Her Heart Is Breaking In Front Of Me

Epilogue

I quietly climbed back into bed, just having finished rocking Jacob back to sleep after he awoke in the middle of the night. Brian was waiting for me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me up to him when I was under the covers.

"Everything all right now?" he asked sleepily, his lips ghosting against mine.

I nodded my head and told him, "He's just fine. Dr. Carlson said he should begin sleeping through the night pretty soon here, seeing as he's almost two months now."

Brian's lips curled into a smile and he kissed me, settling down further into bed after he pulled away. A content sigh passed his lips as he said, "I love you, Lily."

"I love you too, Bri," I answered, pressing myself as close to him as possible. As I listened to Brian's breathing become slow and regular with sleep, I carefully pulled away just enough to look at him. The familiar features of his face - the thin lips, button nose, and strong jawline - made me smile as I tucked myself back into his embrace. "I love you," I whispered one more time, grinning when the words were mumbled, very quietly, back to me.

Our marriage wasn't perfect - it hadn't been even before Brian's mistake - but it was everything I wanted and needed. I would live with Brian's imperfections just as he would live with mine, and I wouldn't change that for anything. He turned my entire world upside down, made me fall in love, protected me, broke my heart, and gave me a beautiful family; and through it all - good and bad times alike - I loved him with all my heart. If given the chance, I would do it all again and I wouldn't change a thing.

Brian Elwin Haner, Junior - my rock star, my lover, my husband, and the father of my children - was the love of my life. I gave my heart to him forever.

♠ ♠ ♠

That's it guys, the end. It's so hard to believe.

I don't have enough words to tell you all, each and every one of you, how grateful I am. Whether you've commented on every chapter from the very beginning of this trilogy, or if you're a silent reader, I can't thank you enough or tell you how much gratitude I have. Thank you to every person who read and/or commented on this series. Truly, thank you.

In addition, I would like to thank the girls who let me use their characters in my stories. You all know who you are - thank you again.

And last but not least, I'd like to thank the guys of Avenged Sevenfold. Without them and their music, I wouldn't have the inspiration to write. They spend each day of their lives doing what they love, and that dedication is what gives me the inspiration and motivation to write.

I would also like to thank Jimmy Sullivan. He was alive and well when I began writing this story in 2007, but passed away in the middle of the final installment in 2009. He truly is one of my biggest heroes, and I wish every day he was still here with us. I've written a one-shot in his memory pertaining to this story. It's been added as a sequel to this story, so there is a link up at the top of this page. IT WILL NOT BE A FULL LENGTH STORY. EVER. I am sorry to say that, but I believe that what I wrote is all I need to write. It's for Jimmy, and that's all that matters.

Thank you all once again for everything and for your continued support. Keep in touch and check back to my profile for new stories being posted this year.

Much love and respect,

Heather