Epilogue [Dean's POV]

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

SIX YEARS LATER
Dean & Sophia - Ages 28

"Dean! Catch that little rascal before she escapes!" I hear Sophia yell, quickly dropping my knife, wiping my hands on a dish towel, and lifting up the little rascal in question. She squirms in my arms, giggling uncontrollably which lights a smile to my face as I shift her so she's resting on my hip.

"Nahi! Nahi!" She speaks the word No in Urdu when she sees Sophia coming, laughing and trying to climb up my chest trying to plan an escape. It's a small struggle to contain her securely, but I manage to do so while walking up to meet Sophia halfway.

My wife has a secret smile in place, desperately trying to hide it and look stern as she looks at our daughter. "Gurhyaa, were you trying to run away from me?"

"Nahi, mama! No more shower."

"Yes, shower. We need to get you ready for bed, Noor. Come with mama."

"No! Papa," My daughter tugs on the fabric of my shirt, looking up at me with those big, baby doll eyes and the cutest little pout. "No shower." She tells me, like I'll find her a way out of this.

"Baby," I look down at her, cupping her little face in my hands and brushing hair away from her face. "You need to listen to mama and shower. You want to see Uncle Zayn tomorrow, don't you?" I ask to which she gives me a sullen nod. "Good, which means taking a shower." I lean down so my lips are close to her ear so I can whisper something that Sophia won't hear. "If you listen to mama, we can get ice cream tomorrow."

That has her lighting up immediately, a wide smile on her face as she wiggles her tiny body again to let me know that she wants to get down. With a kiss to her cheek, I gently bend over so I can do as told and watch as she obediently takes the hand Sophia is offering to her, sticking her free thumb into her mouth to suck as they both take tiny steps back towards the bathroom.

Zayn is her favourite uncle, of course, since he gives into every little demand Noor asks of him. Most of her toys and outfits are gifts from him and Ayesha, and when he isn't fawning over his own little girl he's busy spoiling ours instead. Their daughter, Maha, is best friends with Noor and since they live the closest to us we're frequently over for playdates, babysitting, or hangouts.

My hands are crossed over my chest as I watch them interact. My wife and daughter, my two sunshine girls who make everyday better for me. It's a privilege to be able to have this–them and something me and Sophia once thought we'd never be able to live.

Soon after we both turned twenty-four, Sophia made the decision to start trying for a child. While she may be infertile, that didn't mean she had zero chances of having a child, it just meant that the entire process would be difficult. We had a discussion and with the help of a couple of doctors for a second option, understood that trying earlier would be better for our chances.

Life for us at the ages of twenty-five and beginning of twenty-six was tough. Between false positives, a miscarriage, and depression, we were barely holding onto each other to make it through. Sophia's therapist and a couples counselor were a big part of why me and Sophia are so stable today. When people say that relationships were through thick and thin, they weren't joking but with our support system and undoubtful trust with each other, we were able to see the light at the end of the deep, dark tunnel.

I had proposed to Sophia amongst those hard months, on a day where we held each other tight on an emotional, difficult night. I realized that no matter what happened, I wanted her by my side always. We were a mess of tears, fear for the future and straight happiness with an understanding—no matter what, we had each other and as long as that was okay, we would be okay.

Until late age twenty-six, a miracle struck us both. We found out Sophia was pregnant during Ayesha and Zayn's Nikah (a ceremony where they exchange vows, signed papers, and made everything official) when Sophia realized she had missed her period and had a small amount of morning sickness. We had ran out to a close drug store during the after party to secure a pregnancy test.

While in the family stall of their venue, the music loud and guests laughing, dancing, eating, and mingling, was the moment where two pink lines showed up on the test and we collapsed against each other in joy and excitement.

Following that was a rush of Sophia taking it easy from her job as a paralegal for a law firm, bed rests, doctors appointments, and hospital visits. We were told that this would most likely be the only child we'd be able to conceive, and since we weren't even sure we'd be able to create just one Sophia and I had made peace with that situation a long time ago.

Finally, after nine excruciatingly long months Noor Adam Davis was born into the world.

