Holiday Hockey Tale: The Icebreaker’s Impasse By Ivory Row

125 : Epilogue : Our Real Life Luci Four Years Later " Mommy , watch me ! " Hayden shouts from across the pool . He does a cannonball and I applaud seriously for him . Cole helps him out and then promptly instructs him on how to make his splash even bigger . He's the most supportive big brother of all time . " Why am I pregnant again in this heat ? " Sydney groans playfully as she drops into the chair between Stormi and I.

She fans herself and leans back , her six - month pregnant stomach protruding prominently . Easton turns his head toward me while pointing to Hayden before he raises his left arm behind his neck and strips his shirt off in one easy move . Jackson repeats the motion and they leap into the pool to begin chasing our kids . " Because he takes his shirt off the same way my husband does . " I answer dryly . " They all four do that . Why is that so damn hot ?

Like I swear my ovaries sing with certain signature Reed moves and my husband is way too aware of it ." Stormi says lowly . " Exudes confidence and also they really don't care about anyone watching though they fully exploit it when they do know we are . Doesn't help they look like blonde gods . " Sydney shakes her head . The Reed brothers are still playing hockey for the Puck Kings . In the off season , they run their own pieces of the Reed empire .

I watch all of them laughing with their kids or each other right now . They all had their own healing journey to traverse when I met them . You'd have never known it looking in on them from the outside , but it was there . And now each of them are whole and happy . Even their mom has found her own place in their world . She isn't here today , but we do have family events with both her and Jason around .

They went to special couples counseling three years ago , not to reconcile , but to be better grandparent and parent partners . Cole is trying to help Hayden escape Easton . Not an easy feat considering he's so damn tall and stretches easily across the pool . Becker built this massive pool with rock slide and lazy river at his house this summer . Which was fine with all of us . Easton joked it meant we just send all our kids to their house in the summer .

We have a pool , but it's much smaller than this . Our house has the zip line and built 1/6 +15 Point 125 : Epilogue : Our Real Life in adventure course . Grandpappy has a big pool and massive playground he calls the grandbaby trap . He also has one of those freestanding popcorn machines with outdoor movie projector . " These two little ladies were awake . " Grandpappy smiles as he walks my twin girls out the back door . They rub their brown eyes sleepily as they smile .

Both have their daddy's blonde hair and their big brothers ' please eyes habits . At eighteen months old , they use them freely on their daddy . " Mahmah … " Callie points to me . Alexis simply smiles while clinging to Grandpappy . " Hi my little pumpkins . " They settle into a chair with Grandpappy still a bit dazed from their nap . They swam this morning already and were tired . I had to stop teaching when I was pregnant with the girls and the doctor placed me on bedrest at seven months .

They were born with no issues , though the whole thing had Easton hovering like a protective , stern , grumpy polar bear the last two months of that pregnancy . While I was off , I started writing some of my bedtime instructions into children's books . Sydney really disliked her job so I proposed she quit and become my illustrator . We published our first story , The Two Tales of Firetail , the Ice Dragon . It was a success and we have kept going since then .

All the profits from our books go directly to Luci's Heart . The guys donate large portions to it and it'll be funded for the rest of our lives with that alone , but I like to contribute . Janet suggested something new this year and the guys jumped right into it . At each game , they feature five foster children who are eligible for adoption . They ensure those kids are in the stands and get to watch themselves on the screen .

The whole arena always cheers the loudest for them and you can see the joy on their faces . " Reminds me Luci , I've got almost all the artwork done for the ocean creature versus birds book . I'll move to the hockey playing dragons book next . " Syd says . " Can you hand me my water cup ? " I stand and lean over to grab it , only to catch the grin on her face right before I'm spun around and thrown over Easton's shoulder . " You look too dry , sweetness .

" " I was sitting with the girls and waiting for your little bunnies to need me . " " They're fine. They have Aunt Syd and Grandpappy until they are fully awake . You are needed in the pool . " He tosses me right in and I surface to find him already next to me . " Hi beautiful ." wrap my arms around his neck . " Miss me or something ? " " Were you away from my side ? There's your answer .

The grandparents offered to keep them all for a few hours tonight if we want to sneak off for an adult only dinner . " He slowly grins . " We're going to ambush our boys ." " Adult dinner sounds nice . Are we close to them ? " I whisper . 2/6 +15 Point 125 : Epilogue : Our Real Life " Yes . You get Hay Hay . He'll be right behind you . I got the big one . " He says and then nods . I turn and hurry to grab Hayden . " MOMMY ! Help Coco ! " But Cole is trapped too . " DADDY ! Not fair !

Sneak attacks are not allowed . " Cole shouts , grinning . " Says who ?! Uncle Becker made the rules , and you know he allows all forms of surprises . " Easton lifts him and tosses him into the water . He's grown so much I can't pick him up anymore . Our giant nine - year - old whose heart is still bigger than ten of him put together . " Hi Mommy ." Hayden says softly as I hug him . " Hi HayHay . Having fun ? " I push back his wet blonde hair .

All my kids have it , that ash blonde color like their daddy . Only the girls got my brown eyes and my facial features . Hayden's eyes are the exact same color as Easton's . Cole's only have a hint of blue around his irises , the only bit of Lorelei he seems to have inherited . She's not intruded or contacted us about him after that day she gave me her grandfather's watch . I sent her the video of him opening it . In it , he thanked her for sending it to him .

She even sent me back a sentence saying how much that meant to her , but that was it . She continues to act in movies , but mostly overseas or in smaller roles . Cole knows where she is and that it's his choice if he ever wants to contact her or see her . To this day , he's expressed no interest . " Yes . Love Uncle Becker's pool ." He grins that big toothy smile . " HayHay come on . We have to get the other kids ." Cole whispers to him. " Hi Mommy .

