My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus) novel Chapter 1118

A few months had passed, and Valerie was slowly settling into her new normal—if she could even call this new life "normal."

Having two toddlers just over two years old was pure chaos, especially since they were in that stage where they wanted to explore everything and do it all on their own.

Her little John and Ethan were supportive, but sometimes, they felt like two more babies themselves.

Marcus had returned to work "as usual," though in reality, every afternoon their toddlers would show up at the office—an office that had once belonged to Serenity, and later to John.

He looked after Bert and Carrie with all the love and patience a father could possibly give to those little angels.

Meanwhile, Valerie would lock herself in her studio, working on designs for her new jewelry collection, which she planned to launch in less than six months.

Life after coming back from Valentia had been a whirlwind of emotions. The first challenge was adjusting to being back home—and with that, the ever-present feeling of absence left by Serenity not being there.

Marcus was the one who felt the loss of his daughter the most. He had to swallow his pride and start accepting Alden again. Once upon a time, he had thought Alden was a good guy, but now, he looked at him with suspicion—for taking his little girl away.

Those first encounters between Marcus and Alden were a bit awkward, but over time, Alden proved he had what it took to handle Marcus as a father-in-law. And Marcus, slowly but surely, started letting his guard down.

Serenity watched those moments between them with joy. It showed that her father had good intentions toward Alden, and that her husband was doing his part to win over her dad—who was also his.

At night, while Valerie and Marcus were enjoying a well-deserved soak in the tub, they finally began to unwind after a long day.

"My love, how's that collection coming along? Are you almost done with the creative phase?" Marcus asked with interest.

"Almost... I'm loving how it's turning out. I'm still making some final tweaks to a necklace I'll be presenting, but I know I'll finish it before the deadline.

"You know? You guys are my biggest inspiration! While we were in Valentia, I was so caught up in everything that happened before and after our arrival that I just couldn't find inspiration for any new jewelry," Valerie said confidently.

"I know another way to get you inspired..." Marcus teased, playing with her body beneath the thin layer of bubbles.

"Marcus!"

"What? I'm not allowed?" he asked with a mischievous look.

"Of course you are! But you always make me lose my train of thought…"

"Well, while you're trying to remember, come here. I want to kiss these lips that are mine and yours all at once…"

"Marcus…"

"You know that voice is emotional blackmail, right?"

"I know! But if I don't say it like that, you'll ignore me… It's been days since I've had anything at all… I need my wife. I need some love too…"

"Some love?"

"Well… you know what I mean…"

"Mmm… Sorry for neglecting you. Work has me all over the place. And honestly, yes, I'm super excited about the collection launch, so I kind of get lost in it…"

"Well… I just want a little compensation."

That line of reasoning led to a night full of kisses—and plenty more.

Slowly, their lives were settling into a new rhythm: three kids, with the oldest now six, and the youngest two being full-on toddlers who needed 24/7 supervision to keep them from getting into serious trouble.

At this point, Ethan practically lived at the Bartz residence. He did his homework there, ate there, and spent most nights of the week sleeping there too.

No one would've imagined that little John and Ethan would be the bridge to unite the Palmers and the Bartzes in such a deep way. And Serenity and Alden had sealed that bond with a baby and a marriage that made them incredibly happy.