Epilogue (FINAL)

Life after the wedding was as sweet as could be for the happily married couple.

True to her word, whenever Lief did something idiotic, Josefin was always there to remind him. In turn, Lief made sure Josefin always felt appreciated.

Many people in Aurora Skies were cautious of the whole thing, seeing as Lief had been down the same road three times before.

But those fears were unfounded. No arguments, no misunderstandings arose for Mr. and Mrs. Helgason.

Lief's three children and Josefin's two boys were very glad to have so many siblings. Karen, of course, was still sad she had to end her relationship with Arvid.

However, she was glad that her father was finally happy with a woman he truly loved.

Indeed, Lief was glad to be the proud parent of five wonderful children, as was Josefin.

Lief's fourth marriage was indeed shaping up to be the last one. He was absolutely overjoyed to know he had finally found his soulmate.

With Josefin, the feeling was mutual. She not only found the man of her dreams, but she found an amazing father for her two boys.

Now, the two were off, ready to pick up their children from school and day care.

"Hey, Josefin?" Lief said with a sudden look of worry on his face.

"Yes, Lief?"

"Did I turn the stove off before we left?"

"Yes, you did." Lief's expression then calmed considerably.

"Okay, good!" With that, the husband and wife continued on.

And so, the Helgasons continued to live a happy life together. Indeed, both adults found their special someone, and all of them continued on as what could be seen as one big, unified family.

And they all lived happily ever after.

The End.

(As I have just stated, One Step at a Time has now ended. And again, Happy Valentine's Day.)

(Make sure to check back here on the sixteenth! -Nene)

Chapter 22: They Do

The big day had finally arrived. The time had gone by so fast, everyone felt as if it was only the blink of an eye.

"Is Lief at the place already?" Josefin was admittedly nervous that today was her wedding day.

"Yup. Arvid, Edvin, and Karl are there with him. They made sure that he didn't see you when they were leaving the house."

Chapter 21: Ties That Bind

Josefin had searched as many places as she could in Aurora Skies. Predictably, no sign of Karen.

At some point, Josefin realized that the chances of Karen being in a place she liked were slim. Instead, she looked in places the girl wouldn't normally be.

Soon, there was only one place left to look.

The outside itself was enough to fascinate Josefin. Though small, the building was very well decorated. She hadn't noticed the place before, almost as if the building had sprung up overnight.

And oddly enough, despite it being late at night, the lights were on.

The inside was even more beautiful to her, when she stepped inside.

"Now why didn't I notice this place before?" Josefin said, seemingly to no one. "I'd say this would be the perfect place to have a wedding."

Chapter 20: Missing Piece

Lief decided that this morning, he would wake his children himself.

He remembered doing it all the time when Karen and Karl were younger, and he figured he'd try to revive an old tradition.

Lief made very sure he didn't wake Josefin.

As he made his way upstairs, Leif sighed in nostalgia. He remembered doing it when it was just him and Karen. Now it appeared he had five children to try it with.

He didn't mind, however. The more, the merrier. It wasn't as if he were going to dive into their chests to wake them up.

"Karen~! Time to wake up!" Lief was used to a dark room. When he received no answer, that was what he was not used to.

"Karen? Are you still mad about last night?" Still no answer.

Lief wasn't getting angry at his daughter's silence, merely worried. He then turned on the light, and realized why she was so quiet.

Chapter 18: Not So Hallur-ing

It had already started to become dark by the time Lief got to the next house.

It wasn't too entirely implausible, as the third wife lived out of town. Lief didn't blame her.

Lief bit his lip as he walked up the steps. She was, after all, an ex-wife. 

He was prepared for the worst, started from the moment she opened the door. 

Chapter 17: The Apple of His Eye

Lief hadn't initially noticed it, but talking to Veronika made him feel...lighter.

He almost felt as if a weight had begun to be lifted off his shoulders. But said weight was still there, lingering.

Nonetheless, Lief still felt as if what he was doing was right. That he had to put aside any bad feelings towards his former wives.

As like before, Lief now found himself at the house of his second wife.

Chapter 16: Braving The Harsh Vinter

"It's been a long time since I've been here..."

Lief felt as if his future marriage to Josefin would not seem right, if he didn't bury the hatchet with the three other women.

He was well aware they would not be happy to see him, but he was willing to do his best to reason with them.

It was all a matter of gathering enough courage to go through with it.

Lief found himself at the door of ex-wife number one. He willed himself to go up the stairs and ring the doorbell.

Chapter 15: Gather for the Great Announcement

(Note: Since this week has a holiday, I'm hoping to try something a little different with the chapters, so the chapter I want will be on the occurring day.)

"So what do you guys think our parents want to talk to us about?"

Later that night, the children were gathered in the living room, making small talk until Edvin got home from work.

"I have an idea as to what it is, but...You never know." Karen was hoping that her suspicions were untrue. The last two times, however, she had no such luck.

Chapter 14: Break the Ice, and the News

"So how are we going to tell them?"

Early the next morning, the newly engaged couple were discussing how to properly present the news to their children.

