"The truck will be here in ten minutes," I say, walking through the door as Mary holds it open.
She looks good, better than good, actually. She is actually smiling, something I cannot recall ever seeing before, and her eyes are now vibrant blue instead of the dull wash of color they used to be before.
"Great, we are almost packed in here," she says, leading me back into the living room. Her bright yellow sundress swishes behind her as she walks, something else that looks strange on her.
"I just wanted to come to give you this," I say, holding out the polaroid photo I had taken earlier this morning.
Mary is wearing a face of confusion when she turns around. Her eyes drop from my face down to my outstretched hand, widening when she gets a closer look at the picture.
"You don't have to keep it if you don't want to," I say, watching as she takes the picture from me with shaky hands. "You can even tell me to go to hell if you want to, but I thought I would let you decide whether or not you wanted something to remember her by."
She looks at the photo for a while, multiple emotions flashing across her face, too fast for me to catch. Eventually, she looks up at me, her face paler than before, and guilt settles in my stomach that I was the one that dashed her happiness.
"What's her name?" she says, voice so soft I barely catch her words.
"Cora Madeline."
"What about her last name?"
My lips press tightly together, remembering the conversation I still need to have with my boyfriend. "We haven't figured that out yet."
She gives a small nod of her head, looking at the picture for a few seconds more before putting it down on the coffee table. The picture of a sleeping Cora stands in stark contrast against the dark stain of the table. It is like a beacon, a reminder of everything we have been through.
"I know you two will take great care of her, just like you do with your two other little ones. She's in great hands." She twines her fingers together, finally looking up at me. "I can't thank you enough for adopting her. I'm not fit to be a parent, and you just seem made for it."
"Ah, well it has been more challenging than it seems, but we would have it no other way." Someone knocks on the door, causing us both to startle. "That must be the driver. I'll get out of your hair."
She walks forward, wrapping me in a tight hug before I could even take a step towards the door. Her arms are tight, and eventually, I snap out of my shock, giving her a slow hug in return. "Thank you," she whispers into my shoulder.
The knock comes again, and I slowly pull away, giving her a smile before she walks over to let in the person on the other side of the door. Mary walks back into the living room, already discussing how they are going to move everything with the two guards who trail behind her. She gives me one last smile before I leave them to it, the color returning to her face.
Cora turns four weeks old tomorrow. It is surprising how quickly the time has passed, but I am thankful. Finn's arm and ribs are finally completely healed, making it easier for him to take care of just one child at a time.
Mary has been forced to stay longer than what she first intended. There had been some close encounters with the mutants. Apparently, they are starting to move out of the cities in search of food. We are pretty far away from other towns, but during our trade attempts with other colonies that have popped up, our trucks have been attacked.
This whole mess has caused everything to get behind schedule. But, Alena has been so preoccupied with those who have been injured in the attacks, she hasn't mentioned the registration forms that I was supposed to return the night she gave them to me.
Those forms bring up sensitive topics, ones that I like to ignore. Such as that none of our children have last names, or that I do not even know Remy's full name. But I need to get them filled out already, no more stalling. If Mary is able to get on with her life, then so can I.
The house is empty when I get back, the silence slightly eerie. Viola and Remy had been down for naps when I left to talk to Mary and the movers. Finn has been really stepping up lately, taking on more responsibility with the children. Now, we split all the tasks, from bath time to diaper changes to making dinner.
And we have all been doing better because of it. Remy has stopped acting up, even becoming more protective of his sisters. He is the first to start questioning why Cora is crying, trailing after whoever is holding her and not satisfied until he knows that she is okay.
Viola has been the trickiest the past few weeks, but the one who has been the most responsive to the improved care. She doesn't cling to me nearly as much, happy to be cuddled by Finn while I make a bottle for Cora. While she still hasn't completely warmed up to her sister, at least she does not cry anymore if she sees me holding the baby.
But Finn has blossomed the most.
The school is out, meaning he can spend all day with the kids, and he does. He is more responsive to them, interacting more instead of just being someone who watches from the outside. Every time one of the kids call him 'Papa' he gets a wide smile on his face, and his brown eyes get brighter.
The whole thing has just made me love him more.
And want him more.
I definitely need to see if Anna or Erika can watch the kids for the night so Finn and I can have some time alone.
A squeal of delight has me walking over to the back door, where only the screen door is closed. Sliding it back, I step out onto the porch, a smile spreading across my face when I see Finn scoop up a laughing Remy, swinging him up into the air before catching him against his chest. Viola is cheerfully playing in the sand, trying to eat a handful but spitting it back out once she realizes that sand does not actually taste good.
