10 years later...
"Have a good weekend guys!" I say to my class as they walk out of the classroom, and I smile to myself as I wipe down the board and pack my things up, before making my way to my car.
After school traffic is a pain in the ass, and it takes me nearly an hour to get home.
I park my car in the garage, getting out and walking inside.
"I'm home!" I yell out just as Mason, Lucas and Maya come running down the hallway and throw themselves at me, hugging me tightly.
"Did you miss me?" I ask.
"Yes." Maya says.
"Mum! Can I show you what I did at school?" Lucas says and I nod.
"Of course! I'd love to see what you did. But let me put my stuff down then you can show me okay?"
"Okay, it's on the couch anyway." Lucas says and I smile as I walk into the kitchen to see James already starting to prep dinner.
"Hey." I say placing my stuff down on the bench before walking over to him and pressing my lips to his which makes him smile.
"Hey hun, how was work?"
"Good, was a very productive day so I'm exhausted now."
"You do look a bit tired. But still manage to look as beautiful as ever." James says and I smile. We've been married for 11 years and he still manages to make my heart skip a beat with his compliments.
"How was your day?"
"Yeah alright, just went to the club for some training." He says. "The younger boys are lifting more than me in the gym now."
"You aren't 21 anymore babe." I say and James sighs.
"Don't remind me." He says and I laugh as Lucas grabs my hand and pulls me over to the couch to show me a painting he did at school today.
"Wow Lucas! This is awesome! I might have to stick it on the fridge."
"I was thinking I could give it to Nonna and Nonno."
"Or you can do that. Whatever you like hun." I say and he smiles.
James has been a really great father, he loves keeping the kids active, to the point that they walk home from school everyday! Unless it's too hot, or raining or he picks them up straight from training, but James being one of the older guys at the club, he is able to leave training earlier because there is no one else available to pick up the kids.
Mum and Dad have also offered so we said to them that they can pick the kids up only when James can't pick them up, and they agreed.
Life for James and I is so busy now, trying to teach, whilst also still working at the doggies as a physio with Em still, and James' footy career, as well as juggling three kids who go to school and play sports! It's a lot, but it keeps us active and always on the go, which is good.
Mason and Lucas play footy and Maya loves dancing, and netball so she does both.
10 years has passed since we had Mason, and yep, he is now a whopping 10 years old!
And I was right, he is such a trouble maker, always looking to stir some trouble up because of how cheeky he is.
We ended up having another two kids named Lucas and Maya. Lucas is 8, and Maya is 6. They are all very good kids and James and I are blessed to have them in our lives.
They are our pride and joy, and mean the absolute world to us, and we love each of them with our whole heart.
Fast forward to today, and I am still a teacher. I love it with all my heart and don't think I will stop for a while. I am also still a physio at the doggies, with Em. We share the load exactly as we did all those years ago. Marcus is now the midfield coach at the doggies, with hopes that one day, he'll be the head coach. Baz is still playing, he's got not long left but he still moves as if he is 21. There's a whole new bunch of boys at the club now, and they're all scary good. Which means the future is bright!
James is also towards the end of his career that we've had a talk about him possibly retiring at the end of this season. Being 34 going onto 35 isn't ideally the best age to be whilst playing footy, but he loves it, and I can tell he doesn't want to let it go just yet.
He was lucky enough to get a one year contract extension from the Hawks last year, for this year, so I think it's a hint that they're slowly trying to get rid of him, so that they can bring in a young gun from the draft, which is fair enough, at the end of the day, James can't play forever.
Life is pretty busy now, with 3 kids. The three of them are full of energy that sometimes it's so hard to keep up with our older age. But James and I get through. We mostly catch up with Marcus and Em on the weekends, whether it's through the Boys' footy or the girls' netball, cause all three girls (Bella, Sofia and Maya) play netball. Or when their season's aren't on we're usually away together during the summer on the peninsula. We bought a gorgeous house together as both Marcus and Em and James and I went half. So it's a shared house.
The kids love it because they get to spend basically everyday of summer together as we're there most of December and January.
Other than that, we're over each other's houses basically every Saturday night, or Sunday night.