With a small shake of my head, I walked back over to the kitchen sink, washing my hands and drying them off before resuming cooking dinner for the three of us. After Noor's bath, we would eat, brush our teeth, and head to bed early for Noor's first day of preschool tomorrow. She turned two not so long ago and between Sophia's and my job, we made the decision to enroll her in one that was near my place of work.

Not so long later, when I shut the oven door, did Sophia walk back out with Noor tucked in her arms. She was dressed in her favourite jammies—purple with golden stars—and extended her arms with a small noise to signal that she wanted me to hold her. I did as told, walking over to sit down at a bar stool while Sophia held a couple of things in her arms and set them down on the counter beside us.

"What do you tell mama?" I softly asked Noor, to which she turned to her mother with a sweet smile and replied.

"Shukriya, mama." Thank you, mama.

Sophia smiled wide, stepping forward to comb her damp set of curls, holding her little chin in her hand and kissing her tiny nose.

"Meri khoobsoorat gurhyaa," My pretty doll. Sophia gushed, doting on our daughter. She continued speaking Urdu to her, half of which I could understand.

Language was another thing Sophia wanted our daughter to take part in. It helped that Ayesha spoke fluent Urdu to our daughter, and since she had been taking Sophia over to her own family Sophia was quickly picking up the language again. Since Sophia never had the opportunity to learn it when she was younger since her mother died before she could be taught properly and her sorry excuse of a father never bothered, Sophia wanted to change that for our daughter and embrace her culture and language again.

Zayn was almost fluent due to his closeness with Ayesha and I, by association, was also getting a hand at the language if I do say so myself.

"Time to eat, sweetheart." I told Sophia, leaning over to press a quick kiss against her mouth. She reciprocated, pulling back and walking to the cabinets to pull out our dishware. I busied myself by putting Noor in her high chair, tucking it against the dinner table before going back to the kitchen to take the pan out of the oven.

While plating up our food, Sophia poured us waters, and then sat down across from me so we could assist our daughter with eating if she needed it.

Her motor skills were still developing and so was her taste and so what we found was best ways to give her a selection of foods that she could pick and choose from to fill her up.

Once dinner was done Sophia took the turn to wash the dishes and clean up as I got Noor ready for bed. We brushed our teeth, read a story, and I hummed her a little lullaby as she fell under, her arm hugging onto a stuffed cow she had gotten on her first birthday.

I shut off any lights I knew my forgetful wife had left on, patting down to our bedroom where Sophia was sitting up against the headboard, a book in her hands and a tired smile on her face. At the sight of me she bookmarked the page and shut it closed, setting it on her side table before waving me over and slumping down to get comfortable.

"Dean," She whined when I was taking too long, shutting the door closed behind me and flicking off the light pulling us in the dark. "Come here and kiss me, jaan."

"Does that kiss come with something?"

"Maybe a thank you if you're nice and do it quickly."

"My, sweetheart," I replied with a smile, walking to my side of the bed and lifting the covers. "I thought you'd say something more dirty."

"It's a school night!"

That has me laughing softly, pulling her into my arms and nuzzling my face into her neck, pressing kisses there every so often.

"A school night? Now those are words I never thought I'd hear you say. During our school nights you were making dick jokes left and right and waiting for us to fuck in every room of our apartment."

"I miss that place," She whispers, sighing. "All of our firsts happened there."

"I know," I respond, feeling nostalgic as well. Our life began at our old apartment but will continue at this house. "I miss it too. But you love this house. You're a garden freak."

"I do love this house. I love you, Dean."

"I love you back, baby." I smile against her skin, teasing her there as she tilts her neck to give me more access. My body shifts so I'm in between her legs now, the hand that isn't cupping her face sneaking under her t-shirt and tracing the band of her underwear. "How would you feel if I showed you just how much on a school night?"

Sophia whimpered just slightly, the noise so low as her legs kicked under me gently, a sign that she's needy and wants more. Her hands are trembling, holding onto my shirt as her lips part letting out breathy pants.

"Dean," She cries out in a whisper when my hand that's sunken into her underwear doesn't descend down to where she wants me the most. "Please." She begs me and while most days, I would play it out, today I want to satisfy her as much as I can in the little time we have.

As my wife did say, it is a school night.

•••


You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net