Epilogue

                                    

                                          
I smiled as Liam walked through the kitchen door, yawning, and gladly let him kiss me when he came over to where I was, at the counter top finishing a cake while a garlic bread was already baking, filling the house with the wonderful scent of freshly made bread and spices. I had taken up really bad sleeping habits lately, and woke up at 6am most of the time, even at the weekend. And since I wasn't one to just stay in bed and do nothing, I always got up and did something, either play some guitar, read a book, watch a TV show that Liam didn't like, or cook. As I was doing now.
                          
It had been our 10th wedding anniversary last week and everyone was coming over for a small party today. Sam would arrive at the airport with his newly wed wife at 10am. Liam had been furious when he'd found out they had secretly gotten married in Sweden, but he was a little more at ease with it now. It wasn't like they were planning on having kids before they had both graduated from university, but they'd found it a romantic idea to get married in Lapland in an ice hotel in the middle of winter. Typical Sam if you asked me, being impulsive and doing things without giving it a second thought about what his family would think of it. He hadn't even come back from Sweden to tell us, he had just called us through skype and excitedly shown us his wedding ring. I seriously thought that Liam would have a heart attack on the spot. And no matter how he kept telling Sam how irresponsible it was to get married before graduating uni, I knew very well that he was just hurt because he hadn't been able to be at his only son's wedding. 
                          
Luckily for Liam's health he had been the only rebel of the family, if you didn't count Kate being pregnant on her wedding day three years ago, but it was pretty obvious Liam didn't really mind that, as his and David's surrogate had been on their wedding, very pregnant with Jude at that time. The oven timer beeped so I pulled out of his embrace and took the bread out, warning Liam that he couldn't touch it because I needed it for lunch, and put the cake inside before I washed my hands and went to the hallway to pull on my shoes. I'd drive to the airport to pick up Sam and his Lizzie, while Liam would stay behind to clean the last bit and childproof our house. We were pretty much used to having toddlers running around one by one when they came to stay over for a day or a night, but most definitely not three of them at the same time plus a six month old baby. 
                          
I parked my car at the airport, grumbling a bit to myself about how the parking meters their just ate money before I got out and went to buy a coffee while I waited for Sam and Lizzie's plane to be announced. They had some delay, but finally they walked into the arrivals hall, happily chatting together, although they looked pretty tired due to their early morning flight. I ruffled Sam's hair, a habit I couldn't get rid of, even now he was three inches taller than I was and hugged Lizzie as I took her suitcase from her. "Uhm, Harry?" I stopped and looked at Sam. "Is dad still freaking out about us getting married?" I sighed but let out a chuckle as I spotted the terrified look on his face.
                          
"He's used to it by now. But I swear you'll kill him if you ever pull a stunt like that again."
                          
"I still think he's overreacting! I mean, it's not like anything's changed between Lizzie and I, it's just a bunch of paperwork. Isn't that what you said back when you got married?"
                          
"True, but we both had a solid job, three kids and it was your father's second marriage. Slight difference there Sam." He grumbled something in reply before he heaved his suitcase into the trunk. "But for what it's worth, I don't think he cares about you being a married man now, he was just sad that he wasn't there to see it." I said before I got into the drivers seat, leaving Sam speechless next to the passengers door. He got in and grabbed Lizzie's hand, squeezing it while he sought her eyes.
                          
"Yeah, we figured that it was maybe a little sudden and unexpected, so we thought about having a party to celebrate it next summer, at midsommar. You could all come over to Sweden, it's really a great holiday anyway."