Thank you SorryThatIsIncorrect for reminding me that I still had an unpublished epilogue lying around...
Enjoy!

***

Ethan and I were sat in a comfortable hotel bed, resting on the headboard with my head on his shoulder and a computer tablet on his lap.

"Right. Let's see if we have any luck today," Ethan said and tapped the screen.
A few seconds later, the screen lit up and a pair of grey eyes in a smiley face became visible.

"Güten morgen, parents! How is Prague?" Ayame grinned.

"I would say hello back in Czech, but I forgot how..." Ethan chuckled.

"Prague is still Prague... We just had breakfast and thought we'd try to catch you before we're going to the Karloff bridge for a photo shoot," I said.

"Sooo cliché," Aya rolled her eyes dramatically.

"I know... but it's what the tour manager wants," Ethan smiled.

"How is life in Berlin? You got five minutes to see us when we get there?" I asked.
Our daughter had reached the grand old age of 25 somehow and had held positions in some of the most famous orchestras since graduation from the music conservatory in Philadelphia.

"Of course! The philharmonic is absolutely ace! And I love living here! Who knew German people were so friendly?" Aya laughed.

"See.. told you Rhea's German lessons would be good," I said.

"Mum! Thanks to you and Rhea being total language nerds I speak six languages. Including Japanese thanks to grandad. I think I'm set... unless I go to Russia..." Ayame grinned.

I shrugged and noticed Ethan's frown.

"Aya... why is there a tux hung on your clothes rack?" He asked.

I hadn't paid attention to the background but now that he mentioned it, there were several random items that could not be Aya's in the room. In addition to the tux there was a pair of trainers and a set of several brass instruments.

"Yeah... about that..." Aya said shamefaced.

We looked at her, waiting for the explanation.

"You will meet someone when you get here... and he's kinda special..." she blushed with a happy smile.

Behind her a door could be heard opening and closing and a dark haired young man entered with a shopping bag.

"Great timing!" Aya huffed.

I lifted an eyebrow and saw my daughter shrug with a smile.

"Ah, well... what the hell," she grinned and turned to the side of the screen.

Ethan and I exchanged a look. He looked surprised so I just squeezed his hand and sat myself a bit straighter.

"Luca! Come here a second," Aya called.

"Be right there, cara mia," a voice was heard.

"Cara mia?" Ethan asked.

"He's croatian. Grown up on the Italian border. His parents speak Italian at home," Ayame explained sheepishly.

I felt my grin widen at the obvious sparkles in her eyes.

A few seconds later a steaming cup of coffee appeared in front of Aya and a young man with messy black hair and deep brown eyes placed a gentle kiss on Ayame's cheek.

"What did you want?" He smiled. There was an audible, but pleasant accent to his deep voice.

Aya pointed to her screen.

"Luca, meet my mum and dad," she said.

Luca froze up and slowly turned to face us before waving with an apologetic smile.

"Hey there," I said and waved with my friendliest smile. Ethan looked a bit more sceptical next to me.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Ryder. I wasn't expecting to see you for a few days," Luca said and made an attempt to flatten his messy hair.

"They kinda saw your stuff in the room," Aya casually smiled.

"So... how long have you two..." Ethan started.

Aya smiled at her dad.

"I met Luca in Rouen, and when he got a job here I said he could live with me," Aya dismissed.

"So you've had a boyfriend for over half a year without telling us?" I laughed.

"Not really... I liked him in Rouen, but he didn't take the hint until he'd been here a few weeks," Ayame grinned.

"Hey! I sent you flowers and left cards on your notestand!" Luca chuckled.

Aya turned her face to look at him with a teasing smile. He gave her a worshipful look back before lifting her hand to kiss the back of it.

"So... when you said you were coming to Berlin..." Ayame grinned.

"I was only following my heart," Luca winked.

"Hang on. Did you just move in together without actually dating first?" Ethan asked suspiciously.

"We did date... kinda... in Rouen," Ayame nodded.

I nudged Ethan with my elbow and sent him a pointed look. He smiled at me and pulled me in for a hug.

"Ah... I see what you mean," Luca said to Aya.

"What?" I asked.

"Ayame said she's grown up with parents who are still in love. I see what she means," Luca smiled and turned to Ayame with a small smirk.

"Yeah. You have a standard to reach!" Aya laughed.

"No problem!" Luca chuckled and kissed her cheek again before heading off to the kitchen.

"I bought bagels. Salmon or ham?" We heard him call out.

"Ham please!" Aya replied before turning back to us.

"So?" She asked innocently.

"If you're happy it's all that matters," I smiled.
Next to me Ethan was getting over his suspicious instinct.

"You were going to meet him in Berlin in a few days anyway," Ayame nodded.

"Looking forward to it," I replied.

