Heart Skips A Beat {ACM}

Epilogue 1

Never did Ally nor Austin think that they would have someone call them mother or father at the ripe age of 19.

But the two content, loving teens should've seen something else coming, after all their lives were anything but surprise free. It was a warm April evening, Ally had just finished her schoolwork for university and Austin was just rolling in from work. Ryan was busy playing a game of cops and robbers- by himself- just the way he liked it.

The two were huddled together on the sofa, discussing the days events and how exciting it was that they were both finally on track and in college.

After getting back together, the two decided to move in together, and on a whim, ran to the courthouse and got married. Austin's parents were baffled to learn that their only son decided to get married to someone he hadn't even been with for a year. But neither of them seemed to care as the shocked parents went on about the importance and seriousness of marriage. They were too lost in their own world.

Now- nearly a year into their marriage, the two couldn't be happier. If this is what people constantly complained about, Austin wasn't sure why.

The two were interrupted by Ally's not-so-silent younger brother, his once beaming face laced with confusion as he looked at the two.

"Are you guys my parents?" He asked, cocking his head to the side.

Ally froze, her eyes widening at the question, she was unsure of how to answer something so serious. Ally was not his mother, and Austin was not his father. But they took care of him as if he was.

Ally was almost 100% sure that Ryan had forgotten about the man he once called his dad, she wondered if the boy would be crushed if she told him that she wasn't in fact his mother, but his sister.

"Uh-uh yes, we are!" Austin exclaimed before Ally was able to come to a proper conclusion. She turned her head to face her brown haired husband, wondering exactly what possessed him to say something so serious without thinking about it.

"Oh great! So I do have a mom and dad!" he exclaimed, his brown eyes lighting up like sparklers and he jumped into Austin's lap. She smiled at the sight of this, nearly forgetting about the fact that she and her husband just lied to an innocent little boy seeking his parents.

After a moment or two, Ryan decided that he wanted to finish playing his game of cops and robbers, and retreated into his room to continue noisily playing.

"Don't look at me like that," Austin said, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Why would you say that to him? We're not his parents!" She replied, making sure to keep her voice low.

"Yes we are," he responded; "We take care of him, buy him things, love him, take him places, check for monsters underneath his bed, tell him right from wrong, teach him things. Being a parent doesn't mean that you have to give birth to the child, it means that you take care of that child and love it like its your own. And that's what we do. When the time comes, we'll tell him about your mom and dad, but for now we'll just live in the moment."

For once in their married life, Ally knew he was right. There was simply no denying it. So what she didn't carry him in her womb or give birth to him, she took care of him, loved him, and nurtured him like a real mother would. Therefore, she was a mother.

A smile tugged at her lips, someone would find it cruel that she allowed the little boy to call her mom and call Austin dad, but they didn't need to understand.

Their lives were twisted and 'messed up' in so many ways, but that was okay. Maybe it was strange to everyone else, but it was normal to them.