And here it is, the epilogue.

It's been a wonderful journey guys, and I've never loved a story as much as I love this one. I've kept this epilogue short and sweet, knowing that our minds can do the rest. I hope you have all enjoyed this story as much as I have and keep reading and re-reading!

I hope to see you all soon, with some new stories and ones that I have to update. But for now, goodbye!

I love you all! Every single one...

Keep dreaming guys.

oxoxox

"Jesse! Daniel! Sophie! Come and put some more sunscreen on!" I call across the field to my three young children, at 51's annual Firehouse BBQ.

Sophie, our four-year old daughter, was the first to bound over with her dark curls bouncing as she went. She had taken after me and Matt daily says, 'The more she grows the more she looks like her momma.' She throws herself into my arms and kisses my cheek, a large smile forming on her face, "Mommy! Chief Boden was teaching how to play leap-frog!"

I chuckle as a worn out Chief threw himself into the chair beside me, "She gets her energy from you Gabriella."

I hand him a beer as my middle child Daniel, a six-year-old who was a perfect mixture of Matt and myself with my dark hair, skin and nose, and with his dads blue eyes and plump lips, landed on my lap.

"Mom! I beat Mills at soccer!" He exclaims happily, his cheeks flushed from running around in the hot sun.

"That's great sweetie, just hold still a little..." I reply, trying to lather a wiggling Daniel and Sophie in sunscreen.

Mills came up to us chuckling with a soccer ball in hand, "Hey Dawson, let me help you there," he places Daniel in front on him and rubs the sunscreen on his face, as I do the same with Sophie, who was babbling with the Chief about how much she liked leap-frog.

"Sophie, hunny, have you seen your brother? As old as he thinks he is Jesse still needs sunscreen in this heat," I tut, Jesse, the image of his dad, was at the age where everything he said and did was right and no one could tell him otherwise.

She beams up at me with a wide smile, "I haven't seen him since I was playing with Chief Boden!"

Her and Daniel then bound off with Mills and Otis to get some BBQ, as Shay slides down beside me with Nicole following suit.

"Hey girls, have you seen Jesse? He needs more sunscreen..." I mumble off, scanning the crowded field for my eldest.

Shay chuckles, throwing her arm haphazardly over Nicole's shoulder, "He's off somewhere with Jack and their father's no doubt."

I huff, "Well Matt should know better, it's scorching out and with both of them having fair skin, I'll be taking lobsters home with me tonight."

As if on que Matt and Kelly charge over with Jesse and Jack thrown over their shoulders, "Dad!" Jesse exclaims frustratingly, "I'm eight now! Stop carrying me like I'm a baby!"

Matt sets Jesse down in front of me and I begin lathering him in sunscreen, already noticing a slight reddening of his skin, "Sorry bud, but when I hear that your momma is on a mission with sunscreen, I'm not gonna argue."

Matt leans down to place a kiss to my head as I tell him that he should know better, "Kelly and I were teaching the boys how to play basketball, wasn't until Cruz gave us the heads up did we know to come over."

As Jesse and Jack hurry off to play more basketball with the other kids, now both fully lathered in sunscreen, I lay back into Matt's chest relaxed that my children were as protected as they could be on this summer day.

Shay has some how found her way into resting her head in Nicole's lap as Kelly hands us all a beer from the ice, "Crazy how quick they've grown up..." he ponders, watching as all the children had teamed up to play soccer with another group of kids.

I sigh watching as Sophie, my wonderful little girl, runs around carelessly where as a year ago, she was a little unsteady on her feet when she ran. I notice Daniel's increasing independence and ability to calm a growing quarrel between the group of kids, and then I watch as Jesse stood next to a girl around him, blushing slightly at something she had said. His first crush.

"They still have a lot of growing up to do Kelly," I counteract weakly, time was passing far too quickly for my liking. Was it really eight years since I had Jesse?

Matt wraps his arms around my waist, rocking us gently to the rhythm of the music that was playing behind us, "Hey," he murmurs in my ear, "We still have years and years until they fly from the nest baby, stop worrying."

"They're my babies Matt, it's my job to worry."

I can feel him smile against my hair, "I think we're doing pretty great job baby."

"Couldn't ask for anything else," I hum, relaxing more and more with his every word. I was still amazed after all this time, at how Matt could do that.

"I love you," he whispers, "And I thank you with every second that I'm breathing for the wonderful family that we have together."

"Ditto," I reply, kissing his lips with every ounce of love I've felt for him since the day we met and the days we still have to come.

I was well aware of how life could throw us curveballs at any given moment, but right then at that moment, my life was complete. Full with everything I needed. My job as a paramedic along with Shay and the guys at 51. My wonderful god-son, Jack. My new best friend, Nicole. My lifetime best friend, Shay. Kelly, one of the most amazing people I know. My family at 51. My beautiful, loving, wonderful, adoring husband, Matt. My firstborn and ray of light, Jesse. My sweet little Daniel, the kindest person I will ever know. My gorgeous little girl Sophie, and her endless grace and beauty.

I would be forever thankful for these beautiful things in my life, knowing that by one twist of fate everything could change as we all knew it. It was life, but it was my life, our life, and I wouldn't change it for the world.

I would be forever dreaming about Lieutenant Matthew Casey.