This is the last that I'm going to write in this story. Its 10 years later. The twins are in 4th grade. All the couples have gotten married. Stephani had a baby not long after Beth. It was a boy and he's a little Reid. Here's the epilogue, I hope you enjoy it.
Beth stepped into the office and put her hands on her hips. "Stephani Grace Simms," she said raising her voice and the little girl in the chair bit her lip, which she could see from there was swollen as well as had some blood, recoiling in her seat. Beth had to fight the urge to feel bad. She had her father's eyes and she looked a lot like him at that moment. Both of her children had his eye color, Aiden looking much more like him than Grace, although they both had his smile. They didn't know where she had inherited her hair color. It was platinum blonde, even more white then silvery than Reid's and it was long and wavy. Grace was very tiny for her age but Beth never worried. It had always been like that. However, Aiden had always been her protector, from the first day of school to keeping her close when they went out; she was always taken care of. "What the hell were you thinking?" The office receptionist looked up at her so she lowered her voice. "You know fighting is not allowed." Grace hopped up. "But momma, he pushed Aiden because he told him not to mess with me. It's not my fault," she said throwing her hands up in the air. At the moment when she was about to tell Grace that it wasn't her place to push him back, the door swung open. Reid stepped in the office and looked around. "Hasn't changed much since my time here," he said as the door labeled 'nurse' opened and Reid's son Brett stepped out. He glared in Grace's direction.
Beth bit her lip as she took his face in. He was sporting a black eye, busted lip, and there was a tiny trickle of blood on his nose. "You're gonna pay for this," he said pointing at Grace. She put her hands on her hips while saying "You wanna start something, 'cause we can finish this right now if you want." He stepped toward her and she did the same, raising her fists as she went.
"GRACE" and "BRETT" were both cried at the same time as their respective parents jumped and grabbed them. The lady at the desk then stood up. "The policy on fighting is very clear. You both signed the papers saying you read and understood the children's handbooks. Suspended, two days. No making up the missed worked. Now please leave and keep those children under control." The sass in her voice was clear. Beth turned slowly to glare at her. She had the evil look down. "Excuse me," she said quietly. "Oh lord, here we go," Reid said, rolling his eyes to look up at the ceiling. "I am aware of the policy. We do have our children under control. However, if you want us to let them go at it, we can. Then you can try and tell us how to control our children. That is my little girl, not yours." For extra emphasis, she pointed to herself and then at the receptionist, adding a head cock with each point. "Now we are going to leave, but just know that if you ever imply that any of the Simms or Garwin children are out of control, you better hope that God will have mercy on you because I sure as hell won't. I will be behind that desk and I'll be whoopin' your skinny little ass before somebody can get in here and stop me. Have a nice day. Let's go Grace."
She sat behind her desk looking terrified. Beth snatched the door open and Reid was laughing hysterically as he took Grace's hand and said "Brett, we're leaving. I think we've caused enough grief for one day." He followed and both children were smiling as they looked back at the receptionist. Grace stuck her tongue out as the door swung shut.
Reid reached down and picked Grace up by the belt loop of her skirt. She was hung like an upside down "V" as they walked out the door. She screamed. "UNCLE REID PUT ME DOWN! MOMMA!" She looked back and laughed. "Reid, why are you man handling my child?" He smirked. "'Cuz I wanna." "Well she's causing a scene and we wouldn't want that, now would we," she said sarcastically as he set her back upright. Grace slapped his leg as hard as she could. "Ouch, that hurt butt munch. No wonder she kicked your butt," he said looking at Brett. Brett glared up at his father. "She did not." Grace laughed with a slightly evil edge. "Did so and you know it." "What happened," Reid asked. Brett spoke first. "She pushed me first, so I turned around and pushed her back- OWW," he said as Reid popped him in the back of the head. "Don't hit, push, kick, slap, or hurt girls. Especially the ones in that family. You know Beth has a nasty temper that she seems to have passed it on," he said, stage whispering the last part. Beth turned. "I'm sorry, maybe if she wasn't in the same school and town as a Garwin, she'd be ok." She then looked at Brett. "The part about school wasn't true. You're a very well behaved young man," she said and he smiled. "Still got his butt kicked by a girl. And not even a very big one," Reid said rubbing the hair on top of Grace's head. She smacked his hands away. "You are messing up my hair," she said slowly. He laughed and readjusted the bow that sat upon her head. "I'm sorry princess. I didn't mean to upset you." That's what she was. The princess. She had always been princess to everyone: grandma, grandpa, Reid, Pogue, Caleb, and Tyler. She had gotten a four poster bed that only reinforced this idea. The tops of the posts were little golden crowns and the very head of the bed was the opening of a castle.
