Epilogue

 

Culhwch

 

“Baby, would you hurry your sweet a-double-s up, please?” I ask, not wanting to swear in front of Luna.

“Coming,” he calls from the top of the stairs.

I watch as he fumbles to grab the changing bag and takes the stairs two at a time.

“We’ll miss the birth if we don’t get a move on,” I reply, almost hysterical.

“Calm down, Cul. We have plenty of time.”

He takes my hand and smiles at me. I could get lost in those beautiful eyes of his… if only we had the time.

“Let’s just get a move on, okay?”

We haul ass to the car and strap Luna’s car seat in. We’re dropping her off with my mum and dad before we head to the hospital.

The day Luna was born was the second best day of my life. Second only to the day I married Houston.

We were lucky when we met Isla, who went on to become our surrogate. Lucky enough that she agreed to be our surrogate a second time around.

Being able to witness the birth of our daughter was a miracle. They say men should always stick by a woman at the head end, not the “business end”, but both Houston and I stood there and watched as her head came out. I admit, I almost fainted, but Houston made sure I didn’t.

I’m hoping I’m better prepared this time.

Mum is waiting at the door as we arrive. She comes and takes Luna’s changing bag while Dad grabs her and the car seat. I’d get out and take her in myself if I thought we had time.

My parents wave us off as we peel away from the kerb, Houston willing to drive a little faster without precious cargo onboard.

“What do you say we go and have a baby?” he asks, with a cheesy grin on his face.

“You say that as if you’re the one giving birth,” I jest.

“You know what I mean. Don’t be an ass.”

We make it to the hospital in what must be record time. To be fair, we spent a fair amount of time learning and driving the route at different times of the day when Isla was pregnant with Luna.

Racing to the maternity wing, we find Isla and her partner Hannah.

“Hey, boys,” Hannah says as she gets up to greet us.

“Hey, Han. How are you lovely ladies doing?” I ask, a little out of breath.

“We’re good. How’s Luna?”

“Oh, she’s well. She’s with my parents.”

“So, tell me,” Isla starts, “are you planning on naming your son after a Harry Potter character too?”

“Don’t diss my love of Harry Potter.”

I feign hurt, with a hand over my heart.

“I’m just curious, that’s all.”

“Actually, as Houston compromised on Luna’s name, I’ve compromised on this.”

“What’s his name then? Don’t keep us in suspense.”

“Elijah.”

“Named after?” she urges.

“The character in The Originals.”

“What’s that when it’s at home?”

Houston gasps and I can’t help but mock him.

“It’s just some low-rate vampire show.”

“Low-rate? Excuse me?” he asks, his voice at least two octaves higher than normal. “You weren’t saying that when we were binge-watching it.”

“No, but I know how to bait you,” I say before poking my tongue out for good measure.

“It’s actually really good,” I say to the girls. “I was sceptical at first because I thought anything supernatural was boring. But then Houston convinced me to binge-watch with him.”

“And you loved it every bit as much as I did.”

“Well, I haven’t had much to do in my free time while Luna’s sleeping.”

“You shouldn’t have quit your job then.”

“You did what?” Hannah asks, obviously surprised.

“I decided that it was much too dangerous a profession to have if we wanted to be parents. I start training for a new job in a couple of weeks, but I wanted to be there for Luna’s firsts before going back out into the world of work.”

“That’s a big part of yourself to give up,” Isla says quietly.

“It was and it wasn’t. Yes, I’d been doing it for a long time. Yes, I was a lieutenant and maybe I could have even been a captain one day. I thought I could keep doing it, even as a dad. But it turned out I was wrong. I didn’t want to leave Houston a widowed father of two because I couldn’t stop running into burning buildings.”

“I guess,” Isla says before taking a deep breath of the Entonox.

“You okay, hun?” Hannah asks, squeezing her hand.

“Yeah, that one was just a bit more painful than the last.”

The nurse comes in to take Isla’s vitals, so we give them some room.

“We’ll go and grab something from the vending machine,” Houston tells Hannah as the nurse draws the curtain.

***

The moment Elijah enters the world with a cry is one of pure, unadulterated joy. He has dark hair, just like Houston has in his baby photos. Ones he still hasn’t forgiven his mum for showing me.

Both Houston and I are fortunate enough to be biological fathers now. They took sperm from both of us for the IVF—mine for Luna and Houston’s for Elijah. There was no question as to who should be a father; it was always going to be both of us.

“Hello there, little man,” I say as Isla hands him to me. “Hey, sweet boy. I’m your daddy. And this”—I indicate Houston—“this is your other daddy.”

Houston envelops us both in a hug and kisses the top of his son’s head.

“And these wonderful ladies are Auntie Isla and Auntie Hannah,” I say to my beautiful little man.

As Houston takes him from me, I sit and take Isla’s hand.

“Thank you, Isla. Thank you so much. There’s nothing we could ever do to repay you such kindness once, never mind twice.”

