Today is the day the hiatus ends, and so does this fic. Personally, this summer has been a roller coaster, but writing this fic remained a constant. Your supportive reviews have also been a constant, and for that I'm grateful. Thank you to everyone who took the time to read and leave a comment. You have no idea just how much your kind words made everything brighter. I'm tearing up just thinking about it - how this fandom is just full of the best people and I'm so glad I've stumbled into it. I'm looking forward to freaking out with you guys all through S9.

Here's the epilogue – a fluff piece to help us ease into the premier.

Epilogue

Jay

"So you're just going to stand here and stare at them?"

I laugh and look over my shoulder to see Will walking up behind me.

"Maybe," I answer. "Just taking it all in."

Will pats my shoulder and says, "it is a nice view."

"Get your own wife, Will."

When I go mock punch him, he laughs and pulls me into a hug. "Congratulations, bro. Mom and dad would be proud."

"Thanks, Will. Now go enjoy the party, and maybe find yourself a wife."

He laughs and joins the others.

I continue watching Hailey from across the dance floor, holding our daughter, Ellie. Ellie is nearly two. She has her mother's beautiful blue eyes, blond curls, rosy cheeks, and my freckles. She is lighthearted, happy, and just easy as it goes. But don't be fooled by her easy-going ways. When Ellie has been wronged, when the object of her love has been besmirched, she will rise up and strike you down with the fury of one thousand Disney princesses – a trait I know she inherited from her mom.

I stand for several more moments, watching Hailey in her white dress. Ellie's in white, too, and I realize that heaven does exist on earth. If someone reached into my chest and tore out my heart, transforming it into a living, breathing thing, it would be a cross between Hailey and Ellie.

Hailey and I were always meant to be together, so much so that when we parted ways, the world spun so fast that gravity pulled us back to the center – to each other, into each other's arms, and into each other's soul.

Hailey is my soulmate.

Ellie is the expansion of our love.

The late afternoon sea breeze hits the back of my neck pushing me gently in their direction. Hailey spots me and smiles wide as she bounces our girl in her arms. When I reach them, I take Ellie and she grabs onto my neck and wraps her little arms around me. She gives the best, head-on-your-shoulder, squeeze-you-tight-and-don't-let-go hugs.

"Did you have fun dancing with mama?" I ask and Ellie pulls back, giving me a big smile. Her eyes smile, too, and her button nose wrinkles up in the same way Hailey's does. The sight literally makes my heart skip a beat.

"We've been having loads of fun," Hailey answers. "Where have you been?"

"I was admiring the view," I say, loving the way the compliment makes her cheeks turn pink. "How are you doing?" I ask.

"I'm doing good. Babe's doing good too," she says, running her hand over her baby bump. "Kicking up a storm in here."

"That's good, right?"

"Yeah, it's good. But my ribs might think otherwise."

I laugh and slip an arm around her shoulder. "Since everyone is pretty distracted at the moment," I say looking around at the reception crowd, "How about we go for a walk? Take a little break?"

She leans into me and says, "Yes, please."

"How about you, little lady? You want to go walk around for a bit?" I ask and Ellie beams me a smile that can brighten the hardest heart on a cold, dark day.

"Wah-k! Wah-K!" she exclaims excitedly.

"Okay, then. Let's sneaky out of here."

We stroll along the sidewalk by the white sandy beach while Ellie saunters a couple of steps ahead of us, picking up forgotten shells and little rocks as she goes. We've always said we would get married by the beach, and it turned out to be the best decision we could have made. Everything about today has been perfect. Even the way the sun has been shining on Hailey all day has been perfect – outlining her face, making her look like a literal Greek goddess.

"Third Trimester," I say. "Final stretch."

Hailey smiles, and the nervousness that had been there the last few months is now gone. It's the reason why I wanted to set our wedding date for now, rather than earlier in her pregnancy.

Despite carrying Ellie to term, Hailey still struggles with the fear of miscarrying. Though less so this time around. When we found out about Ellie, she freaked out when she saw those two lines on the pregnancy test. We had just gotten engaged and had no plans to start a family. However, a weekend trip to the cabin two months prior had done the trick. I always joke that Ellie was born out of a love so deep that transcended all forms of contraception.

