A/N Okay, I had planned on continuing this story for a while longer, but thanks to my god knows how many exams I want to finish this stort so I know I haven't left anything unfinished and I can focus on my grades so I'm sorry to say this is the last chapter. Thank you to sarah4steve and TeamJapsie for reviewing every chapter! And I have already written the remaining chapters for WW3 (my other story, so that will be finished too.) Thanks for reading :)

September 2032

Finally, it seemed that Sam and Tom had done their jobs, as they had sent their children off to university, and for the first time in ages they had the nine bedroom home to themselves. Aaron was studying mechanical engineering at Cardiff university, Jonny was studying dentistry at Manchester and Charlie was studying sports science at Birmingham university. Meanwhile, Megan was studying nursing in Edinburgh, Leah was studying politics at UCL, Summer was studying French at Oxford, Bella was studying pharmacology and pharmacy at Nottingham university and Ellie was studying veterinary medicine at Cambridge.

They had been raised for eighteen years by their parents, and it was finally time for them to look after themselves in the big bad world - of course they would still come home for holidays, and they stayed in contact. And Sam and Tom were financially supporting all of their children as the money had been saved over the years, but just like when Sam and Tom were first married, they were living at home with no one but their spouse, and to be honest they were almost relieved because their children - thought intelligent - had certainly been a handful to raise.

"I hate menopause." Sam moaned as she fanned herself with a bit of paper from her bedside table. "I've got a headache, I've got a UTI, I'm sweating like a pig and my vagina is as dry as the Sahara." Sam complained as she laid on her side of the double bed in just a vest top and a pair of shorts.

"Far too much information." Tom smirked as he got onto the mattress besides her - hot flushes had been common as she had begun to hit menopause and so they rarely slept with the duvet on the bed anymore, Tom managed with an extra hoodie. And Sam certainly wasn't having an easy menopause like some women, but thankfully her children - especially her daughters - had been very considerate and understanding so they knew when she wasn't feeling well that it was a kind gesture for them to cook dinner or to keep the noise down whilst she rested. "The paracetamol should be kicking in any time soon so just give it a little bit more time." He added comfortingly. "Y'know I can't remember the last time that there wasn't a single one of our kids in this house at night." Tom admitted.

"Neither can I... It's brilliant isn't it?"

"Sam!" Tom laughed.

"What? On c'mon, it's nice to have some time to ourselves."

"Yes but considering I wouldn't dare to even suggest that we make love because of the state you're in, it's not exactly how I thought that this day would go." Tom explained.

"Look I'm sorry."

"No, no. Don't be sorry you soppy cow. It's not your fault, and this'll all be over soon."

"I'm 47, this could last years." Sam retorted.

"But-"

"I need the toilet." Sam interrupted before she slid off of the bed and walked uncomfortably into the ensuite bathroom. Literally seconds after she had gone in, she exited with flushed cheeks, born from a hot flush and from embarrassment.

"You can't go, can you?" He said softly and Sam shook her head as she got back on the bed - the UTI was really getting on her nerves. "Is there anything I can do for you?" He asked kindly.

"Run me a cold bath?" Sam suggested jokily, but Tom happily got out of bed and entered the ensuite.

"Bubbles or not?" He shouted as Sam heard the water behind turned on.

"No bubbles." Sam ordered.

Tom had been sitting next to the bathtub whilst Sam took a nice soak in the cool, soothing liquid when he noticed Sam's eyes drooping.

"Hey, don't fall asleep here. Let's get you into bed." He said softly as he got up and grabbed a towel for her. Sam slowly got up out of the bath and stopped out onto the mat as Tom wrapped the towel around her thin frame. He helped her get dressed into a clean pair of shorts and a vest top before he laid her down in bed and made her take her antibiotics for the urinary tract infection. "Night night." He whispered as it had been a long day after they had dropped Ellie off at cambridge with a long car journey there and back. It was only 8pm but he settled her down, and Sam fell asleep whilst Tom sat besides her reading on his kindle.

Suddenly, his phone began ringing which he quickly answered and made his way onto the landing so he didn't wake his wife who often found it so hard to get to sleep.

"Hello?"

"Dad." He heard, and it was the unmistakable mature voice of his daughter Ellie.

"Hi darling, how's it going? Aren't you going to a party for your first night?" Tom asked cheerily.

"No, I'd rather have a night in to get to know my place and unpack." Ellie admitted.

"Okay."

"Um... How's mum?"

"She's asleep, just about."

"And was she alright on the way back from here? I know she was really uncomfortable in the car." Ellie said sadly.

"She was a little restless but she's alright now. Y'know, it's hard to believe that you're eighteen now. It seems like yesterday that I was taking you out of your incubator in NICU for the first time."

"Don't get all sentimental or I'll start crying." Ellie smirked.

"We both know you don't cry, you're just like your mother." Tom stated.

"Look, I just wanted to say to you I'm really grateful for everything you've done for me, and helping me with the applications because I can't believe I'm at the best university in the country." Ellie admitted.

"Well you've worked hard darling, you've done unbelievably well for the little girl that I used to have to help with her times tables so you deserve to be there. And me and mum are so proud of you."

"Thanks." Ellie replied shyly. "Well I... I'd better carry on unpacking, otherwise I'll never finish." She joked halfheartedly, but Tom could tell in her voice that she was nervous.

"Yeah, goodnight. And don't forget, me and mum are always a phone call away and we can be there in an hour if we get the train if you ever want to see us at the weekends."

"I know... Goodnight dad."

"Night night." Tom replied before he hung up the phone. He slowly padded back to his bedroom where he found Sam tossing and turning in her sleep. He climbed into bed and wrapped his arms around his wife securely because he knew she had sometimes fidgeted so much that she had fallen out of bed and had a nasty bump in the night. "Sshh, sshh." Tom said softly as he kept a firm hold of her, and she soon settled down before she entwined her legs with his.

Eighteen years ago, when he had said in sickness and in health as part of their wedding vows, he meant it. And he hoped that they would continue to have a long and happy marriage, because his children and grown up, and so for most of the year, it was just the two of them at home.

The End

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