“You don’t need to do anything. I wanted to do this for you. From the moment Hannah and I met you and Houston, we knew we wanted to help you guys become a family. There’s nothing in life like being a parent. We should know, we have three kids after all. And we wanted you guys to experience that for yourselves. There’s nothing more rewarding than being a parent.”

“There really isn’t,” I agree wholeheartedly. “Being Luna’s Dad has made me step back and take stock of my life, hence why I quit my job. I re-evaluated the price of such a risky job. There’s nothing I wouldn’t give for my daughter, and now my son. Yes, I loved my job, but I saw it in a whole new light the day you gave us Luna.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t tell us before.”

“Honestly, Houston thought I’d go back to it. He thought I’d miss it. So, I didn’t want to say anything until I was absolutely certain.”

“I get that,” she says softly.

“We should really let you get some sleep. I can see you’re exhausted. We’ll come back tomorrow.”

“You’re taking Elijah home though, right? The doctor gave the all-clear.”

“Only if you’re sure.”

“I’m as sure as can be. You’re his parents, not me.”

“You’re an amazing woman, Isla Delaney, you know that, right?”

I lean in and kiss her on the forehead before standing.

“Baby, it’s time to go and let Isla sleep.”

“Oh, okay. Of course. Sorry, Isla, you must be exhausted. We’ll come back tomorrow, if that’s alright?”

“Of course,” she agrees.

We get Elijah ready to go and say our goodbyes. Hannah walks us to the lift.

“Congratulations, boys,” she says with a smile, “you have a beautiful little boy there.”

“All thanks to your girlfriend,” Houston replies.

“I’m hoping that’ll change soon… the girlfriend bit, I mean. I wanted to wait until you boys had left, no offence. But I’m going to ask Isla to marry me.”

“Aww, that’s amazing, Hannah. I’m sure she’ll say yes.”

“Unless she’s asleep by the time I get back,” she says with a laugh. “Honestly, I just wanted to walk you guys out so that I could psych myself up to it, you know?”

“Go and ask her before she has chance to fall asleep.”

“And text us when she says yes,” I add.

She kisses us both goodbye, then walks back to the ward.

I can’t believe we get to take our little boy home to complete our family. He’s going to be so loved by us all. My mum and dad, Houston’s parents, Alex and Sophia… he’ll have an abundance of love, alright. And what’s more, we’re hoping he’ll grow up close to his cousins, just like Luna is.

When Sophia and Alex greeted little Emery not long after our wedding, we were overjoyed for them, but we both secretly wished it was us that were welcoming a new addition to the family.

Then all of a sudden, it was happening to us after all. We met Isla and Hannah a few months after our honeymoon, thanks to Lawrence pushing the tour to the following year to give us time to enjoy being married and to take a proper honeymoon like we deserved. That came as a shock to the boys and Houston because they were expecting Lawrence and the label to push for them to tour sooner rather than later. But it was a good shock, so we couldn’t complain.

When we decided to start our family, we weren’t sure how everything would work out. But meeting Isla solidified everything. She knew almost right away that she wanted to help us. Being gay herself, she knew the importance of finding the right surrogate—and Isla was lucky enough to be blessed with three beautiful children by the same woman. So, when we met and instantly bonded, she said she knew there and then we would make amazing parents and she wanted to help make that dream come true.

We couldn’t be more grateful to her and Hannah for what they have done for us. Yes, Isla might have carried our precious babies, but Hannah gave her the support she needed.

We couldn’t pay Isla for the surrogacy, as that’s against the law here. But we paid for everything she needed, and for her to go to a private hospital for all her appointments.

Once the press got photos of us attending appointments at the hospital with her, they splashed them all over the same glossy rags that had once caused Houston and me so much pain. However, thankfully, the people that commented couldn’t have been more supportive this time around.

We didn’t want Isla’s face splashed all over the internet, or in gossip rags, but she took the whole thing in her stride and told us not to worry; she wasn’t ashamed.

Lawrence made sure that the press was more complimentary and that they watched over the comment section and deleted anything negative this time. Yes, there were still some internet trolls that had less than flattering things to say, but those comments were deleted almost as soon as they were published.

Honestly, I couldn’t have been more grateful to Lawrence for being on the ball. I was thankful that this time we could come out ahead of the story by giving an exclusive to Jill, the lady that interviewed Houston all that time ago.

All in all, we got lucky in more ways than one, the most important being meeting Isla and having two beautiful children thanks to her.

When I look back at my life now, I can’t remember how it was before Houston, before Luna and Elijah came along. It’s all a blur of monotony and mundane routine. Now, it’s a life full of happiness, love, family… and yes, plenty of stinky nappies and sleepless nights. But I wouldn’t trade a moment of it for anything in the world.

 

Houston

 

Culhwch lies on the bed with Luna and Elijah next to him. I slip my phone from my pocket and take a photo, a candid shot of the three most important people in my world.

“Hey, baby, I didn’t hear you get in,” he says as he finally notices me.

“It’s late, I didn’t want to make too much noise and disturb the three of you.”