We walked on eggshells for months, fearing there would be another heartbreak, another loss. Both of us held back from fully enjoying what should have been one of the happiest moments in our lives.

…

"Twenty-four weeks tomorrow," I said, entering our bedroom.

Hailey sat herself at the edge of the bed, her hands gripping her round baby bump. Her eyes were warm and tender as she smiled, though warily.

"It's going by fast," she said, her tone was tinged with relief and another emotion I couldn't quite place. Then she blinked several times, lowered her head, and gasped, looking down at her belly.

"What's the matter?" A cold shiver ran down my spine.

Hailey looked up, her eyes wide. "The baby is kicking," she said softly.

I smiled and came to kneel in front of her. I lifted her shirt and leaned closer to our growing baby. "Hi, little one."

Hailey gasped and I felt another kick, stronger this time. "I think it knows your voice already."

"You think so?"

Another jab.

"Take that as a yes," Hailey said.

"I can't wait to meet you," I said and let my hands fall from her belly to her thighs. "Have you thought of names?"

"I don't think we should make a list just yet," she said with a tight-lipped smile. It was then that I recognized the unidentified emotion in her voice – it was contained excitement.

"Hailey, we should plan. We should set up the room, buy a crib, pick a name."

"I know, it's just…" Her voice drooped sadly to a hopeless note and went unfinished.

I ran a smoothing hand up and down her thighs. "Look, I get it. I really do. But everything looks good. All the tests came back normal. The baby is growing and kicking and he or she will be here in less than four months."

Hailey pressed her lips together and nodded.

I took a seat next to her and she leaned her head against my shoulder. She was suddenly nervous, so I gently took her hand in mine, bringing it to my lips and kissing her fingers one at a time.

"I have a name," I piped up.

"You do?" she asked. "For a boy or a girl?"

"Girl."

At that, she tensed next to me.

"You know there's a 50/50 chance it's a girl, right?" I said.

She laughed. "I know." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Okay, tell me?"

"Here it is – Ellie, short for Eleanor," I said, before she could respond I explained, "I figured both of our daughters can be named after my mom – there are no rules against that, right? And we didn't actually name big sister, I just know you thought about calling her Nora, right?"

"Yeah."

"So, that way they will always be connected in a way. Eleanor, my mom. Nora, her big sister, and Ellie here," I said rubbing her belly. "What do you think?"

"I like it," she said. "That's very sweet. But what if it's a boy?"

"I have a feeling it's a girl," I said.

A laugh bubbled up her throat, and she shook her head. "I didn't know you were thinking about baby names."

"All I think about it's you and the baby. I can't think of anything else."

Hailey gives me a weak chuckle.

"Work's barely holding my attention because I'm dreaming about our little family."

Hailey sighed and turned her head, then her lips were on my shoulder. "Jay?"

"Yeah?"

"You know that I want nothing more than to hold this baby in my arms, right? I want to plan everything, I want to choose a color for the nursery, I want to be able to buy little clothes and blankets, I want to do it all…I want to be happy."

"Hailey, I know—"

"But I can't… not yet."

I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her hair. The baby kicked and we smiled.

…

We continue walking along the beach and we finally reach a sandy path where Ellie pauses to play, planting herself on the ground to dig. Hailey and I find ourselves a bench nearby and just watch her.

"How has your day been so far," I ask her.

"Ummm, let's see… I woke up in a room overlooking the ocean, then I got myself all dolled up in this pretty white dress, and then I got married," she says casually, lifting her left hand, donning her engagement and wedding rings.

"Lucky guy."

"Yeah, he is very lucky," she says, bumping shoulders with me.

I laugh. "Eventful day, huh?"

"Best day."

I turn to look at her and lean in to kiss her lightly, just a small peck. I lace my fingers through hers and bring it up to my lips.

"I can't believe we are finally married," I whisper against the soft skin of her hand.

"I know. took us long enough," she says chuckling.

We had hoped for a short engagement, but Ellie's unexpected appearance threw a wrench in the works. Then, after she was born, a good amount of chaos ensued, and we both put the wedding plans on hold. But after Ellie turned one, we resumed planning, only to discover Hailey was pregnant again, but this time we went ahead with the plans.

