Devon Point of View

Seven Years Later

Seven years had come and gone in the blink of an eye. When I reflect on it now, it feels like a distant memory—a whirlwind of chaos, love, and a whole lot of disaster management. And speaking of disaster management, I was currently in the thick of it.

I was standing in the middle of a living room filled with flying cereal, sticky hands, and two tornado-like four-year-olds. The twins.

Evander Sage Almond and Evgenia Nori Almond.

They were little whirlwinds, both so different but so equally relentless in their pursuit of mischief. Evander was the daredevil, the one who climbed everything, never afraid of a challenge, always pushing the limits.

And then there was Evgenia, the mastermind, the one who stood back, evaluated the situation, and then executed her plans with a devious smile that always made me question my parenting choices.

"TAKE OFF!" Evander shouted.

"BOOM!" Evgenia squealed, her tiny hands launching a handful of cereal in his direction.

I could only watch in disbelief as the flying cereal turned into an explosion of puffs and bits, raining down on everything, including me.

Seriously, how do kids even do this?

"Evander!" I yelped, diving to stop him from launching into the next phase of the battle. "What did I tell you about standing on the table? It's not a runway for your planes!"

"Yeah, and you don't see the sky looking like this," I muttered, waving my hand at the explosion of cereal across the living room. "How did you even get up there, anyway?"

Evander shrugged nonchalantly. "I flew."

Of course. He flew.

That made perfect sense.

I turned my attention to Evgenia, who had now slipped out from under the table and was using her tiny, but surprisingly strong, hands to pull every book from the bookshelf.

It was like she had an instinct for creating chaos on a molecular level. As I made my way over to her, she flashed me a cheeky grin, as if to say, 'I dare you to stop me.'

"Evgenia," I said, my voice holding the tired weight of a father who had seen too many hours of destruction. "What do you think you're doing?"

She tilted her head to the side, blinking innocently. 'Reading,' she answered, holding up a book that had clearly been taken off the shelf by accident, given that it was upside down and probably only useful as a projectile.

I couldn't help but sigh. "Sure, sweetie, that's... totally reading."

Looking at her sweet and lovely face, I couldn't even speak a word harshly to her.

Then, like a synchronized duo, both kids went into full throttle. Evander darted past me, and I barely caught a glimpse of his little legs before he ran into the kitchen, trying to climb into the fridge. Evgenia followed, laughing hysterically, as if the mere thought of causing me more chaos was the highlight of her day.

"Evander!" I bellowed, racing after him. "Get down from there—"

Too late. He had already opened the fridge, and now both of them were digging through the leftovers, pulling out a half-eaten pizza box, a jug of orange juice, and... oh God, no, not the mustard.

"WHAT did I tell you about playing in the fridge?" I said, my hands on my hips. "This is a no fly zone! You know what happens if you go in there too long. You'll get mustard all over everything, and I'm not cleaning that up again."

Evgenia grabbed the mustard, unscrewed the cap, and held it up like a victory trophy. "It's for the sandwiches!" she said, as if I had asked for an explanation.

"Please. No more sandwiches with mustard," I groaned. "I don't care how great you think it is, it's not a 'family recipe'."

Evander raised an eyebrow. "You've never had mustard sandwiches?" He looked at me like I was the one missing out on some essential life experience.

"I'm regretting everything," I muttered under my breath, trying to wrangle the twins out of the fridge. As I did, I couldn't help but think back to a time when I wasn't dealing with miniature tornadoes of destruction every day.

Seven years ago, I was on my knees in front of Illaria, getting ready to propose. It felt like yesterday, and yet, so much had changed.

I had spent months planning that proposal. It was supposed to be perfect, the kind of moment that would make Illaria smile, make her laugh, and ultimately say 'yes' without hesitation.

We were standing on the terrace of a farmhouse that I got it build with bamboo and cypress trees surrounding it. This is one of the gifts I got for Illaria to give her after she becomes my wife.

The night air was cool, and I had arranged for the waiter to bring us dessert, but it was actually a surprise ring box disguised as a cake. This was one of the old-school ideas I got from the internet.

Everything was in place.

Illaria had just been talking about how much she loved our relationship, how much she appreciated the chaos that came with it. And at that moment, I had reached into my pocket and pulled out the ring, dropping down to one knee.

"I know I'm not always the easiest person to deal with," I had said, my voice a little shaky but full of sincerity. "But if you'll have me, I want to spend the rest of my chaotic life with you. Will you marry me, Illaria?"

Just as I was about to hear her say yes, my phone rang. It was a call I couldn't ignore, a call that changed everything.

I had excused myself, gone to answer the call, and then... well, I had to leave. The mission had called me back. Duty had demanded my attention. I apologized, kissed her forehead, and told her I would be back soon.

And I left.

Two years passed.

Two years where I couldn't make it back to her. I was in the Caribbean, on a mission for work. And during that time, Illaria waited. She waited for me without question. Without a sigh.

When I finally returned, my family gave me an earful—if they were anything, they were loyal to a fault. They weren't happy with me leaving Illaria hanging like that, especially after such a monumental moment.

My mother practically smacked me upside the head. My father, a man of few words, just stared at me like I had lost my mind. They all told me one thing: if I wanted to make things right with Illaria, I had to start from scratch.

"You need to impress her all over again, Devon," my mom said, shaking her head. "You've had a year to think about it. Now go win her back the old-fashioned way."