“I was about to put them both down. I just wanted to watch them for a little while.”

“I don’t blame you.”

He gets up off the bed and picks up Elijah, walking over to place him in his carrycot.

I walk over and grab Luna, placing her down and covering her with a blanket.

“Hey, handsome,” Culhwch says as he comes up behind me. “Now they’re down for a little while, want to come shower with me?”

“Most definitely,” I agree all too easily.

He takes my hand and walks into the en suite of the hotel room. I’m so sweaty from being on stage that I really could use a shower, but I don’t need any excuse for a shower with my husband.

“You’re going to have to be quiet,” I warn him as we strip.

“Me? I’m not the one who makes the most noise.”

He acts offended, but we both know that we’re just as noisy as each other. It’s hard to have to be quiet. At least at home we have thicker walls in between us and the kids. This hotel may be expensive, but it doesn’t mean the walls aren’t thin enough for them to hear us.

Cul turns the water on, and we wait for it to warm up before getting in. He leans in to kiss me and I cup the back of his head, my tongue delving deeper in his mouth. He palms my erection and I let out a groan.

“See, told you that you were noisy,” he says with a smirk as we break the kiss.

I cup his cock in my palm and he lets out a strangled groan.

“And I told you that it’s not just me.”

“You’re such a dick.”

“That’s what you love about me.”

I pull him into the shower and get on my knees in front of him. He groans as I take the tip of him in my mouth.

“Shit, I’m not sure I can be quiet if you’re going to keep doing… that,” he says as I lick and suck every inch of him.

He looks down at me, his gaze darkened with desire. Reaching out, he grabs my hair and fists it, pulling me closer to him.

I was exhausted when the lads and I finished the gig tonight. But now? Now I’m wide awake and raring to go. Culhwch has that effect on me.

I palm my own cock, stroking it up and down a few times. I need this every inch as much as he does.

***

As we collapse, exhausted into bed, I lie on my side and look at him. He’s lying on his front, the blankets only covering him to his waist. His back is exposed, so I trace lazy circles with my hand across his skin.

“Hmm… that feels good,” he murmurs sleepily.

“We’d better get some sleep before one of the kids wakes up in a couple of hours.”

“Mm–hm,” is his only reply.

I snuggle in close to him and close my eyes.

“I love you, Mr. Wainwright,” I say quietly.

I’ll never get tired of calling him that.

“Love you… too… baby,” he replies.

And with that, he’s snoring lightly.

My heart feels full to bursting. I feel like it’s expanded to encompass my love for my husband and our children.

The boys from the band have asked if we’ll meet them for breakfast in the morning. They love the kids and have become like uncles to them. Of course, that means Alex has to vie for his place as “cool uncle” as he thinks they’re all so much cooler than him.

The truth is, they’re all pretty damn cool. I didn’t know how my family or friends would react to me being gay, but it turns out that I didn’t have to worry. They’ve all been more than accepting. They’ve never once made me feel less of a man for my sexuality, which of course is how it should be. Some people just aren’t as lucky as me.

As I listen to my husband breathing, and softly snoring, I cherish just how goddamn lucky I actually am. Without him and our children, I wouldn’t feel whole. They are everything I ever needed. Everything I ever wanted and more. If it were just up to me, we’d have another two or three kids. But Culhwch thinks we have enough on our hands with them at this age, and that they should be a little older before we consider our next move.

Being a rockstar and having to tour and be in the studio away from my husband and children is hard. That’s why the three of them come along when they can. I don’t want the children to be constantly on the road, so Culhwch stays home with them when we tour closer to home, only coming along when he knows I’ll be gone for long periods. But even when he’s home, we FaceTime so that I can see his handsome face and tell my children that I love them.

There have been times when I’ve considered walking away from it all. Culhwch sacrificed his job, so sometimes I feel selfish for not doing the same. We’ve had many conversations over the subject, but they all end the same way; Culhwch tells me that he wants me to keep doing what I love.

I’d love for us to have another baby. I do wonder whether we could possibly ask Isla to be a surrogate again. I know that Cul feels bad about asking her again. He feels like she’s given us so much already. And he’s right, she has. But I would still like to have another baby one day, whether Isla is our surrogate again, or we have to find another.

If I have my way, we’ll be doing it sooner rather than later. I plan to show him just how persuasive I can be, and given the proper motivation, he’ll agree in no time.

Whatever happens from here though, I am the luckiest son of a bitch alive. I have an amazing husband who loves me and supports me in everything I do. And we have two beautiful children that I would lay down my life for.

I was sleepwalking through my life until someone saw fit to put a sexy firefighter in my path. He was certainly put there to tempt this rockstar. And doesn’t he know it?! What he doesn’t know is that I was completely and utterly beguiled by him the instant I laid eyes on him. And I knew, even then, that he was different to my other relationships.

He pushes me, he wants me to never stop chasing my dreams. Little does he know that no dream could possibly compare to the reality of him, Luna and Elijah. Nothing will ever come close. Until we have another baby, that is.

 

The End