"We never discussed a honeymoon," I say.

"Well," she smiles, motioning to her growing bump. "I figured we would need to postpone it for a few months. I actually want to enjoy it."

I smile. "Okay, we can go anywhere in the world you want. Just name it."

"It doesn't have to be anywhere fancy. How about the cabin?"

"We can go there now if you like. But isn't there somewhere you'd like to go?"

She thinks for a long time. "I don't know. Where would you like to go?"

"Well, I hope this isn't going to be a difficult marriage with neither of us making a decision."

A laugh erupts from her lips. "Okay, okay… let me think. Umm… Maybe Greece? My Greek is a little rusty, but I think I remember enough."

"That's an excellent idea, Mrs. Halstead. We'll plan a Honeymoon in Greece."

Ellie walks towards us covered in sand, head to toe. "Ro-ks, mama?"

"Those are some cool rocks, girlfriend," Hailey says. "Want to put them in your pocket?"

"Poh-ket?" she parrots.

"Oh yeah, your dress has pockets, little lady."

Hailey places the rocks inside the side opening on Ellie's dress and she looks adorably smug now, like she's holding on to a secret.

"We should probably head back," Hailey says. "Everyone is probably looking for us."

I smile. "Yeah, let's head back. It will probably be time to cut the cake."

We walk slowly back, my hand in Hailey's, Ellie running ahead of us in her pretty dress... and a memory flashes through my mind. A few years back, while Hailey and I were people watching, we saw a couple with two small children, and I remember Hailey asked, what if you can't be them?

"Hey," I say, tugging at her hand. "Remember when we saw that couple at the park with the kids, and you were worried we couldn't be them?"

Hailey flashes me a shy smile, her cheek flushing a sweet pink. "I remember," she says with a sigh. "I had started therapy and things between us were also starting back up."

"Look at us now," I tell her. "We are them, with the exception that one of our kids is still cooking. Ellie even has the same frock-looking dress as the little girl from that day."

Hailey smiles, her free hand coming to smooth the baby in her belly.

"It seems like a lifetime ago," she says reflectively.

"I know, right?" I pull the intertwined hand to my lips again and kiss it. "Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give past Hailey?"

Hailey shakes her head with a distant smile on her lips. "I would tell her to just let go. I was clinging to things thinking they were life jackets, but in reality, they were anchors that kept me down." She shrugs her shoulders slightly and looks up at me. "What advice would you give young Jay?"

"I would tell young Jay to just kiss the girl."

Hailey raises an eyebrow at me. "That's it? That's all the advice you would give your young self, knowing everything you know now?"

"Yup," I say cheekily.

Hailey laughs and rolls her eyes.

"What would you have done if I had kissed you that day in the hospital lobby?"

Hailey shrugs her shoulders a bit with a sheepish smile. "God, I'm not sure what I would've done."

"Kissed me back?" I prompt.

"Probably, but then I would've undoubtedly slapped you, too," she adds.

My laugh comes quick. "Fair enough. I would've deserved it."

"You're crazy," she says.

"Yeah," I agree. "For you."

"Oh, and cheesy, too."

I kiss her hair and smile, a big, dopey grin that makes my cheeks ache.

We return to our reception and our absence was obviously noticed. But we go ahead and cut the cake, and after Hailey hands me a piece, I carefully dig into the white frosted masterpiece and cut her a piece as well. I take a bite, but in my periphery I watch Hailey's lips turn up, and the way her blues are watching me as she holds a thickly frosted piece of cake has me on alert.

"You're thinking is really loud," I tell her.

She narrows her eyes, taking a bite off the cake. "What?"

I'd be a liar if I didn't say I'm a little scared, but Hailey doesn't plaster me with the frosted cake, instead, her sweet tasting fingers playfully touch my lips – teasing. So, I grab for her wrist and pull her close so that I slide my own frosting-covered mouth against hers.

Kim howls while holding on to a happy Ellie.

"Let's get the party started!" Ruzek exclaims, causing the crowd to hoot and holler.

