Rhys
A year later.
"Hey! Stop right there!" I groaned, watching in disbelief as Kayla sprinted across the sand with a handful of wet debris.
We were spending a quiet afternoon on the Monaco beach, soaking in a bit of family time after a grueling hockey season.
For the first time in four years, the Northern Avalanche hadn’t taken home the Stanley Cup, but honestly, none of us were taking it to heart. Kayden and I had spent parts of the season in and out of the lineup to focus on the twins, and our star center, Miller, was out for the second half of the year on parental leave.
That was because Miller was pregnant with Leo’s baby.
Nobody had seen it coming. Everyone on the team had bet good money that Leo would be the one carrying first, so when the news broke four months ago, the entire locker room was in absolute shock.
We were also in town for Nico and Alaric Villier’s wedding, which was set to take place over the weekend.
"Dada!" Kayla squealed delightfully, tossing her sandy palm straight onto Leo’s sleeping face where he was stretched out on a towel.
Leo bolted upright with a sudden sputtering cough, wiping sand off his nose. He turned toward Kayla and made an exaggerated growling noise.
Kayla let out a high-pitched scream, scrambling away as fast as her little legs could carry her. "Papa!" she squeaked, diving behind Kayden to hide.
"Hey, you annoying doctor, don’t you dare touch my pretty baby," Kayden warned playfully, swatting Leo’s hand away.
Leo groaned, rubbing his forehead in defeat. "Why can’t she be gentle like her brother?" he complained, glancing over at Rowan, who was peacefully napping on Miller’s bump. "Look at Rowan—pure serenity! Can’t you take a nap too, little Kayla? Why do you have to take after your father so much?"
"Hey!" I called out from my spot on the towel, cross-legged and covered in bright washable face paint.
While I was taking a quick power nap earlier, Kayla had sneaked up on me with her toddler-safe paint kit. I hadn’t even realized what she had done until I woke up and Kayden pointed out my complete facial makeover.
Kayla was the ultimate little prankster—full of boundless energy, bright laughter, and brilliant mischief. Rowan, on the other hand, was just as sassy and sweet as Kayden, preferring quiet cuddles over chaotic running around.
"You look like a circus performer," Leo teased, examining my painted cheeks. "Medical diagnosis is a severe hyper-dermal pigmentation caused by acute toddler affection!"
"Shut the f—" I caught myself mid-sentence as my eyes met Kayla’s big, curious blue ones. The last thing I needed was my eleven-month-old daughter picking up four-letter words on a beach in Monaco.
I forced a sweet smile at Leo, shaking my head as I stood up. "I’m going down to the water to wash this off."
"Dada, no!" Kayla shouted instantly, rushing over to grab my legs as if she understood my exact words. She was not even a year old yet, but she somehow understood everything. Sometimes, I swore she could read my mind.
She reached both arms up, silently demanding to be carried.
"Alright, alright, Dada won’t wash it off," I promised, lifting her up onto my hip. She immediately snuggled her face into the crook of my neck, giggling softly.
"Looks like your daughter has decided you’re wearing that makeup for the rest of the day," Kayden chuckled.
Beside him, Rowan let out a tiny, dramatic yawn, stretching lazily where he was resting against Miller’s belly. The movement woke Miller, who blinked heavily and rubbed his face.
"Did I sleep through that Filler guy’s wedding?" Miller mumbled, his voice thick with sleep as he gently wrapped an arm around Rowan.
Ever since Miller found out he was expecting, he and Rowan had developed a special bond. They spent so much time napping together that people joked Miller was practicing for twins of his own.
Leo, naturally, had launched into a twenty-minute medical lecture forbidding the idea, citing extreme gestational fatigue, elevated cardiovascular demand, and localized uterine expansion anxiety.
"It’s Villier, you annoying puck boy," a crisp voice called out.
Nico and Alaric walked down the sandy path, holding hands.
Miller rolled his eyes, but before he could retort, he caught Leo staring intently at Alaric. Even after all these years, Leo’s inner fanboy hadn’t faded one bit.
"Why the hell are you staring at him like that?!" Miller snapped, a sudden wave of pregnant jealousy flaring up. He handed Rowan carefully to Kayden, grabbed Leo by the ear, and hauled him off toward the edge of the beach to give him a piece of his mind.
Nico watched them go, letting out a smooth chuckle. "One thing you should never do is annoy a pregnant man," he noted dryly, before looking down at Rowan. "How is my little guy doing today?"
Rowan offered a tiny, shy wave before ducking his face straight into Kayden’s shirt.
Kayden laughed softly, rubbing our son’s back.
"The fireworks for the bachelor’s party will start on the water soon," Nico mentioned, gesturing back toward the docks. "We should head back to the yacht."
With a quick wave, Nico and Alaric turned to head back.
Kayden stood up, shifting Rowan into a comfortable position on his hip as he walked over to join me. He looked out over the sparkling Mediterranean coastline, a soft, nostalgic smile touching his lips.
"Hard to believe it’s been over a year since our wedding," Kayden murmured softly. "Look at everything that’s happened... from the ice, to the championship, to these two little miracles."
"Best decision of my life," I replied, holding Kayla close against my side.
"Let’s take a walk down the shore before we get on the boat," Kayden suggested.
We strolled side by side along the edge of the water, the gentle tide washing over our feet. With every few steps, we swung the twins up into the air together, earning bursts of pure, squealing laughter from Kayla and sweet, gummy giggles from Rowan.
Pausing near the water’s edge, I turned to Kayden. We leaned in, sealing our journey with a soft, lingering kiss under the afternoon sun.
When we pulled back, we lifted Kayla and Rowan up to our cheeks, letting our children press two messy, sun-warmed kisses against our faces.
Our family was complete, our home was full, and our story was right where it was always meant to be.
THE END
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter