Page 107 of The Last Time

Epilogue

Asher

SixMonthsLater

"Where do you want this?" Josh asks as he balances a large box in his arms.

I look around the house, taking a moment as I reflect on the fact that this is going to be my new home. I never dreamed of living in a place like this.

I turn back around to Josh. "That's Brie's stuff. Her room is the first door on the left upstairs."

"Aye, aye, captain," he jokes as he walks past me.

Ever since I've had Charlotte back in my life, each day has only gotten better. She has become the missing puzzle piece in my life. Her relationship with Brie has turned into something beyond my wildest imagination, and has been everything I wanted for my daughter.

Not only does Charlotte treat her like her own, but she takes the time to talk to her about Lauren. Charlotte understands the importance of remembering that no matter what Lauren did to hurt me, she was first and foremost, the mother of my child.

After doing much research with Charlotte on the topic of postpartum depression, Charlotte is convinced Lauren had it. She doesn't think someone just changes like that after having a baby. Suddenly, needing to get out of the house, leaving their baby with their husband to have an affair. Whether or not that's true, we both agree it's in Brielle's best interest to know how much her mother loved her and will always be with her.

About a month ago, after Charlotte put Brie in bed one night, she asked me what I thought about moving in with her. I already knew I wanted to marry her, so the answer was an obvious one. It just made sense since we were spending every spare minute together.

Now, here we are. A month later, and I'm moving into her childhood home. We are going to create our own memories, and build our own family in her favorite place.

I feel a delicate hand on my lower back. Charlotte's smiling face greets me when I turn around.

"Hey, beautiful," I say as I lean in for a kiss. "Where's Brie?"

"She's running around the backyard with my mom," Charlotte replies. "I don't know why I'm so tired lately, but I told her I needed a bit of a break."

"Well, there's been a lot of stress in the last month. The packing and selling my house. Why don't you go lie down upstairs for a minute?"

I wrap an arm around her then kiss her forehead. I hate to see her feeling sick, but I am a bit concerned. She's been tired a lot lately, and I can see her struggling with it.

After she makes her way upstairs, my brother's come in with more boxes. I spend the rest of the afternoon directing all of them on where it all should go. My mom and Charlotte's mom spend the time occupying Brie. I love how much Charlotte's mother has taken to my daughter. It's like everything has effortlessly fallen into place.

"Daddy!" Brie runs into my arms after I place a box down in the kitchen. I swoop her up and onto my side.

"Hi, sweet pea! You look like you could use a drink."

She nods her head eagerly.

"How's Charlotte feeling?" Leah, Charlotte's mom asks.

I sigh. "She's asleep now. I wonder if she's coming down with the flu."

"Maybe I should run up to the drugstore and get her some medicine."

"That's not a bad idea. It would be nice to have something here on hand for her if she needs it."

Leah grabs her purse and heads out the door. After Brie finishes the drink I gave her, I walk her upstairs and into what is now her new bedroom. In an effort to make sure the transition was as easy as possible for Brie, we ordered all new furniture and let her spend all last week decorating it with us. We even had her take some naps here to get used to it.

So, it comes as no surprise to met when she crawls into her bed and rests her little eyes with comfort and ease.

I sneak out of the room and walk back downstairs where my brothers, and Josh, are gathered in the kitchen.

"Thanks for helping guys. I really appreciate it," I tell them as I join them around the large island.

"Not a problem," Liam replies. "I'm surprised we got it all done so quickly."

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