At first, I didn't get it. I mean, I'd been gone for two years! But as time passed, I realized they were right. Illaria deserved respect—she deserved everything I had to give.

So, I started dating her again, just like we were back in the beginning. I took her out on surprise dates, I sent her letters with ridiculous things written on them, and I pampered her in every way I could. I made up for lost time, one ridiculous, heartfelt gesture at a time.

And after a year of that, she finally agreed to marry me. She said yes, and we had a wedding that was every bit as chaotic as our relationship, filled with laughter, love, and just the right amount of weirdness. A year and a half later, the twins came into our lives.

I stood in the middle of the kitchen now, with mustard on my shirt and my hands full of children who were trying to break the laws of physics. I had gone from the romantic disaster of that proposal moment to this - surrounded by the greatest, most chaotic love of all.

Evander's Mowgli roar woke me up from my sweet memories.

Evander was currently holding a spoon and trying to use it as a propeller, running around the living room in circles, while Evgenia decided that it was time to redecorate the kitchen with orange juice.

I sighed and wiped my forehead, realizing I hadn't cleaned up the mess at all.

These two little gremlins were my world. They were everything I had ever wanted and more—though they came with a hell of a lot of work.

Just as I was about to intervene, I heard the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. My heart skipped a beat. Illaria.

I stopped in my tracks, eyes flicking to the door. Illaria. My partner. The mother of our children. The one who knew exactly how to handle the chaos I'd created. She was the calm in the storm, and God, was she about to need her calm today.

She stepped inside just as the twins shrieked in unison, launching themselves at her like tiny wrecking balls.

"Mommy!" they both cried, practically knocking her over with their enthusiasm.

Illaria didn't flinch, didn't miss a beat. She bent down effortlessly, scooping them up with one arm each, even though they were getting heavier by the day. There was no sign of the exhaustion that had started to wear me down.

Illaria had always been the one who managed to stay composed, who handled it all with a kind of controlled authority that made my heart swell with admiration.

I stood there, my eyes locked on her, just for a moment. She was the picture of grace even in the middle of the madness. She wasn't just their mother; she was the enforcer of the rules. And I... I was the fun dad who sometimes forgot the rules.

Although I know I shouldn't be too lenient with the kids, I afford to do so because Illaria is there to discipline them.

"Did you two have fun while I was gone?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, the tiniest smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. I could already feel her energy shift; she was ready to take charge.

Evander was the first to speak up, his little face scrunched up in a mixture of pride and mischief. "We were flying planes!"

Illaria didn't even bat an eye. "Evander. Get off that table. Now."

The tone was calm, but there was no room for argument. And Evander, surprisingly, slid off the table immediately, as if the command had been encoded in his DNA.

Evgenia, who was still hanging off Illaria's arm like a tiny koala, piped up next. "And I was reading books!" she announced, holding up one of the many books she had pulled off the shelf, holding it upside down with the most triumphant expression on her face.

"Reading, huh?" Illaria's gaze flicked to the books scattered across the floor. She turned her eyes back to Evgenia, who was still beaming with pride. "Is that what you call reading, sweetheart?"

Evgenia hesitated for a moment, but only a moment. "Yes." And it was now that I realized again the between the twins, she is the more rebellious and daring one.

"Evgenia," Illaria said, her voice still soft but with that unmistakable edge of authority, "you know better than that. Go put the books back where they belong, and no more 'reading' for the rest of the day."

Evgenia's lower lip jutted out in a pout, but she obeyed, slipping out of Illaria's arms and heading for the bookshelf.

I stood there, almost in awe. It wasn't the first time I had witnessed Illaria's commanding presence, but every time she took control, it hit me in a new way. She was the foundation of this family, the one who held everything together with a combination of love, discipline, and her iron-clad will.

And me? I was the guy who got to sweep in and play the hero when it was all falling apart. I was the soft one, the one who caved in when they gave me their best puppy eyes.

But Illaria? She was the one who kept them grounded, kept the family in line. She was the rock. She was everything I wasn't - and everything I needed.

I was still standing there, lost in thought, when she turned to me, her eyes softening as they met mine.

"You okay?" she asked, her voice tender.

I nodded, a smile tugging at the corner of my lips. "Yeah. Just thinking. About how you handle them. And how lucky I am that you're here to do it."

Illaria gave me a knowing smile, one that made my heart skip a beat. "I'm not perfect," she said, leaning in closer. "But I think you're doing just fine. We're in this together, Devon."

And just like that, all the chaos, all the mess, melted away. It didn't matter if the house was a wreck, if there were toys underfoot and spilled juice on the floor. What mattered was the moment - this moment. With her.

I pulled her closer, my arms wrapping around her waist as the twins continued to play in the background, oblivious to everything else. Illaria looked up at me, her eyes full of love and a little mischief, and for a second, it was just the two of us, the quiet amidst the storm.

"I'm really lucky, you know that?" I whispered, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

She chuckled softly, her fingers tracing the line of my jaw. "I know. But don't get too comfortable, mister. We've got a long road ahead of us with these two."

"I don't mind the chaos," I said, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "As long as it's with you."

She smiled, a soft, genuine smile that lit up her face. "Good. Because I wouldn't want it any other way."

And in that moment, I realized something that had always been true: 'No matter how wild, how messy, or how unpredictable life became, as long as we were in it together, I wouldn't change a thing'.

We had everything we needed - each other. And Twins, of course.

That was enough!

~*~*~*~

The End.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hello Sweeties,

Last chapter of the book is here. Enjoy!

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Lady Prim