Cora is fast asleep in her basket placed underneath the umbrella, a light blanket tucked around her since she can't sleep without it.
Everyone is in their swimsuits, so I quickly run inside to change into my own. When I come back, Finn and Remy are by the water, running away from the waves as the tide moves in. Viola is happy to see me but grumbles when I make her wear her sunhat. She tries multiple times to tear it off, but after the fourth time of me putting it back on, she decides to ignore it.
We sit there for a while, until Viola starts to get fussy from hunger. Glancing up at the sky, I see that it has to be close to dinner time.
Finn and Remy return sometime later, both soaking wet but smiling. The little boy is completely exhausted, collapsed against Finn's chest but still babbling about the shells and sand crabs they saw.
"My turn for dinner tonight, right?" Finn says, leaning over to give me a kiss.
Humming, I twine my fingers in his hair, pulling him back for another kiss before letting him go. "Yep."
"I'll get the barbeque going if you want to get them washed up."
Together, we walk back to the house, Finn picking up Cora's basket as we walk past. By the time dinner is finished and the kids are washed, everyone is starving. Anne, Derek, and the kids are having dinner over at Erika's tonight, so we have the house to ourselves.
Viola eats her fish with gusto, while Remy proceeds to whine about not liking fish, yet taking bites every once in a while. The entire ordeal leaves us exhausted, the heat from outside just making it weigh down even more.
When Finn takes the kids into the living room to play while giving Cora a bottle, I clean the kitchen, the folder with the registration forms catching my eye. For the entire fifteen minutes it takes me to clean, my eyes continue wandering over to the folder, mixed emotions churning in my gut when I think about talking to Finn about it. I know that he must have seen the papers sometime over the past few days that the folder has laid there.
But it isn't until the kids are all tucked away in bed that I grab the folder from the counter and bring it over to the couch where Finn is currently reading a book. He eventually looks up after I don't say anything for a few minutes, his brows scrunched in worry.
"What's wrong?" he asks, setting his book down on the table. But then his eyes fall onto the folder I am holding, widening marginally when he realizes what I am holding. "Oh."
Nodding my head, I look down at the folder, opening it with shaky hands. "Yeah, we've postponed this long enough. Soon enough, Alena is going to realize that I haven't turned these in yet."
He nods his head, sitting back in the chair as I pull out the papers. "What do you want to go over first?"
"Our own, maybe?" I ask, finding Finn's and handing it to him while grabbing my own. "We just need to sign ours."
Grabbing a pen off the coffee table, I click the top before signing my name in a messy scrawl. Finn takes the pen when I hand it to him, reading over the form but not signing it. He bites his lip, brows scrunched together as he clearly contemplates something.
"Is something wrong?" I ask, leaning over a bit to peek at his form, but everything looks right to me.
"Yes." He sets the form down, pointing at a line before turning to me. "This one shouldn't be empty."
Confused, I take a closer look at where he is pointing. It takes a second for it to register that he is talking about the spot where the spouse's name is supposed to go. My heart picks up, my breath catching as I try to put together an intelligible sentence. "W-what are you talking about?"
He sets down the form altogether, turning so that he is facing me. Reaching over, he grabs my hands. "Let's get married."
All my thoughts come to a screeching halt, his words running on a continuous loop in my mind. "I-I..."
He gives my hands a squeeze, meeting my eyes with his own, the love clear on his face. "Alden, we've been together for almost a year now, ever since this whole disaster started. We've been through hell together, and when most couples would have split up, we stayed together. You push past my stubbornness, make me realize my mistakes. I love you so much, and we should finally take the next step." He pauses, before continuing in a whisper. "Alden Hale, will you marry me?"
Never in my life did I think I would get married. Before I met Finn, I was more focused on my studies, needing perfect grades in order to finish nursing school. Even through our entire relationship, I have never contemplated marriage. I thought we were complete, our own little family with ourselves and our children. So, to hear him say those words is more than surprising.
But, it does seem right, like the last puzzle piece is finally slipping into place. There is no way that I can turn him down when he is the other half of me, the only one I have ever loved this deeply, and the person I want to spend the rest of my life with, no matter how long it may be.
"Of course I'll marry you," I say, reaching forward to cup his face, drawing him into a kiss.
He lets out a sigh of relief, deepening the kiss when I tangle my fingers in his hair. Eventually, I end up flat on the couch, Finn on top of me and all of our clothes on the floor.
