The Secrets, The Lies | Three

|Epilogue|

Somewhere in the future.

Demi sat in her hospital bed, Wilmer asleep, resting his head on her thigh next to her as she held the photo album on her lap. The detailed wrinkles of her fingertips tracing over the soft blue material before opening the big book.

The look on her face at the first photo was not one of anger, or fear. She was content with her past, and how her life had turned out. The photo of Nick and Demi at their senior prom made her smile internally. In a way, he formed the strong woman she is today. In a way, he was the reason she found her soulmate. That's not to say she didn't hate what happened though.
Next to the one of their senior prom, was Nick and Demi's wedding photo. She remembered taking that specific photo like it was yesterday.

"Stand on this side, I feel bad enough for hitting you, I don't need it being shown on our wedding photo forever" Nick growled, grabbing my arm and pulling me to the other side of him. I flashed a bright smile as the camera blinded me for a few moments.
"Maybe if you hadn't have hit me, then it wouldn't be a problem" I bit back, rolling my eyes as I remembered the events of the night before.
Nick looked to the floor, "I'm sorry my gorgeous wife, it will never happen again" He said before planting a delicate kiss on the bruise which sat on my cheek bone.

It's safe to say that it did happen again. Again and again, for that fact. I was no longer bitter about it though, it was my past, and I'm lucky that it's not now my present.
Turning the page, there was a photo from my first Christmas party with Wilmer. The night of the first time that we ever kissed.

"Wilmer..." I let out a sigh of relief as the man, that I somewhat didn't fear, knelt down in front of me. I looked into his dark eyes as my body shook with anxiety,
"Demi" He sighed, brushing my hair out of my face and placing it behind my ear as he lifted me from the cold floor. "What does he do to you?"
I shook my head, "Nothing, Wilmer"
Lie.
"Demi, what does he do to you?" He asked again,
"Nothing!" I snapped.
Lie.
Wilmer took a deep breath before taking a small step back from me, "If he is hurting you Demi, I can't just let him get away with it..."
I scoffed, "What would you care anyway? You're my boss!"
"Because I..."
I cut him off, "You what?" I asked,
"I don't know" Wilmer shook his head in defeat,
I calmed my voice, "Tell me" I said to the man, who looked extremely vulnerable in this moment, something I hadn't seen from him before.
My heart was beating so loudly, I was sure that the whole town could hear it. "Wilmer..."
I was cut off quickly.
The feeling made my body tingle, I was taken by surprise from this action but I didn't want it to stop. Although only lasting a split second, the kiss felt like it could have gone on for a life time.
"That's why seeing him even look at you the wrong way makes me want to pull you into my arms and take you away, if he is hurting you Demi, God... I don't even know what I would do"

The memory, even though old, still sent chills through her body at the thought of it. The first ever time that Demi connected with her soulmate.
The elderly woman slid her finger under the thick paper before turning the page. Not being able to control her grin as the very first photo of her little baby boy sat in the photo pocket.

My finger tingled as he had his hand wrapped tightly around it. I held him against my chest as he looked around the room with his big brown eyes, a large blue hospital pacifier hanging from his mouth, bobbing slightly as he sucked on it.
"He's so beautiful" I gushed, looking down at my baby boy.
"Our baby" Wilmer smiled, adjusting the blue beanie covering our baby's head, "God, he's a miracle"
"Our miracle"
The nurse wheeled his cot over to the wall, snapping a quick Polaroid before wheeling the baby back over to us.
Weighing 1867 grams, 40.8cm long, at 32 weeks and 3 days on July 18, Eddie Mason Valderrama was born.

From that, there were photos of Eddie on his first birthday, running around like a headless chicken as Demi stood, six months pregnant with Alaya.
The next five pages were filled with Eddie and photos of Demi's pregnancy belly with Alaya. She remembered wanting to be like those Moms on Pinterest by documenting the belly size every week, let's just say it lasted about a month before the novelty wore off.

Wilmer lifted his head from his wife's thigh before flashing her a tired smile, "The album again, really?" He said, looking at Demi with nothing but adoring love in his eyes.

Demi shrugged, her eyes running down the page of photos of her baby boy. "I want every memory to be my last"

"You're not going to pass yet" Wilmer shook his head, running his hand over Demi's.

"You don't know that"

"I know that I love you enough that my love alone is strong enough to keep you strong" Demi teared up at the comment. She had been sick for awhile now, and although she was pumped full of medicines and fluids, she knew there wasn't much longer for her. Wilmer had hope though. Hope was all he ever needed in life. Demi, at eighty-five, had already lived a longer and happier life than she could have ever guessed. "Now, where's photos of our baby girl?" Wilmer asked, planting a kiss on Demi's hand before turning the page, revealing a photo from the exact moment that Alaya arrived.

I couldn't help but smile, despite the immense pain I had just felt, at how gorgeous my little baby girl was.
"She's perfect" I gushed as the nurse passed her to me, placing her in my arms as her loud shreaking turned into soft and calm breathing.
Wilmer cupped her face before planting a kiss on her forehead, not caring about the bloody mess in result of her not being bathed yet. I didn't care either, I was holding my baby girl for the first time.
The nurses were quick to clear out before Wilmer brought Eddie in. My son looked absolutely mesmerised by the little baby being rocked in my arms.
"Sissy!" Eddie smiled, clapping his hands together as he leaned forward in Wilmer's arms, trying to get a better look at his little sister.
I smiled, "Do you want to give her a kiss?" I asked,
I'm sure Eddie had no idea what I was saying, but as Wilmer took him in closer, Eddie leaned in closer before planting a slobbery kiss over the face of the now clean baby girl.
He absolutely adored his new baby sister.

Tears of happiness sprung to her eyes as she reminisced on the past. The beginning of her now, very big family.

After Eddie had graduated high school, he went on to complete a degree in Medical Science where he and Christian continued their relationship, later getting married and adopting four children. Two girls, the eldest was Dakota, and the middle child was Emma. And two twin boys, Ryle and Travis.

Alaya changed schools for her senior year, but dropped out half way through and took a beauty course at community college. She ended up doing full time YouTube, and found the man of her dreams in a bar. She was the one to slide him her number. They fell head-over-heels in love and less than a year into their relationship she fell pregnant with a baby boy, Damon. Charlie, her now husband, didn't run, he didn't get scared. He stayed, and they got married to have two more children together. Two girls, Savannah who was the eldest, and the youngest, Blair.
Usually your first love isn't your only love, but Eddie and Alaya were lucky.

Demi closed the book after looking through the pages and pages of grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren.

The door to the hospital room opened and two little boys ran in. They were Savannah and her husbands twins, and they had just turned four. Alaya and Charlie followed behind them, Eddie and Christian following through next with their four children.
Demi looked around at her family, what her and Wilmer had created together, and it was more than she could have ever asked for.

There were no more secrets, and no more lies.

The End.

Thank you all so much for sticking through this story and supporting me. I do have a prologue planned, but that probably won't be for awhile but watch out for it just in case.
Check out my other stories Sugar and Love Drought :)