" He pecks my cheek and I squeeze him quickly before he swims off toward Barrett and the rest of the older cousins . I thought he'd change over to calling me Mom as he's gotten older , but he explained to me one day that he wants to keep calling me Mommy for now . A way to separate me from his other mom he said . " Full children assault coming , I take it ? " Easton swims back to me with his brothers joining . " Yep . Which means I am leaving you guys because it will get crazy .

" I tilt my head up for his kiss before swimming to the edge to watch . The four brothers along with Banning pretend they are not paying attention as the kids try to ambush them. Instead, the kids are dunked or tossed . Half of them didn't even try , they were laughing so much . Easton laughs as he lifts Hayden onto his shoulders and goes back to tickling Cole . I'll return to teaching this fall , but it will be different . Barrett started showing focus issues like Banning last year at school .

Banning immediately started working on teaching him ways to combat it . One of his friends has hyperactivity and is struggling like Barrett . Cue my husband and his twin , the problem solvers when it comes to our children , to devise a solution . 3/6 125 : Epilogue : Our Real Life +15 Point Traditional school is known to fail kids like Barrett and his friend . Easton and Jackson came up with building a new school for preschool through sixth grade that has a different structure .

Based more off European schools with extra recess time spread throughout the day . The kids will only sit in a classroom for an hour and then will move into a physical or sensory activity for twenty minutes . This will repeat all day . Music and art classes will be offered with teachers who are taught therapy management for ADHD , hyperactivity alone and even children with possible trauma triggers .

Tamara has been assisting with the structure for this and will be on site for true counseling sessions with kids certain days . I'll be the half - day preschool teacher there . Easton offered for me to stay home , but I love teaching . Kylie will be joining me as one of the kindergarten teachers . Syd is looking at teaching art there in a year after the baby is born . When Easton realized I wanted to teach , he decided to build a daycare in the school for the teachers .

The girls will be able to be nearby all day for me . Later that afternoon , we get all the kids bathed and ready to stay at Grandpappy's while we go out to eat . " Can I wear jammies , Daddy ? " Hayhay asks and Easton nods . " You pick which ones you want , Hayhay . " Hayden naturally goes running to Cole's room to ask what he is wearing . He comes running back in and chooses his Darth Vader pajamas . " Coco and I match . " He proclaims proudly . " Let's get dressed little ladies .

" Easton calls and his girls run to him . He blows raspberries on their necks to their giggling delight . " Dada ! Tissy . Real tissy . " Alexis says giggling . He obliges , kissing them both on the cheek before we change them into their jammies . He places them on the floor with their magnet blocks so he can help Hayhay with his shirt . Cole steps in and kisses his little sisters as they play on the floor while I pack up some toys .

Grandpappy has his own toy emporium , but the girls have two favorite lovies and Hayden has two action figures that travel everywhere . " Hi princesses . We're going to Grandpappy's house . Papa B is going to make chocolate chip cookies and they'll be all warm and gooey he promised when we start the movie . " " Cocooo . " Callie points to the spot next to her . He immediately sits beside them and Alexis climbs into his lap . I lean against Easton and watch our babies .

As I do , I touch my necklace I never take off . My hearts that I keep close to mine . Hayden's birthday was in October , so Easton added a tourmaline for him . The girls were born in January and he added a chalcedony heart along with a garnet one for them . He was so excited for them to be born . His two little bunnies he called them . I think he'd have ten more kids if I said that's what I wanted . Hayden goes to join them as Cole begins telling them a story .

It's about a lion with a frozen 4/6 $ 15 Paints 125 : Epilogue : Our Real Life heart . We listen as he weaves his tale . " He got that from you , sweetness . " Easton whispers . " That storytelling gift . " I give Hayden dream instructions every night and even Cole continues to request them for himself most nights . He helps me come up with Hayhay's a lot , has taken great joy in doing it since he was born . He's waiting impatiently for the girls to be ready for dream instructions .

Has had me write a few down that are girl themed . I'm making him a book with all the ideas he comes up with . " Coco is a gift . He'll make so many people happy . His giving heart …. " I trail off . " He got that from you too . " He adds and I shake my head . " No , you have a giving heart . You hide it , but it's very prominent for those of us you let in . " I lift face toward his . " And we love you for that big heart among so many other things , Mr. Icebreaker .

" my " It has to be big because you five live in it . My real loves ." " Just think , you could be a single wealthy dad hockey player that has a hot nanny for Cole and comes home every night to hang out in his study alone in peace and quiet . Having a drink and watching sports comfortably in your leather chair . " I joke . Our life is always busy though it's on a familiar routine for me so I don't get overwhelmed .

My attentive husband makes sure everything keeps rolling with as little issue to me as possible . I love every facet of our life even when my routine gets thrown off . " Now that just sounds miserable . I already antagonized , pursued and married the hottest nanny he could ever have . If you hadn't given in and let me catch you , I'd be lonely and even grumpier with the world . " He runs his fingers over my jaw . " Maybe . " I answer . " No maybe about it .

I couldn't live without you , sweetness . You and those three little additions that neither Cole nor I can imagine being without . The sweet bedtime routines each night that warm my heart more than anything else . The tangible pieces of my heart for all the world to see . Proving it's not iced over like it once was . " " Our wonderful , real life we created . I hope it goes on and on . " " It will . " He says as he locks his hands behind my back and those silver eyes stare down at me .

" Because it's real and we do real better than anyone else . "