Just then there was a knock on the room door. Ethan gave me the tablet and went to open for a disgruntled looking Sebastian. At 22 he looked like a younger clone of his dad. Like his sister he had chosen to get a music degree, but had opted for a less ambitious academy in our home town. He'd recently graduated and was on tour with us, supporting Obstruction as lead guitar in Impetus. The boys had continued playing for fun and when Juniper decided to jump in on the drums, they were ready for a summer tour supporting us. Hale was leaving them in September to complete his engineering degree and Nico was still deciding on a direction. Much like Simon, he couldn't find a clear direction that didn't involve music.

"Hey little bro. What's with the face?" Aya asked as our not so little boy sat on the bed, ending up between Ethan and me.

"Elsie just came out of Nico's room," he muttered.

"What? Why?" Aya asked.

"Yeah. I was going to ask if he was ready for breakfast and Elsie was there," he grumbled.

"What happened?" Aya continued.

"She ran into her own room when she saw me but her hair was all messy and she'd obviously slept in Nico's room," Seb mumbled looking devastated.

"You sure?" I asked.

"Yeah," Seb sighed without elaborating.

Aya studied him carefully for a moment.

"You are so much like mum! Heart on your sleeve and delicate like a flower!" She teased.

"Oy!" Both Seb and I said at the same time.

Ayame and Ethan both chuckled.

"You have to get the facts before you get upset!" Ayame grinned and Seb poked his tongue out at her.

"Seriously though? Why does it matter if she slept with Nico? You two broke up, what... two years ago?" Aya asked.

"A year and a half... Number one: it's Nico! Number two: it's Nico. Number three: I had kinda hoped... to ask her out again..." Seb muttered.

"I get that she's your first. .. well pretty much everything... But is getting back together such a good idea?" Ayame asked.

I looked at Ethan and realised we may as well not be there. Aya was in full blown big sister mode.

"We only broke up because we were studying at different places. I didn't want to hold her back," Seb shrugged.

"It's been almost two years tho. And you've both grown up. You've graduated," Aya suggested.

"I know. But we've been on the phone every day. And we talk about everything... exept for how I still feel about her," he said.

"But you've had girlfriends. .. what was her name? Sam? She even came home with you!" Aya laughed.

"Ugh. Yeah. She was all right..." Sebastian scrunched his nose.

"And Elsie had that boyfriend.. Tom? Tim? Trey?" Aya said.

"He was a tool! He was only with her because of Obstruction..." Seb shrugged with a slightly spiteful look on his face.

"Right. You're still in love with Elsie. Elsie slept in Nico's room, and you think your chances are shot," Aya summed up.

"Pretty much, yeah!" Seb shrugged.

"I wouldn't count on it..." Ayame grinned and opened snapchat on her phone, holding it up to show her brother a photo of him and Elsie in a floral crown filter, both laughing.

"This is the kind of shit Elsie spams me with! Not in her story, just to me," Aya told Seb.

"No! That was just us goofing around yesterday!" Seb sighed.

"So why are you not in her public feed? You're just in her private photos," Aya asked.

"I don't know! Cos you're my sister?" Seb muttered.

The door knocked again and Ethan opened to Nico.

"I'm ready for food... why are you here? I've been looking everywhere for you dude!" Nico asked Seb, ignoring the rest of us.

"Aya on skype." Sebastian pointed to the tablet.

Nico bounced over and looked at the screen.

"Hey!" Aya waved.

"Hey. I'm taking Sebster to breakfast. See you in Berlin!" Nico waved back and went to the door.

"You coming dude? You're keeping my guts waiting?" Nico waved at Seb.

"I have to go eat this lovely bagel too, so speak soon!" Ayame grinned and pressed the end call button.

Seb stood up and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"So... You and Elsie, huh?" He said without looking at Nico.

"Me and Elsie? Nope. We were playing computer games and she fell asleep," Nico grinned.

"Really?" Seb asked.

"Yeah! Besides it's Elsie! Eww..." Nico shuddered.
Seb's face melted into an easier smile.

"Too cute and stuff... besides she's all hung up on you," Nico added and opened the door.

Seb shot me and his dad a shy smile and completely missed the amused grin on Nico's face.

"Don't know why the hell the two of you ever broke up!" Nico mumbled as he grabbed Seb and more or less frogmarched him towards the breakfast buffet.

"Looks like our kids are growing up!" I smiled softly at Ethan.

He tilted his head to study me.

"And somehow, you look exactly the same... and I still get these crazy butterflies," he smiled back.

I leaned in for a kiss.

"And you still know exactly how to charm a girl," I replied as our lips brushed.

"Aya is right, you know," Ethan smiled.

"About what?" I asked.

"They grew up seeing their parents in love. Hopefully that is a good thing," he grinned.

"Of course! Once Seb gets his act together we can probably start planning a wedding," I laughed.

"Oddball?" Ethan asked.

