I could give you a hundred reasons why I'm just writing this epilogue, but all I can say is I appreciate ALL of your feedback so much, and that it means so much that you continue to read my stories when I do get around to writing them. ;)
I hope this epilogue will do some justice to wrapping up the story for you.
XO - Mel
Epilogue
"Olivia!" Alex called out. "Have you seen the box with the sheets for our bed? I found Noah's..."
"Babe, I think I saw the box stacked in the hallway," Olivia yelled back, clearly across the apartment.
Alex took a deep breath, trying to keep her wits about her with this whole moving thing.
She was more than excited to finally be all in one place with Olivia and Noah. She had no doubts about them combining their lives and their stuff, considering the last year they had been inseparable.
Alex stepped over clothes boxes and the pile of shoes, that Noah insisted he knew how to unpack. He did know how to unpack, just not where to put things away.
She stumbled, somewhat literally to the hallway, looking for the boxes labeled "sheets".
"Lex?"
"Yes, baby?" Alex answered from her knees as she inspected the stack of boxes.
"I give you this," Noah said holding his fist that was held tightly together towards her.
Alex stopped her shuffling, now giving her attention to Noah.
"What it is baby?" Alex asked as she held her hand open for whatever he was about to give her, and praying that the 4-year-old had not found some bug for her.
Noah dropped the object into Alex's hand.
She looked down, her eyes wide.
The diamond ring sparkling against her palm.
"Noah, what… where did you get this?" Alex asked confused.
"Mama said, I have to hold on to it tight and not droppeded it," Noah said looking at Alex innocently. "She says it is yours forever.
Alex's mouth open, her heart racing, unsure of what was really happening.
"Hey, Noah," Olivia said peering from around the corner, making her way to their place on the floor in the hallway. "Maybe Lex will let us put it on her finger, see if it fits her just right?"
Alex still looked at Olivia stunned as Olivia took the ring from Alex's hand. She then slid it on her left ring finger.
"A perfect fit," Olivia whispered.
"Olivia… what…"
"Alexandra Caroline Cabot, will you marry me?"
Tears immediately streamed from Alex's eyes.
"I', I, want nothing more, of course, I'll marry you."
Olivia leaned into Alex, kissing her passionately until they were interrupted by Noah's giggles.
"And you, remember the question you wanted to ask Lex?" Olivia said, trying desperately to hold back her own tears.
Noah nodded, understanding that was his que. "Lex, now will you be my mommy?"
"Baby, yes, yes, I will be your mommy, I love you so much," Alex said squeezing Noah tight.
AOAOAOAOAOAOAOAOAO
Olivia looked down at the diamond ring on her finger.
It wasn't ridiculous or overdone, but Olivia never saw herself as a big sparkling diamond type and in recent years not the marrying type.
But here she was married to her soulmate, and couldn't help but love the ring on her finger that was a reminder that she was Olivia Benson-Cabot.
Olivia grinned to herself, then looking over to Noah, his hair standing wildly as he had planted himself in front on the TV, his eyes fixated on the cartoon he had seen at least fifty times.
Still, in their pajamas, Olivia sipped her coffee that lazy Saturday morning.
"Babe?" Alex said, making her way around the corner of the kitchen.
"There are my girls!" Olivia said setting down her coffee, reaching for their baby girl and giving a quick kiss to her wife.
"Charlie!" Noah squealed at the sight of his baby sister.
Charlotte Benson-Cabot was born nearly 8 months ago.
Her birth mother had chosen Alex and Olivia to adopt her baby thanks to Trevor Langen.
And she was the perfect addition to their little family.
Not only had Alex and Olivia instantly fallen madly in love with their blue-eyed girl, but it seems to be love at first sight for big brother and little sister as well.
"Mrs. Benson-Cabot is that a red bikini you have on under there?" Olivia said peeking through Alex's open button down shirt.
"You like? I thought of you when I bought it." Alex said holding her shirt open to give Olivia a better view.
"Not like, I LOVE! Red bikini... good choice babe!" Olivia said stealing another kiss from Alex. "And you, baby girl look so cute," Olivia said, kissing Charlotte's chubby cheeks.
Charlotte had her very own bikini but was modestly covered in a matching tunic and hat, both Alex and Olivia were surprised she was allowing on her head.
