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I stood on the ice with the rest of the team, watching the crowd cheer loudly. This was my last game. Ever. It was time I put hockey behind me. I'm not twenty-five anymore and I'm not just Demi's fiancé anymore. I'm her husband and a father to two kids. Two beautiful kids. I have a family now that means more to me than hockey ever could. And it's time I retired from the sport and settled in.

I've played the sport since I was in college and I've given it plenty of years of my life and hockey has given me some of the best memories and enough money to support my family for the rest of our lives. It's time to let it go.

We requested for my final game to be played at our very own stadium, where it all started for me is where it should all end. The last time I looked at the room like this was six years ago when I proposed to Demi right here on this very ice. One year after that, we got married and tied the knot. Publicly and privately. No lies anymore.

We spent the next three years just enjoying each other's company as husband and wife. We'd travel somewhere new every off-season, we'd visit her parents, they'd visit us. Things got better with my dad and worse with my mom. I don't speak to her anymore, neither does my dad, nor does Demi, and the kids don't either. They hated her the moment they met her. And to be honest, she never tried to be their grandmother anyway. But Lilly does a lot for them. Sends them gifts, takes them out when she's here. Well, at least she takes out Paris, our daughter. Our son, Aiden, is still too little.

Three years after getting married, we had our daughter, Paris. And she is just like Demi. We do have a mini Demi now, finally. She looks like Demi, her hair is like Demi's, she talks like Demi, acts like Demi, sings like Demi, which is... scary.

Two years after that, we had Aiden. After that, we were over the moon about having our family and it being complete but then things got hectic for work and I was more tempted than ever to quit and give my time to my family. But Demi pushed me forward like she always has. And that brings us to the present, one year after that, and I'm finally ready to quit, the team is ready to let me go, and everything is perfect, it couldn't be better no matter what.

"Hunter! Hunter! Hunter!"

I scanned the crowd that was chanting my name, my eyes immediately landing on Demi and Vanessa. Paris was sitting in Vanessa's lap, a lollipop sticking out of her cheek, while Demi held onto Aiden. Aiden is only one year old, so it's still hard to tell who he's more like, but everyone says he looks like me. I hope he acts like me too because we don't need another little Demi.

I waved once at the crowd while holding onto my helmet and then skated off the rest of the team, the crowd clapping loudly.

The way Demi would run to me after a game, now Paris does. Demi still knocks before every game but now Paris does too. As I stepped out of the rink, the first yell I heard was. "Daddy!"

I looked over, setting my helmet to the side, and picked up Paris, tossing her up once, making her giggle before I caught her, patting her wild hair down. "Hey, gorgeous," I sang, nudging her chin with my knuckles.

Amelia ran past me and into Michael's arms. He chuckled, hugging her tightly and picking her up, spinning her around. Michael told me recently he's been thinking of retiring too, but he says he wants to play on the ice a little longer, so he's sticking around.

I looked ahead while Demi walked over, holding Aiden on one hip. She wiped his chin before reaching me and then grinned, coming up on her toes. "You won. Of course, you did, but not just the game. You won the whole crowd," she chuckled softly as I leaned down to kiss her once I set Paris down.

I pecked her lips, not wanting too many people to notice, which is strange, considering how public our relationship used to be. It was until we got pregnant with Paris. After that, we both knew that the family had to be kept a little more private, we didn't want eyes on our newborn, and Demi wanted privacy too. The public and press were nice enough to give that to us.

Paris loves the attention though. Every time there's a camera, you'll see her dimpled grin and she'll be shining under the spotlight. Aiden's still kept out of the public eye, for now.

"He said 'Dada' while you were playing, you know," Demi laughed, handing him over to me.

"Did you?" I asked, fixing his hair.

Aiden knows a handful of words. Hi. Bye. Mommy. Daddy. Dada. And Paris. He's able to say her name, finally. He said it a few nights ago while Demi and I were in the living room late at night. We already put Paris to bed and were watching a movie while she tried putting Aiden to sleep and he blurted it out the minute Paris woke up and came down to see what we were up to.

I gave Aiden a few hard kisses on the cheek before giving him back to Demi. "Let me change and then I'll be right back, baby."

She nodded, still grinning. "Paris!" she called out.

"Yes, mommy?"

"Come on, let's go. We can wait by the couch."

Paris ran over from where she was playing with Christian, hugging Demi's legs, beaming.

Demi kneeled down and fixed her hair with one hand, tucking it behind her ears. "Don't you want to go get ice cream and watch movies with me and daddy tonight then?"