But it all fades into the background as we kiss like there's no one watching. Like we don't have a whole host of cells phone trained on us.

"Hey," I say when we finally come up for air, "I love you."

"I love you too," she says and her greedy hands go for my vest, eager to drag me back down for another kiss. This time it's less frantic, less hurried. This kiss is a leisure dance, a slow exploration. Her lips are gentle and sugary sweet, trailing soft, teasing nips on my bottom lip.

Someone – I think Adam – yells for us to get a room. So, we break apart, breathless and laughing.

Hailey rests her head against my chest. Beneath her cheek, my heart beats a rapid rhythm that matches her own.

"Looks like our time's up," she says.

I brush her hair back from her face and run a finger along her jawline. "More like It's just beginning."

We join everyone on the dance floor and we have the best time of our lives. Even after most of the guests have left, the music continues to play. And when a slow song starts, I murmur into her ear, "One last dance?"

Despite the baby bump, Hailey still fits perfectly with my body as she places her hands on my chest. My left-hand wraps around her back as we sway sideways. She is a surprisingly good dancer. I don't feel as coordinated as her, but that doesn't stop me from dancing with my wife.

I feel the baby kicking and look down at her belly.

"Someone's dancing too," Hailey says, running a hand over the kicking foot.

Wanting more, I wrap my arms entirely around her (I still can, probably won't in the coming months), moving in closer. She smells amazing. I will never get over the fact that she will always feel incredible against me, making my whole body heat from the inside out. We continue to move in tandem, circling around and around. This whole day I've been in a heavenly daze.

As the song comes to an end, I lean my forehead against hers, closing my eyes. "This is the best day, huh?"

Being more brazen, she closes the distance between my mouth and hers, kissing me. It is short, just a peck, but full of her warmth.

"A dream."

Then we hear Ellie whining somewhere behind us. We look and find her in Kim's arms rubbing her eyes sleepily. The girl is exhausted. I take her from Kim and she buries her head in the crook of my neck, her little face rubbing against my shirt a few times.

"Someone's tired," Hailey says, running a soothing hand over our girl's back. She kisses her blond curls, inhaling her sweet scent.

"Maybe we can sway for a little longer," I suggest.

"I like that."

So we sway. The four of us.

The jazz number playing in the background makes it easier for us to move together. Hailey's piercing blue eyes lock with mine, and I can do little else but smile like a schoolboy with a crush. I will forever be under her spell and honestly, I couldn't care less.

"Did I mention how beautiful you look today?" I tell her.

The vision of her coming down the aisle, smiling so big and beautiful will be forever etched in my mind.

"Maybe once or twice." She smiles.

"You," I whisper as I pull her close with my free hand, nibbling on her ear, "are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Tummy and all," I grin and her cheeks turn bright pink. She bites her lip, clearly holding back a retort. The look in her eye promises retribution, but I know it won't come right now.

"I've never been happier than I'm right now," I add, "and I can't wait to spend our lives together, Mrs. Halstead."

"Me too, and you look quite handsome today, too."

I lean forward and kiss her, keeping it chaste. "How are your feet? Are they hurting, yet?"

"Just a little, but…" She lowers her gaze and lifts her dress, revealing her bare feet. "I'm okay now."

I laugh and twirl her slowly on the dance floor while holding our sleeping daughter with the other. We sway together, more or less in time with the music. Just enjoying the closeness.

Once the music ends, I cup her face in my free hand and bring my lips to hers. "I love you, babe," I murmur.

"I love you, too," she answers back with a smile.

Later, Kim happily takes a sleeping Ellie for the night and I follow Hailey to our honeymoon suite. I catch her by the hand and she turns. I smile brazenly. "Maybe we can go upstairs and…"

She raises an eyebrow.

"…I can rub your feet," I finish cheekily.

"Mhmm," she hums happily. "I like that."

I keep my promise and I do rub her feet and her back and everywhere else too. For the first time, I make love, sweet tender, passionate, riveting love to my beautiful wife.

Hailey and I know that there's no light without darkness – there's no joy without pain – but today we promised each other, through it all, that we would always choose to be here, living in the moment, right by each other's side.

The end.