"Daddy please can I go on the swings? Pretty please with whipped cream and a cherry on top?"
"How can I say no to that face? Just take your brother with you and watch over him."
"Okay Daddy! Come on Tommy!"
Duncan smiled as he watched Ella, now seven, skip away, brown pigtails bouncing, holding her five year-old brother Tommy's hand. His kids were growing up so fast and he didn't like that. He admired Courtney as she leaned over and spread out the blanket and placed down the picnic basket while simultaneously keeping an eye on their youngest child, two-year old Clara, who wobblingly made her way to her Dad and the family's rescued mutt, Rex.
"Come on Clar-bear, a few more steps," Duncan encouraged.
When she got close enough he pulled her to him quickly causing her to giggle.
"There's my happy girl."
Clara quickly began to squirm in his grasp and point to her older siblings, babbling incessantly.
"You want to go on the swings too, huh? You're still a little young for the big girl swings, don't you think Mom?"
"Yup. And how many times have I asked you not to call me Mom? It's creepy when you say it," Courtney explained, taking a seat next to her husband of nine, almost ten, years.
"Well you know I don't listen baby."
Ella and Tommy, who had already grown tired of the swings, returned to their parents and interrupted them.
"Mommy, me and El want to go play in the sandbox. Can we?"
Courtney surveyed the distance between their picnic spot and the parks large sandbox before responding, "I guess, but make sure you can always see us, okay?"
"Thank you Mommy," Tommy smiled, wrapping his little arms around her neck in a hug.
"Your welcome. Take Clara with you to please."
"Awe, Mom, but she's so annoying."
"Thomas," Duncan cut in, his voice stern, "don't say that about your sister. And don't argue with your mother."
Tommy sighed and rolled his blue eyes towards the sky, knowing he had lost because his Dad had used his full name.
"Fine, come on Clara." Ella took one hand and Tommy the other and the three Evers siblings made their way to the sandbox.
"Alone at last." Duncan grinned lasciviously at Courtney, pulling her close and trailing kisses up her neck.
Courtney moaned a little, closing her eyes in pleasure before coming to her senses and pushing him away gently.
"Not here, are you crazy? We're not teenagers anymore."
"You could've fooled me. Three kids and you've never looked hotter." Courtney rolled her eyes.
She threw a glance at the sandbox and gently pet Rex, who wagged his tail at the attention.
"God they've gotten so big. It feels like it was just yesterday that Ella was born and now she's in first grade."
"I know. Tommy's in kindergarten and we only have about a year until Clara goes to preschool."
"You know what this means right?" Courtney questioned. Duncan raised an eyebrow questioningly as he lay back on the blanket.
"It means we're getting old."
"Speak for yourself."
"Duncan we're thirty-four."
"Yeah and in the prime of our lives."
Having learned over the years that when he spoke in the matter-of-fact tone that he was speaking in now he wouldn't listen to a thing she said, Courtney wisely changed the subject and began unpacking the picnic basket.
"So I got Bridgette her baby shower gift yesterday. It's a little pair of jean overalls with a surfboard on the front; I thought it was beyond appropriate."
"Nice. Ya know it's so amusing to see Geoff start freaking out about impending fatherhood. He used to make fun of me all of time; I can't wait to return the favor."
"That's horrible," Courtney admonished, although the grin that spread across her face gave her true feelings away. "Did you harass Andrew or Trent or Harold or Owen? I don't think so."
"As a brother it was my duty to dispense Andrew, and Sherry, advice before they had Taylor. Trent was my homie when you were preggers with Ella, so screwing with him was off limits. Besides it was obvious him and Gwen were gonna be great artsy parents anyway," Duncan explained.
"Well what about Harold and Owen?"
"Never messed with them either. I was too afraid LeShawna or Izzy would kill me. What about you, you didn't try to scare Lizzy?"
"Of course not! I knew Kellan would be a great dad and I knew Lizzy would…figure it out," Courtney said. She turned to Rex and gave him a carrot before telling him to "Go get Ellie, Tommy, and Clara."
The mutt trotted off towards the sandbox to follow his master's orders, tail wagging the whole way.
"I love that dog."
"I know," Courtney said, rolling her eyes. "Sometimes I think you love him more than you love me."
"Well the dog does listen to me," Duncan joked, trailing off when he noticed his wife's stern glare.
Grinning, Courtney leaned in and captured his lips in a passionate kiss.
"Love you too, delinquent."
As Rex walked the Evers children back to their parents, Duncan sprang up removing the high-tech digital camera from the picnic basket and then its case, setting it up in front of the blanket.
"Daddy, are we getting our pictures taken?"
"We sure are Princess. Okay guys go over by Mommy and smile big."
Duncan set the timer and ran back to his spot next to Courtney, who was holding a laughing Tommy in a tight hug as she tickled him lightly, Rex sitting on the other side of her howling. Sitting down he pulled Ella and Clara, his two Princesses, into his lap splitting kisses between them causing them to giggle and shriek happily.
The camera beeped and the flash went off capturing the family candidly. In later years, as the children grew-up, it would become Duncan and Courtney's most cherished picture. For now though, the Evers were together and happy, enjoying their time as a family.
Duncan and Courtney had finally gotten their 'Happily Ever After.'
A/N: The End! I just wanted to say a huge "Thank You!" to all of my reviewers (and even those who follwed, but didn't review)! I had a blast writing this story and am so glad you guys enjoyed it so much! You guys rock! Thanks! :D