Five years later...
The Black household was a constant storm of giggles, footsteps, crayon marks on the walls, and the smell of pancake batter clinging to every corner. But to Mason and Athena, it was perfect chaos.
Their son, Leo, now five, was a carbon copy of Mason—mischievous grin, floppy brown hair, and an obsession with football. Their daughter, Maisie, three years old, had inherited Athena's wild curls and her fierce, stubborn spirit. And currently, she was attempting to fit her entire tea set into the dog's bed.
"Maisie," Athena called, waddling gently into the room, her very pregnant belly leading the way, "the dog does not want chamomile tea."
"She said yes!" Maisie insisted, pointing at their sleepy golden retriever, Honey.
Mason laughed from the kitchen, flipping pancakes while wearing Leo's superhero apron. "She barked because you stepped on her tail."
"I'm telling Dad," Maisie huffed, storming off.
Leo zipped past Athena with a foam sword. "Mommy! Can I be the knight and save the princess again?"
Athena grinned, catching her breath on the arm of the couch. "Only if the princess consents this time."
"What's 'consents' mean?"
Mason called from the kitchen, "It means she has to want to be saved, bud."
Leo nodded like that was the most serious thing in the world.
Athena lowered herself onto the couch with a soft groan, her hand instinctively resting on her belly. Baby number three was due in just a few weeks, and every step felt heavier than the last.
Mason brought over a plate of pancakes, settling beside her. "You okay?"
She looked at him—his tired eyes, his scruffy jaw, the same boy who once made her heart race under stadium lights—and smiled.
"I'm happy."
He kissed her temple. "Me too."
Leo jumped onto the couch beside them, followed by Maisie who demanded syrup now. Honey barked once, clearly displeased about the tea cup now perched on her head.
And in the middle of the mess, the noise, the laughter, and the warmth—Athena leaned into Mason's side, feeling the soft kick of their unborn child.
Years ago, they had been rivals. Strangers from enemy schools. Just a cheer captain and a football player.
Now?
They were everything.
A family. A home. A love story that had defied all odds.
And it was only just beginning.
—The End.