𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 || baxter radic

Epilogue

"My love, let's get you into the shower." Bax kisses the top of my head as he lifts me from my cripple state, carrying me into the bathroom.

He spends the next thirty minutes scrubbing my body clean, just spending an intimate moment with me. A moment we haven't had since the accident. I don't even know if I've slept at this point. I feel like I'm not living. But I wish I was.

We don't fly home for any funeral. The only people who would have shown up are Bax, Max and I. There was no point. Instead, I instruct—Bax instructs them—to just bury my father next to Max. That way he is where he has always wanted to be since Max passed. He freed himself of the burden, but left us all trapped in a cage. But it's okay, because he is at peace with the person he always loved most.

◈ 𝒃𝒂𝒙'𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒗 ◈

Her hair smells like vanilla as I brush a comb through her damp hair. Summer's spent the last two days watching Max with Ari as I attempt to make headway into opening up May's guarded heart. She's officially lost everything she ever knew growing up. I thought that she would wither away into a vegetable, but she hasn't.

Sure, she hasn't left her bed. Sure, she's made herself violently ill from the situation. But she was not a vegetable. She was a human feeling human emotions. She wasn't a shell. The fact that she had any reaction at all, was a sign that she's doing better than expected. The fact that I have been able to convince her to sit naked with me in the shower to make her back into herself, that was progress.

"This may be an inappropriate moment to share this, but my love..." I place a soft kiss to her bare shoulder, "you're so fucking beautiful." I drop her brush to the counter and wrap my arms around her toweled body. I rest my chin gently onto her shoulder as I look at our reflection in the mirror.

"Thanks." She half smiles, not meeting my gaze at her. Instead she focuses her attention on the counter, swiftly freeing herself from my grasp, returning to our room.

I follow quickly on her heels. "Anything you want to talk about? I miss your voice." My voice is soft as I speak. I don't want to pressure her into sharing what she's feeling, but the world was beginning to feel so lonely without her. I had already lost her twice. Three strikes and you're out, I didn't want to risk that. Never ever again.

"You're still naked." Her eyes shift to my dick and a tad bit of embarrassment pings.

"You are too." I try to hide it with any sort of comment back.

"Make love to me." She lets her towel drop to the floor and I can't help but admire the sight before me. No matter how many times I see her naked body, it doesn't get old. She is stunning, perfect. Even after carrying our son. Honestly, I find her even more perfect now. Her body is lived in and scarred. It's damaged and yet still perfect and beautiful. And I make sure she knows that as I do exactly what she asks. 

It's been months since her father's passing and we are all doing well. May has come to terms with everything. Max is turning four in just a few days and I have no idea how time has flown by so quickly. Maybelle is working on writing a book on her story. More like her family's story. She hasn't let me read much, but what I have read is absolutely beautiful. She has always had a way with words. But instead of using them for manipulation, now she's using them for good.

There is no other girl I would rather spend my life with. Continuing to have her in my life is everything I could ever dream of. I'm glad I let the demons slip by. I'm glad she let her—now—distant ex go. And I'm glad we're getting to make a family together now.

"Daddy!" My thoughts are interrupted as Max runs to jump into my arms. I pick him up and spin him. "Mommy surprise today?" He's asked me this every day for the past three weeks. It's quite charming honestly.