Marriage Mistake

Alternate Ending!

Takes place 5 years after chapter 62. 

I lay the last box on kitchen floor and wipe a bead of sweat off my face. I stand up and look around my house, taking in every detail. Nothing is in place yet and the beds still haven't come in yet but it's perfect. And just what we needed for our large family. Every kid has a room. 3 on the top floor, 1 on the main floor and 2 in the basement. I walk out onto the patio and lean against the railing, looking out over the backyard. The dog runs around with Levi and Brad, running and catching the ball whenever they throw it. I'm listening to them laugh when arms wrap around my torso, startling me. I feel Chris' breath on my neck as he leans his chin on my shoulder. 

"You like it?" He asks, a chill going up my body from a breeze. 

"It's just what I wanted." I smile, placing my hands on his. 

A lot has happened in the past 5 years. We bought a piece of land down the road from the old house and built a new one just the way we wanted it. It has a barn and we hope one day to have animals for the kids. Chris went off and started his own construction business and it's been doing so well. Along with my own business we've been doing okay for ourselves money wise. As for the kids, they've been perfect. Kacey and Jill are 12 now and have developed completely different personalities. Briella and Kyson are 8 and I can tell they're ready for their own rooms which they finally have. Fighting is what they're good at. Levi is 9 and he gets more like Chris every single day. And finally Brady. Brady is 5 and starts school in September. They're all growing up so fast it's crazy. Macy and I have remained friends and she comes over most weekends and we do things with all our kids. Rachel and Natasha... They divorced and I haven't heard from either of them since. 

I walk in off the patio, Chris coming in with me. As I'm about to sit down on the couch, the door bell rings. 

"That's the pizza." I say, grabbing Chris' wallet from the kitchen island. 

I pay the pizza guy and bring the pizza to the dining room, laying it on the table. The kids come running in, ready to eat. As Brady reaches for a slice of pizza I stop him. 

"Everyone needs to wash up first. You've been outside all day." I say, looking around at all the kids. 

"I'm gonna get there first." Kyson exclaims, running up the stairs. Of course him saying that causes an uproar and they all go up the stairs screaming who's gonna get there first. It's a good thing we have 3 bathrooms. 

A new house with no beds calls for a sleepover in the living room. I have the tv plugged in on the floor and a dvd player hooked up so they can watch their movie. Pillows and blankets cover the living room floor. I bend down, kissing each child and giving them each a bowl of popcorn with, of course, chocolate chips. They still haven't grown out of it. When they're all settled I grab my glass of wine from the counter and go out onto the back patio, sitting next to Chris on the step. The moon lights up the water of the lake that's just behind our house and it looks so beautiful. We sit in silence for a moment before Chris speaks. 

"He would've loved it here." He says and I know who he's talking about right away. 

"It's what he's always wanted." I say, taking a sip of my wine. "He would've been proud of who his kids are becoming." 
"And the wonderful mother you've become." Chris says, looking at me. 

"You've become a great father yourself." I smile. 
As he's about to say something, the dog comes running up the step, fresh out of the water. He runs right by Chris and me and into the house. 

"Oh no!" I yell, getting up from the step. Chris and I run inside just as the dog stands in the middle of the kids lid down on the floor. He shakes and water goes everywhere, all over the kids, their blankets and their food. 

"Eww!" Levi exclaims. 

Chris and I laugh at the sight as the kids all scramble up off the floor while the dog lays in the blankets, content as anything. 

_ _ _ _ 
I wake up in the middle night and get out of bed, making sure I don't wake anyone. We all moved to Chris and I's bed after the dog got the blankets wet in the living room. 8 people in one bed is not the comfiest. Thank God their beds come tomorrow. I grab a spare blanket from on the couch and I wrap it around my body, going outside. I sit down on the step again, looking out over the lake once again where the moon is still shining. I look up to the stars and think of Brad. I do that a lot.

"I don't even know where to start." I say quietly, hoping wherever he ended up that he can hear me. "The kids have grown so much. They become more like you everyday. Which is both good and bad." I chuckle. "I think... I think part of our journey together is what led me here. To this point in my life. We all wish you were still here to see everything. Our marriage... Was a... far cry from perfect. But the lessons I learned along the way were what made our life together less of a mistake. But if marrying you again would get me to where I am today, then our marriage will never be a mistake."

Hope you liked this ending too!