I pass my mother-in-law and catch her trying to hold back laughter.
Taylor and Brooklyn were right. These people are just like us—maybe just with their noses a little higher in the air.
When LJ sees me running, he steps down from the altar with our son in his arms, his strong arms forming a fortress around our boy.
"Down, Daddy," our tiny tyrant demands. As soon as his father sets him down, he bolts toward me.
I crouch and scoop Sedric into my arms—and seconds later, Lazarus wraps both of us in a hug.
"You, acting on impulse, my wife? I thought you hated attention," he teases.
"The bridal march felt way too slow. I can’t stay away from you two for that long. I don’t care about protocol. My love for you is shameless and unstoppable."
Months Later
"Bowder?" Sedric asks, resting his head on my five-month baby bump.
"Yup, another little boy," LJ says. "You’re gonna be the big brother now, son."
"Bigbowther!" he shouts, pounding his chest like Tarzan.
"Jesus, he’s going to boss the little one around. Good thing it’s not a girl."
"I still want a girl," Lazarus says.
"Let’s build a team, husband. Fill up a whole town. We’ve got a full life ahead of us."
"You turned my world upside down, Alexis. Before you, I was just an arrogant bastard."
"And now?"
"Still a bastard. Still arrogant. But now, the luckiest man who’s ever lived."
"Wowcky!" Sedric shouts.
"That’s right, buddy. Daddy’slucky."
Lazarus
EPILOGUE 2
Years Later
From the moment our paths crossed, my world changed.
The man who refused to see shades of gray fell for the girl who loved every color.
The cold-hearted doctor fell to his knees for the woman who, even though terrified, only wanted to be loved.
The bastard without a heart cared for hers—restored its steady rhythm—even though mine always skips out of control whenever Alexis is near.
Once, she was a memory. A loss.
Today, she’s the air I breathe.
Our story is no fairy tale. There was pain. Hurt. Resentment. Fear. We fought enemies—some real, some hidden. There was pride, lies, and silence.
But love tipped the scale in our favor. It unbalanced everything—in the best way possible. Because we won.