The kids being relatively close in age also comes in handy though, they're always asking to see each other. I still can't believe that Matteo is now 15. He is the closest with Mason, as Mason looks up to him for his footy as Matteo is awesome like his Dad.
They're already speaking about him getting drafted as the number one pick in a couple of years which is awesome!
We've watched our kids grow up with their cousins and it's probably one of the best things ever.
"Mum!" Maya says and I smile as she walks up to me. "Guess what I got?"
"What did you get?"
"I got a sticker on my writing book!" She says handing her writing book to me and my mouth drops.
"Oh my goodness! You got a sticker? Show me." I say excitedly as she opens the book for me and flicks to the page.
"It's here." She says and I smile.
"I am so proud of you! Did you get the sticker for writing this sentence?"
"Yes!" She says excitedly.
"Well done Maya! Let me see what you wrote."
"The sun is out today." I read and then look at Maya.
"Is that what you wrote?"
"Yes!"
"Good job! I am so proud of you missy!" I say just as she grabs the book out of my hand and goes back into the study.
Mason and Lucas have gone outside to kick the footy, as they usually do and now, it's just James and I inside, and I smile as he walks over to me, taking a seat next to me.
"Can you believe Mason is already 10."
"No. I can't." I say and he smiles.
"They've grown up so fast."
"I know." I say as I look at him.
"I've decided what I'm going to do." He says and I know instantly that he's talking about his future as an AFL player.
"What have you decided?" I ask and he smiles.
"I think it's time I hang up the boots, at the end of this season." He says and I nod, grabbing him and wrapping him in a hug.
"I am proud of you."
"I know." He says and I smile.
"Are you having second thoughts?"
"Part of me believes I can keep playing. But I've already missed so much time at home with you guys because of footy, I think it's enough."
"You could always see how you feel at the end of the season."
"That's what I thought about too, but maybe the club want me out... I don't know, it's too hard to tell right now."
"It is. But you know whatever you decide, we'll be here supporting you."
"I know baby." He says and I smile as he leans in and places a kiss on my lips.
As I sit here, with James beside me, watching our kids play outside, I can't help but be overcome with a sense of happiness, and proudness with what we've achieved. James and I have been married for 10 years. 10 years already. We have both grown so much as people, and have learnt so much together over the years.
I can't help but be proud of how far James and I have come. It was more than 15 years ago when we first met in Noosa, but it feels just like yesterday.
We are married and have three beautiful kids. It's something I have always been dreaming of, and to have it all just feels so surreal. But I am extremely grateful for how things worked out.
So I thank Josh Dunkley for breaking my heart, because it made me wake up and realise that I wasn't getting treated how I should have been. Or how I deserved to be treated. That whole breakup, was a blessing in disguise, because it helped me meet the love of my life.
That being said, I truly am a big believer in that everything happens for a reason. Everything that happened with guys in my life, was leading up to this moment, right here, right now being with James, the most incredible person I have ever met.
Someone once told me that you don't find love, it finds you. It's got а little bit to do with destiny, fate, and what's written in the stars.
And it's true, I wasn't looking for love, I was heartbroken, love found me, James found me.
And I am so fucking glad he did.
He will always be my Summer Love, but now, he is more than that.
He is my entire world...
We pull away from our kiss and I smile, looking up into his gorgeous eyes.
"I love you with my entire heart."
"And I love you." He says and I smile, resting my head on his chest as we look out the window and watch our three gorgeous kids play markers up in the backyard...
The end..
***
WOW.
Summer Love has officially come to an end :(
It has been one hell of a ride but Tahls has thankfully finally found her happiness.
I would just like to say a massive THANK YOU, to everyone who has stuck by me in these past couple of months, if I'm being honest, it was pretty difficult to get this story done, to the standard that I wanted it at with school and all but I managed to get it done!
I hope you guys enjoyed reading this story, and enjoyed watching Tahls grow and develop as a person.
I will keep you guys posted on what's to come next! As there may or may not be another story on the way (probably after end of year exams are done I will start writing it!)
Anyways, remember to vote and comment!
See you guys the next time I update :)
PS; there might be a little bonus chapter in this story :)