"Yeah. He spoke to you as well huh?" I asked.

"Yeah... I told him to let the kids sort it out themselves," he chuckled.

"Me too," I nodded.

"Right... Charles bridge. We have half an hour," I said and stood up looking back at my pouty husband.

Quickly I leaned back over the bed, giving him one more kiss, knowing full well that a second later I'd be flipped over and caught under him.

Evening rolled on and we were backstage at the concert venue. As usual, we had opted for smaller gigs rather than big stadium ones.

"You're up," I told Seb.

He looked incredibly nervous.

"What have you got planned?" Ethan asked.

"It worked for you and mum so I figured I'd sing a song," he mumbled.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah. Got the guys to rehearse it today so I just hope she's here," Seb sighed.

I looked over to the side to see Elsie looking at Seb with a soft smile.

"I don't think you need to sing," Ethan smiled and nodded his son's attention towards her.

"I have to do something to show her I'm serious," he smiled and headed for the stage.

"He's your son in every way," I chuckled and looked at Ethan.

"And I still love you as much as I did that day," he whispered softly before kissing me.

"Still with the kissing!" Simon laughed next to us.

"Still honeymooners," Oddball grinned.

"Well... I must have done something right. My son is about to recreate our Iris-moment," Ethan laughed.

"Seriously?" Simon asked.

Oddball lifted an eyebrow.

"That would be your daughter on the receiving end... so make sure she stays within reach," I grinned.

As the Impetus part of the concert came to an end, the crowd clapped for more and Sebastian stepped up to the microphone, replacing Hale. Hale exited the stage not far from us shaking his head and muttering about idiots. Quickly he found Elsie and waved her to him.

"Stay there!" He ordered and went to our greenroom.

"Hale?" Elsie asked.

"I really don't need to see this. Just stay there!" Her brother replied.

Us oldies were partially hidden but had great view to Elsie's reaction. At first she just stood there while Seb sang a cover of Jason Castro's "Let's just fall in love again".

But then the lyrics about falling asleep on the phone and how the conversation was making him fall in love with her all over again, her smile widened.
Seb finished the song, had enough sense of presence to say thank you to the crowd before hanging up the guitar and exiting the stage.

I saw him walk straight over to Elsie and her arms wrap around his neck before they disappeared from view.

"Well... if that wasn't awkward..." Simon huffed.

The rest of Impetus came off stage, Nico doing fake puke motions while Juniper sent a long look towards her best friend and cousin who had found an area to sit and talk things through, their hands interlocked and my son looking like he would never see a rainy day again. From the tears in Elsie's eyes, Seb was saying just what she wanted to hear as well.

"Thank fuck that's done with," Nico huffed.

Juni nodded half heartedly.

"Oh, don't tell me you're getting an attack of the romance...." Nico scoffed at his sister.

Simon grinned at his son.

"Kiddo. There comes a time in a man's life when he realises women love sweet stuff," Simon grinned.

"Yeah, yeah... disgusting ice cream in New York. Mum had never been more than a friend and then whoopla she grew wings... and a halo..." Nico waved his dad off.

Simon chuckled before turning to his daughter.

"Don't worry, Juni. Some dumbass will realise that you're the best thing in the world. And he'd be stupid to ever let you go," Simon said wrapping an arm around her tucking her to him.
Juni nodded, her lip quivering slightly.

"What's with Juniper? Our tough girl bumped a thumb?" Hale asked, emerging from the green room and avoiding the two lovebirds, currently giggling and being silly.

"Nah. Juni wants a serenade," Nico shrugged.

"From who?" Hale asked looking suspicious.

Slowly Juniper lifted her face and looked straight at him.

"You! You idiot!" Juniper shot before striding away with a stiff back.

Hale stared after her, his mouth hanging open.
Nico's face went through a series of changes before Simon clamped a hand in front of his mouth.

"Not a word!" Simon warned.

Hale was still staring after Juni. His confusion had turned into a small smile. He turned to look at Nico, then back towards Juniper before he finally got his feet into working order. Quickly he ran after Juniper, catching her just as she was opening the door to the green room. Juniper was looking down, without any of her usual sass. Carefully Hale turned her around, grinning madly before he said something that had her looking at him.
Her reply obviously had a snap to it as Hale laughed.

"What the fuck is in this water?" Nico mumbled, looking between his childhood friends.

I chuckled and kissed Ethan's cheek.
On stage the techs were signalling that the Obstruction setup was in place.

"Right then, granddad. Feel like rocking out our youth before our kids grow up?" I asked.

"Granddad?" Ethan asked.

"Yeah... did you not see how Luca's hand brushed her belly?" I laughed.

Ethan looked at me in shock.

"Too much for one day!" Simon shook his head and waved for Oddball to join us.

I looked at my smiling husband and knew. We had never been more complete.