Paris nodded, screaming, "Yes, please!"

Demi chuckled, kissing her on the cheek. "So, let's go wait for daddy by the couch."

I entered the locker room and took a quick shower before getting dressed. My locker had already been emptied, I was just packing up today's stuff.

"I can't believe you'll be gone," Christian scoffed. "The whole world is going to miss you on the ice."

I stared at the guys who all looked like they would break out into tears. Everyone except Michael.

Michael, of course. Always cold, mature, calm, and in control. Not to mention, my fucking neighbor now.

Demi and I moved out of the penthouse and into a proper mansion when we had the kids. With a yard for Paris and Aiden. Paris has also been begging for a puppy, but she's too little right now, so we're holding off. It's hard to hold off when I have Demi and little Demi begging for a puppy, but I manage.

Michael and Amelia bought that house a year after Demi and I got married and moved in together for the present and to prepare for the future.

When Demi fell pregnant with Paris, I got cold feet a little bit because she was still so young. It didn't really hit me that she was three years younger than me before then. But when she got pregnant, I thought for a fleeting moment that she was wasting her twenties by settling down so early. I wasn't that young. Having a baby at twenty-nine isn't early at all, but having a baby at twenty-six is... somewhere in the middle but still young. Demi was very clear that she loved me and she loved the idea of having a family with me, so we did it anyway. And I don't regret it one bit.

"You can guys stop being dramatic now," I snickered, "it's not like we'll never see each other again. Michael lives next door to me, Christian lives in our neighborhood, Logan, you drop by all the time to see Paris and Aiden. Lucas, you do too. And Cody's moving into the neighborhood soon too. What's the problem? Stop being such babies, I have enough of that already. So call it quits on tears."

"Please say you're at least drinking with us tonight," Cody huffed.

"No," I smiled, closing my locker. "Understand that I too have a wife I love very much who needs help with our two little devils. So, count me out. I can meet tomorrow though. Paris is going to stay at a friend's house and Demi is usually all right with Aiden."

We finalized that plan for tomorrow and then I left, holding Paris' hand while we all walked to the car. I tucked Paris into the backseat, buckling her in, and then opened the passenger door for Demi who decided to hold onto Aiden.

I drove us home and then we all headed to the kitchen where we had dinner that our housekeeper made before leaving. Usually, Demi cooks but on busy nights, our housekeeper does. We had dinner and then crashed on the couch to watch a movie. "What do you watch, gorgeous?" I asked Paris while she sat beside me, throwing her legs over mine. I put an arm around her, playing with her hair while she fell into deep thought.

"The little merman," she mumbled.

"Mermaid," I laughed while Demi brought Aiden, who was nibbling on his pacifier.

She sat on my other side, placing Aiden in between us and reaching over to run her fingers through my hair. "You know she meant," Demi chuckled, tugging at my earlobe.

"Yeah!" Paris exclaimed, folding her arms across her chest, pouting.

I turned to her. "Oh well, I'm sorry. I didn't know that would upset our little princess. Are you mad at daddy now?" I lifted my brows at her.

She made a small, "Hmph," and stared at the screen.

I poked her belly and she shrieked before laughing, trying to throw my hands off. I stopped when she was out of breath and lying down, her legs in my lap and her head on a pillow. "Are you still mad at daddy?"

"Nope," she said cheerily, shaking her head.

Demi played the movie and Paris stayed like that, watching the screen while clutching onto her Ariel stuffed toy. It's her favorite movie. Aiden was in Demi's lap where she crossed her legs and slowly rocked him off to sleep. I turned to look at her when I heard Paris breathing steadily and realized she was asleep.

I turned the TV off and Demi and I stood up. She carried Aiden and I carried Paris, taking them to their room.

Paris would get her own room, eventually, but Aiden's too little, and Paris knows how to put him back to sleep in case he wakes up. She adores her baby brother and turns on his music box when he cries and pats his back until he goes back to sleep in the cot. Paris is a big girl, too big for her age, too mature. I'm scared of watching her grow up too fast right before my eyes.

I sighed in exhaustion as we entered our bedroom and Demi walked over while I stood in front of the door and came up on her toes, putting her arms around me and just hugging me.

"Long day?" she asked, scratching my head.

"Hmm," I nodded, walking us to the bed.

"Tired?"

I hummed again as we lay down before I kissed her, slipping one hand under her shirt.

She smiled against my lips before I pulled away and mumbled, "I love you. Until forever."

"I love you too," she whispered, "until forever."

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