chapter thirty one ; epilogue.

                                    

                                          
Taylor and Joe were lying on the beach, watching over the kids. Elena was beside them, building a sandcastle. 
Lizzie and Thea were at the water's edge, and the twins were swimming. 
"Do you want an ice cream?" Joe asked very quietly to insure that Elena didn't hear. 
"ICE CREAM?" Lena shouted at the top of her lungs. "Yes please! Can I please have chocolate? With sprinkles on the top?" 
Taylor laughed, looking over at Joe. "Well, that backfired." 
"What flavour do you want?" Joe asked her, sitting up. 
"Surprise me." She answered. 
"I'll be back in a minute." Joe headed towards the water to enlist the help of Lizzie in carrying back the ice creams. 
They were in Greece, a place the kids had never been before. The kids just wanted to go to the beach and play, which suited Joe and Taylor because they just went to the beach and watched them, talking. 
"Miss Jones told me about your project, Lena." Taylor smiled over at her daughter. 
Elena came running over, giggling. "What did she say?"
"That it was the loveliest project she'd ever seen."
"I knew it!" Elena practically jumped on top of Taylor, who laughed. "Did you like it?"
"Of course I did! I was very surprised when she called me to say that you'd presented something in front of the class that made her cry!" 
"Awww!" Elena cuddled into her mother's chest. "There wasn't anyone else that inspired me as much as you and Daddy."
Taylor felt her heart melt. 
"You inspire me too, my little Lena." 
"But I'm nowhere near as special as you!" Elena laughed as Taylor tickled her. 
"Of course you are! You're full of special sparkles. Every single time you laugh, they all come spilling out." Taylor laughed at her daughter, who was giggling. 
"What colour are the sparkles?" Elena asked. 
"They're golden." 
"Okay, okay. Everyone has to sit down and be quiet or Mummy won't be able to get the picture she wants." Joe told the kids. They were all dressed up, and Taylor was trying to get the perfect picture. 
Elena was wearing her sparkly boots - even though it was hot outside and Taylor had brought sparkly sandals instead... Elena insisted that she wanted to look just like her Mommy. 
"Nora, don't pinch me!" Luca groaned, flinching. 
"I would never." Nora scoffed. 
"Guys," Thea spoke firmly. "Stop arguing." 
"Easy for you to say! You weren't pinched!" 
Taylor laughed at the picture which had captured the moment Luca realised what Nora was doing. 
"Be nice, Nora. Apologise to your brother." Joe warned, and Nora rolled her eyes. 
"Sorry." She mumbled. 
"Nora," Joe said again. "That wasn't nice."
Nora sighed. "Okay. I'm really sorry for pinching you, Luca." 
"Thanks." Luca sniffled. 
"Alright. Everyone smile for the camera! Say... daylight!" 
"Daylight!"They all said as they smiled. 
Taylor looked at the picture, and her heart warmed. 
"Perfect!" 
"Can we go get dinner now?" Nora asked. 
"Yes! I'm soooo hungry." Elena jumped up and down, her excitement filling the room. 
Taylor just stared down at the picture. At her perfect family. At her family that had been forged from two broken people. At her beautiful family, with their pretty smiles and their gorgeous eyes. 
Taylor felt tears threaten to fall. Because this was one of those moments that was so overwhelmingly beautiful. Looking at the photo of her family that she loved so much, that she'd do anything for... it was one of those times where she was speechless. 
She looked down at Lizzie's beautiful hair, at Thea's curls, at Luca's grin, at Nora's blue eyes, at Elena's laugh. At Joe, who's arm was around her waist, holding her softly. 
She looked down at the photo, and there was one lyric that encapsulated the fleeting moment. 
long live all the mountains we moved
i had the time of my life fighting dragons with you. 
- 
Well, I can't help but tear up a little. 
I can't help but cry (I'm a crier) at the fact this is the final part of book five. What a roller coaster it has been, and I wouldn't change it for the world! 
I try and think about which of the wisteria hearts books is my favourite, and I can't decide. Which is yours? 
These books are so, so, so important to me, I don't know if I'll ever be able to stress that enough. 
And the fact I finished this book with long live? My heart cannot handle it... oh my goodness. I always knew I wanted to end this book with the lyrics from long live... because I just think with the purple cover... with everything that's happened in this book series... it just seems fitting. 
Thank you to each and every one of you that leaves comments on every chapter, I love reading them and I try my best to reply to them all. Thank you for the votes. Thank you for the quiet readers, too. You are all so important to me, and I hope you know that. 
And to Augustine, thank you. Thank you for listening to me going on and on about these books and asking you questions. Thank you for motivating me and being patient, for reminding me to be kind to myself. For telling me that it's okay not to update for two weeks if that's what I need. Thank you for being excited for me, for loving Lizzie as much as I do. Thank you for everything. Thank you for being the best friend I could ever ask for. You're my person. You're my Blake, or my Patrick. You're everything. Thank you for the gel pen glittery hearts and the Taylor hugs. I don't know where I'd be without them; without you. You are the best, and I love you to the moon and to Saturn, even though that's not far enough.
So... what's next?
If you follow my Instagram (which is @/fearlesslyfolkloreupdates) you'll already know... but the next book is a one shot book. A book that will have random little moments in time from the wisteria hearts series! Maybe from the future, maybe from Taylor and Joe's past... who knows?! I mean, I do... but I can't wait for you to read them! I can't wait for you to read the wisteria hearts one shot book!

                            

                                
                            
                              
                                  
                              
                              
                                
                                  
                                  
                                
                              
                             
                            
                            
                          
                          
here we go! 
long roads and film reel memories. Book six of the wisteria hearts series, coming soon! I will let you know as soon as it's published. 
long live all the magic we made. 
Thank you!