"Noah, you and Mama need to go and get your swimsuits on, so we can go to the beach!"
"I gotta teach Charlie to jump the waves today!"
This was only their second day back in Martha's Vineyard this Summer.
Olivia told Noah he would have to wait until Charlotte was a little older before she could swim in the ocean, Noah had not forgotten and he considered her now old enough.
Alex and Olivia had made a promise to make more time to go to the house in Martha's Vineyard with the kids.
Alex had such a great childhood and created so many memories there, she wanted Noah and Charlotte to have the same experiences.
"Ok sweetheart, let let mommy have her coffee and you and I can get out swimsuits on and then we can all go to the beach!"
"Yes! Let's go!" Noah said no longer waiting for his Mama and headed for his room to change.
AOAOAOAOAOAOAO
"I remember going to the beach and all I took with me was sunglasses," Olivia said watching Alex unpack her over extended beach bag.
"I'm surprised you even wore sunglasses!" Alex teased.
"What can I say, I'm a sun worshiper. Now look at me, I'm slathering my wife and babies with a number sunscreen protection I never knew existed."
"Well your family had delicate skin, we can't all be bronze goddesses like you."
Olivia looked over to their son already digging in the sand and to their baby girl, already making herself comfortable next to Alex, under the giant blue and white striped umbrella.
She pulled off her cover up revealing her emerald green swimsuit, and yes her bronzed goddess like body.
Olivia caught Alex grinning.
"What?"
"Just admiring the view!" Alex said pulling her Rayban's down her nose so she could peek over the rims to get a better look at Olivia.
Olivia laughed. "Want me to take "Charlie?"
"No, I've got her. You and Noah should go catch some waves."
Noah hearing his Mommy's suggestion jumped up immediately.
"Ok, get your boogie board," Olivia coaxed.
"You watch us mommy?"
"Yes, baby."
"Charlie," Noah said peeking under the brim of his sister's hat, "You watch me ok?"
Charlotte reached out for her brother, waving her arms as if she were cheering him on.
Alex watched Olivia hold on to Noah and his boogie board, setting him up for just the right wave.
She looked down to see her daughters looking up at her, her eyes fluttering, fighting sleep for the excitement around her.
Looking into Charlotte's eyes, looking out and seeing Noah and Olivia, Alex was awestruck once again at how her life had changed, who she had become.
The decision to send Olivia flowers, tell her she missed her, and to boldly show up at her apartment on her birthday was the boldest move she had ever made.
Knowing what emptiness and misery her life was without Olivia, she vowed to never lose Olivia again.
And despite Olivia's justified hesitance to jump all in and Sydney showing up, and not giving Olivia any assurance, she didn't waiver. She didn't waiver in her vow to herself or to Olivia.
Sydney was long gone.
She had sent an apology to both Alex and Olivia, and let them know that she was cutting her time short in New York and that much to their relief, she would be headed to Milan for an extended time.
She had never expected Sydney to be the curveball in her relationship with Olivia. And even till this day, she can't believe the woman she once loved and trusted tried to sabotage her happiness with the love of her life.
"Mommy! You see me ride that wave."
"I did baby! You're so good!"
Olivia followed, she was grinning ear to ear at her son.
"Noah, let me dry you off a bit so you won't have sand all over you."
Noah obliged his Mama who had now made her way under the umbrella next to Charlotte and Alex.
"You both look content," Olivia said looking to her girls. "What ya thinking about?"
"How perfect you are."
"Hardly."
"To me, you're perfect."
Olivia smiled as she let Noah go from the hold of his towel and he headed back to his castle in the sand.
Olivia laid back in the lounge chair, looking over, Charlotte had given in and was fast asleep.
Olivia reached over for Alex's hand.
"What ya thinking about? Alex smirked repeating Olivia's question.
"I'm thinking you, me, Noah, Charlotte… us… it's all because of you. I owe all this happiness to you."
"I think we all had a little something to do with it."
"Yeah, but if you hadn't…"
"I was just thinking about that myself. If I hadn't…"
"Thank God for your persistence." Olivia offered.
"Or stubbornness," Alex countered.
"Whatever it was, I'm so thankful you came back to me, that you love me."
"I love you so much," Alex assured.
"You and me, these babies, this is forever. I'm in forever..."
Alex smiled, "I'm in too."
The End