Finn pulls away from me, lips trailing along my jaw and down my neck, sucking marks into my collarbone and neck that will definitely be there tomorrow.
"God, I love you," I whisper, pulling him back up for a bruising kiss.
"Love you, too," Finn says, pulling just enough away to whisper the words on my lips before capturing my lips with his again.
His hand glides down my side, before wrapping around my cock, pumping it to full hardness. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I pull him closer, wanting to feel every part of him pressed against every part of me.
"I want you inside me," I whisper, pressing another kiss on his lips.
Finn lets out a low moan, hand ducking underneath the couch and coming back with a small bottle of lube. It doesn't take long for him to prep me: one finger becoming two, and quickly three before I am demanding that he replace his fingers with his cock.
He puts some more lube on his cock before letting the bottle fall to the floor. He sits back on the couch, one hand wrapped around the base of his cock while the other pushes my leg back enough so it is pressing against my chest.
"Ready?" He meets my eyes with his half-lidded ones, not pushing in until I give a small nod of my head.
The first part is always the worst, where the pressure builds up until he is finally inside. He gives me a minute to adjust, not pushing forward until I press my foot into his ass. The best part is when he is completely inside me, the front of his thighs pressed against my ass. The hair on his legs contrasts against the bare skin on my ass, adding another sensation to the mix.
"Move, please," I say, the words coming out more as a whimper than I would like, but it just spurs Finn on.
His hips start moving faster, his cock brushing against my prostate with every other thrust. It is just enough to have that wave inside me building but not too fast that I would embarrass myself.
This time feels different than the others before, slower than the post-combat fucks, and even more passionate than the time when we first exchanged 'I love you's'. The heat inside me builds, the tightening of Finn's hand around my cock sending me over completely.
Finn lets out a few low moans, his thrusts getting more erratic until he pushes completely inside me, stilling as he comes. The haze afterward has me completely boneless, easy for Finn to maneuver so that we are on our sides, facing each other. His heart beats under my hand, giving me a center as I try to come back together after that earth-shattering orgasm.
Finn's finger draws soft patterns along my back, the gentle touch making me relax even more into him, but his next words have me cracking an eye open.
"So, last names..."
"What about them?"
"Are we going to combine ours?"
The suggestion has my lips turning down into a frown. The thought had never appealed to me, seeming like too much of a mouthful. "Not if we can help it."
He is silent for a while after that, causing me to look up at him in curiosity. He looks mostly asleep, and I have to say I am surprised that he is not completely asleep yet. Both of us tend to nod off only a few minutes after sex.
"Do you want me to take your last name?" I ask.
His eyes flick down to mine. "Not particularly. Do you want me to take your last name?"
Shrugging, I look back down, cuddling closer to him. "Doesn't matter to me."
"Hm..." His fingers start that comforting dance across my skin. "Finn Hale or Alden Foster. Which one sounds better?"
"I like Alden Foster more, Finn Hale sounds more life one name if you say it too quickly."
"Alright, so Alden and Finn Foster it is then."
Pressing a kiss against his chest, I remember the papers still laying half filled out on the table. "And the kids will have your last name as well."
"We'll finally have something that signifies that we are all a family."
"We have always been a family, ever since you first risked your life to save mine. Viola has always been ours, and Remy became ours the minute I met him."
He squeezes me close to him, his chest rumbling as he speaks. "And Cora is just as much ours as the other two."
"Yes, she is," I whisper, a smile spreading across my face.
We lay there in silence for a while, enough for me to be almost completely asleep. Happiness is blossoming inside me, more than I have ever felt before.
When Finn picks me up and carries me back to our bed, I don't even think about protesting. It just reminds me more of the love he has for me, making my happiness just grow.
As we lay there- above the covers because it is just too damn hot here in the summertime- I think of how far we have come, from being single college students to engaged parents. It seems like a lifetime ago that we first climbed through the air vents of our old science building. It just makes me appreciate our situation now even more.
Feeling Finn pressed against my side and hearing Cora breathe in the still night, my insecurities from before seem like nothing. While I know they will always be there, it is satisfying to know that we survived a situation that was unsurvivable by most of the population. We survived the ravaging of the entire human race.
And we did it together.
*****
Sorry for this chapter being a little longer than the previous ones, but there was a lot that still needed to be said. This is the second to last chapter. There is only the epilogue left. This has been one of my favorite stories that I have ever written, something that started off as just something I started writing for fun with no intention of publishing. Thank you, everyone, for reading, and supporting this story through your votes and comments. I appreciate all of them so much.