Forever Mine (ROYAL RIDERS SERIES BOOK #2)

40| Epilogue 2

"I wish I had uncles like that growing up," Amelia snickered, standing beside me but keeping an eye on Leo in the water. "Where's Demi?" she asked. 

"She's coming in a bit, she's bringing in the other toys," he cleared his throat, scratching his neck. 

Both Amelia and I stared at him. 

"I'll throw you in the pool," he said to Amelia. 

"Why me?" she asked. 

"Because Michael's holding little Emma. Your daughter is ten months old, have some shame, lady." 

She rolled her eyes. "My daughter is one-year-old, Uncle Vince, can't you do math?" 

"Cut the fake hostility please, my daughter is stirring," I scolded. 

Amelia frowned, stroking Emma's cheek softly. She went back into her deep slumber after that. 

As Demi walked in, Vince went to help her and Amelia faced me. "Your best friend will spoil our kids before he even has his own." 

"Sorry," I said. 

She hummed, her nose scrunching up before she leaned in to kiss me. 

Demi and Amelia sat together and chatted for a while, Vince was swimming with Leo, pushing the floatie around while Leo sat on it. 

After an hour or so, everybody came inside for some snacks since the sun would be setting soon and that was enough swimming for Leo. He sat with a towel wrapped around him while Amelia and Demi served the chicken nuggets and sandwiches Amelia made earlier. 

Emma woke up by then and now Vince and I sat cross-legged on the floor, trying to help her take her first steps. "You liar," he snickered, glaring at me. "You said she walked last night." 

"She did," I bit out, Leo sitting beside me with ketchup around his mouth and a chicken nugget in his hand. 

His brows furrowed and his eyes shot daggers at Vince. "She did!" he yelled. 

Vince bit back a laugh, nodding slowly. "I believe you, Leo." 

Leo let out a 'humph' eating more nuggets while I moved to my knees, Emma holding onto my fingers in each hand, taking slow steps towards Vince. He caught her before she fell and then helped her walk back to me. 

"Go, Emmy!" Leo cheered beside me. 

I grinned as Vince let her go and she waddled over quickly. I caught her, gasping as I hoisted her up and then brought her in, kissing her cheek. "Emmy did it," I sang, looking at Leo. 

"Emmy did it!" he screamed, standing up and jumping. 

I laughed, ruffling his hair and putting an arm around him while he wiped his mouth on the towel. I shot him a pointed look. 

He looked at me and giggled sheepishly before tickling Emma. He loves acting like this with her. He sits with her for hours on end on her mat and sings her poems and rhymes, he tickles her and she laughs, he hugs her, he pats her on the back when she cries and can't sleep too. 

I set Emma back down and Vince continued helping her walk while I turned my attention to Leo. "Don't you want to shower?" I asked, taking the towel away and brushing his hair out of his eyes as he shook his head. "We should get you showered before mommy comes with dinner. Come on." I stood up and he whined as I picked him up. "Mommy's making pizza for dinner, you know," I said, holding him as I carried him upstairs and into the bathroom. 

He sat on the counter patiently and watched as I filled up the tub and added "bubbas" which translates to "bubbles" of course. I kept my swim trunks on and sat on the floor by the tub while he sat inside, splashing around and talking to me animatedly.