"That's alright, but don't do it again please." "Of course your majesty," he said. She beamed. "Are you and Ant Stephani coming over today?" Beth chuckled as they reached her truck and his car. "Aren't you going to invite Brett?" Grace studied his face while casually tapping her busted lip. "He can stay at home." "Grace, what is wrong with you?" Brett glared. "I didn't want to come over anyway." Reid looked down at Grace. "Yes we're coming over. We'll see you in time for dinner," he said as he opened her door and she climbed in. He kissed her on the forehead then looked at Beth. "I'll see you later tonight. Ask Tyler what kind of alcohol he wants for today." She nodded and then leaned down to Brett's level. "Do you want me to ground her," she asked and he grinned evilly. "Yes please." She laughed and gave him a hug. "Ok, I will." She stood up and waved good bye as she climbed in the truck and started home.
"You know what you did was wrong don't you?" Grace sighed. "Yes momma, I know." "And you know that you deserve to get a spankin' don't you?" Grace looked down and her voice seemed slightly nervous. She didn't like where this was going. Now Beth and Tyler didn't beat their children, but they would spank them every once in a while, when they did something truly bad. "But… I think that as long as we keep this between us, I'll just tell your father that you got one. You just have to look kinda sad when he tells you what you did was wrong and gives you the whole right and wrong speech," she said as she turned. Grace looked up knowing that they were not home yet. "You're buying me ice cream for beating Brett up," she asked as she looked at the red Dairy Queen sign. She pulled around to the drive in and ordered two chocolate fudge sundaes. She didn't speak until after they had gotten their order and she stopped in the parking lot. "I bought you ice cream because you were standing up for your brother. It's wrong to push someone when their back is turned. If you hit someone again though, you will get a spanking. Do you understand?" "Yes ma'am." "Why'd you do it," she asked. "I told you, he pushed Aiden." Beth laughed. "You know what I mean. What caused it? I thought you like Brett." Grace huffed. "I DO! But apparently Miss Lucinda Hardy likes him and knows I do so she went around telling everyone I do. So of course he started teasing me about it and I got mad. So I pushed him and Aiden saw that he was bothering me so he said something to him. And when he turned around to walk away, Brett shoved him so I just jumped on him and I started hitting him. I'm really sorry." Beth looked confused for a second. "So you do like him, but he can't know that?" Grace nodded and said thickly through a bite of ice cream. "Exshactlay." She swallowed. "Mom, this is the 4th grade. That's how it works." Beth rolled her eyes as she pulled out of the parking lot. "I am so glad I don't have to deal with that drama." Grace nodded. "You have no idea."
"I thought you liked Grace," Reid said. "Dad, I do, but it's the 4th grade. You don't just tell a girl that you like her. It doesn't work that way." Reid smirked as he looked to make his turn. "Well you still don't ever, ever, ever swing at a girl. It's wrong and I should tear your little butt up for it, but it looks like she already did." He looked down at Brett, who was glaring malevolently up at him. "She did not," he said. Reid poked at his lip. "I think the evidence is stronger than your idea of what really went down." He batted at his father's hand. "Just wait. She's got her mother's blood in her. And those women are completely stubborn, unmanageable, and you are gonna fall in love with her." Brett scoffed. "Nuh-uh." Reid started messing with Brett's sandy blonde hair (Steph and Reid combination). "You like her, you wanna kiss her." "I DO NOT," he said crossing his arms and looking out the window. "Brett and Gracie sittin' in a tree. K-i-s-s-i-n-g. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage." Brett couldn't help but smile at his father's childish antics. "You're so immature dad." But secretly, he thought that maybe, just maybe, his dad was right.
I'm so sad this is over. But all things must end eventually. I will probably right a continuation of this story after I write my 'The lost boys' one, and possibly 'Stand by me' (both excellent movies by the way). So please review this last chapter and let me know if another story will even be worth it. Thanks for stickin' with the story.
