but I don't understand how you ended up living together right after."

"Oh my God, who's this little bad boy? Come to uncle Chase." Chase growls and takes Asher in his arms, smooching his chubby cheeks. "Well, Chanel number five. It's a really long story."

"Yeah, right. Prepare to have your ear talked off. Once he starts, he doesn't shut up." I roll my eyes. Chase smacks his lips, but loops arms with Chanel, joining Marilyn on the reclining chairs.

The sunset glows across the front yard, basking the grass and oak wood with warmth. Small birds chirp from our apple trees, our dogs play with our laughing kids.

Luna purrs on Marilyn's lap who's shuffling cards at the head of the table. Gio sits on the other end, serving a charcuterie board to our friends. Lucy's cinnamon rolls waft the air with sugary sweetness. Chase pours everyone red wine. Arthur cracks cheesy cop jokes.

I click my fork against my glass to get their attention, standing beside Gio, who wraps his arm over my waist for support.

My heart races, the air caught in my throat. My palms even tingle with nerves.

Gio squeezes me, Asher sitting on his lap. They look at me with love and attention that makes my chest swell and racing thoughts slow down.

I swallow the lump and clear my throat.

"Usually, around this time of the year... I'd go to a meadow with my mom and have a fall picnic."

Their smiles falter with sympathy, but I keep my voice calm and my smile on.

"We'd eat pie and peaches, read poetry and listen to music. Sometimes we'd dance and... it was the best memories I've had with her. Best memories I've had in general from my childhood."

I focus on each and every one of them, from Marilyn to Arthur, Chanel and Chase, Oscar and Gio. I mentally picture Ari and Liam, probably bickering at some mountain view right now.

"But now, I have more memories to love... and a family to lean on. So thank you... for accepting me into your lives. I love you. Cheers." I lift my wine glass and everyone else does too.

"Well said, great job! Cheers everyone, to friendship!" Chase shouts, clinking our glasses.

"Cheers to you, brother!" Arthur gets up, grinning at Gio. "For always having our back."

"Cheers to our Gio!" Everyone chimes in.

"Cheers to the greatest husband in the world." I lean to whisper in his ear, watching the corners of his eyes crinkle with a smile.

"Thank you, baby. Cheers to us." He murmurs, blurring everyone around and kisses me.

The End

~ A/N ~

Well, that's it folks. ^_^ Thank you so much for reading!

Cheers to YOU for your support. I wouldn't have so much fun writing if it wasn't for you.

If you haven't voted yet, please do! It helps the algorithm to boost this story.

For those who wanted more smut/fluff or generally just more, unfortunately the plot came to an end. I'm sorry!

I don't have another story in mind at the moment. Frankly, I'm dying to catch up on reading, so if you have any recommendations, throw them my way!

There are some bonus chapters for Celia and Care To Command that I might publish later, I hope you'll be excited for those <3 

Love you guys, thank you!