The Change (The Alliance #2)

Epilogue

Mia

Eight years later

"Archer, do you even know how to steer this thing?"

I can barely see him through the body that blocks him, tangled golden-brown hair that covers his face. She sits on his lap, on his good leg, dangling her legs as her wandering eyes shine and genuine smile radiates.

Our daughter.

Well, we have two daughters, Archer and I. It was only a year after Evelyn died that Archer asked me to marry him. Then Mabel came along. And after two years, we had Gracie. Mabel is already four, while Gracie is two.

"Don't underestimate me," Archer peeks his head over so his bright green eyes dig into mine, "I'm a professional."

"But you said you've never been on a boat before!"

Archer squeezes Mabel's arm playfully. "Shh! We were supposed to keep that a top secret!"

"The secrets out, now." I smile, although I knew Archer has never driven a boat, let alone been on one. Archer drives the pontoon slowly on the lake, letting Mabel put her hands on the wheel to steer, but Mia notices his knee doing the real steering. Gracie sits on my lap, her dark hair just like Archer's, along with her sharp jawline. She does have my eyes, while Mabel's are a faded green.

The girls look around in fascination, their heads turning all around them at the immense body of water. We decided to rent a pontoon for the weekend, a little surprise for the girls. Plus, it's scorching hot this weekend, and Archer and I decided a swim would be nice.

"Okay girls, we have the whole lake. Pick a spot to swim."

"Right here!" Gracie squeaks, and Archer hums a laugh as he stops and turns off the boat, standing up and placing Mabel on the drivers seat. He drops both anchors on the front and back down.

"Five feet," Archer looks at Mia and smiles. With his artificial leg, it's a bit harder to stay afloat in the water. Thankfully, he can stand while the girls still think the water is deep.

Archer quick leans in and kisses me on the lips, and the girls react.

"Ew!"

"I know, isn't that gross?" Archer smiles as he goes over to Mabel and makes sure her lifejacket is secured. He quickly puts a second coat of sunscreen on her while I put more on Gracie. They are giddy, too excited to be in the water.

"Dad, what is there's biting fish in there?" Mabel's second thoughts get to her. Archer and I have noticed an ongoing problem with that. She's tentative, alert, while Gracie is quite the opposite. "Uncle Casper said he got bit once."

"Uncle Casper likes to joke around," I say. The girls call Casper their uncle, although it's not true. Casper lived, despite that bullet wound he received from Abby. Years later, him and another girl ended up marrying, although they haven't decided on kids yet. Adam is also like an uncle to the girls, and him and Archer are truly best friends now. Dana has moved hours away, starting her own arts and crafts business, which Mia never knew that was her hobby.

And Tami? Well, it's complicated. I don't let the girls see her, only because I don't want them to see me having flashbacks or bursts of anger. She's doing well, though, and I would like to say I'm forgiving well.

But things take time.

"Alright, I'll go in first and check for you, how's that?" Archer pats Mabel before he stands up and lifts his shirt off his head, revealing the life he's had. Scars paint his body, fading into pink lines over the years, but they are still very well present.