Josefin was understandably concerned and at a loss. Her fiance, on the other hand, seemed none too worried.

"Don't worry. I got it under control. I'll make sure both of us have the kids know by tonight."

"Are you sure it'll go out all right, Lief?"

At that point, Lief made a face as if to say, "You think it won't?" He once again assured her that her fears were unfounded.

Then, both of them heard Kristin crying from upstairs, a sign she had woken up. Lief took the opportunity to take care of her before she woke everyone else up.

Chapter 13: Pop! Goes the question!

(I ended up speeding up ahead in the storyline setting, in part due to the fact I'm not really the best when it comes to taking pictures.)

A few months had passed. The two families seemed to now have almost a sense of one.

Though Karen and Arvid remained together, Karen had better accepted her father dating her boyfriend's mother.

It was as Karl said. There was no point in making a fuss if Lief and Josefin were happy.

She was still reluctant about it. And coming events would make it even harder for her.

Chapter 12: Are You Frozen By Fear?

Although Lief was one to spend a good amount of time with Karen lately, still he managed to set apart some time for his other children.

Sadly, Karl was getting to that point in his life where he was starting to want to distance himself from his father. Most of their conversations seemed to dwindle off and go nowhere.

Lief didn't blame him, though. He remembered when he himself was on the cusp of adolescence. All he hoped for was that Karl didn't turn into a troublemaker when he reached his teen years.

After Karl went to a friend's house, Lief found himself with no one to talk to. Karen and Arvid were out at the movies, Kristin was sleeping, and Josefin was working overtime.

Then, he realized there was someone he could talk to.

Even if that someone wasn't one for socializing.

Chapter 11: Doesn't That Just Burn You Up?

It wasn't long before the Oss family had already spent an entire day living under the same roof as the Helgasons.

Much to Lief and Josefin's delight, the boys were already bonding quite well with Karen's siblings. Admittedly, Edvin and Arvid were at a loss as to how to change a diaper.

Other than that, though, things went quite well.

Edvin enjoyed playing Peek-a-boo and This Little Piggy with Kristin. So much so, that he actually dreaded having to leave for work.

As for Arvid and Karl, theirs was a more subtle but no less important relationship.

It rather baffled Arvid, having to know that Karl's studies were far too advanced for a boy his age. Nevertheless, he was willing to help him out however he could.

But not everything was completely without a hitch.

Chapter 10: Moving Day

For the next few weeks or so, things between Lief and Josefin were amazing.

Lief was sure Karen was hoping something would go wrong. But unfortunately for her, things between the two adults couldn't be better.

So good, that Lief decided now was a good time to merge the families.

Not in the marital sense, of course. Lief felt he was going to hold back on that for now.

The father of three decided to wait a little while longer.The last time he rushed into marriage, the result was obvious.

This time around, Lief was going to try a different approach. The next chance he got off of work, he drove up to the Oss house.

As if by some stroke of luck, Josefin was there.

"Hey, pretty lady," He greeted her with an admittedly cheesy sentiment. "So I was wondering..."

"Yes?" The way Josefin looked at him was a mix of hopefulness and confusion.

"I know we haven't been dating that long, but I was hoping that maybe, I don't know..." Lief never understood why it was so hard to talk to her about such big commitments. He soon decided to take the "mince-no-words" approach.

"Josefin, would you and yours like to move in with me and mine?" Now that the request was out, Lief was afraid she would reject him and laugh at him.

Chapter 9: Always Ask For Permission First

In all honesty, Lief was not entirely sure why he did it. Talking to a dead man seemed strange.

But then again, it felt like it was the right thing to do. After all, Josefin was another man's wife before Lief came along.

When Lief knew for sure his children were all asleep, he left to go to the cemetery.

It had taken some time, due to the massive amount of gravestones, but he found the man he was looking for.

But now that he found the guy, what was there to say?

Chapter 8: Apology Accepted

After Karl had gone to bed that night, Karen was still awake waiting for her father to get home.

She wasn't sure exactly when he was supposed to get home. It wasn't like any of her dates with Arvid, where she gave a set time and place to pick her up.

Lief was a grown man, he could drive around and carouse with Josefin as much as he wanted. She couldn't tell him what he could or couldn't do.

Well, she could, but chances were he'd not take her seriously. 

Karen had no choice but to patiently wait until he returned. She pinched herself from time to time in an effort to keep herself awake.

It was, in fact, nearing midnight when Lief came home. Upon entering, he saw his daughter standing in the hallway, and his cheery mood dissipated.

Chapter 6: Lay Bare The Inner Feelings

The early morning confrontation with his teenage daughter still made Lief feel uneasy.

He knew she disapproved of this relationship, but he was still at odds as to what he should do.

Lief knew he could ask Josefin, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to put a damper on their date.

But then, he was also curious about how Arvid felt about it. That is, if Josefin had told her boys at all yet.

In the end, Lief decided to just cross that bridge if he came to it tonight.

But until that point, he was just going to have a nice little time with Josefin.

Chapter 5: Blow Out, Fall Out

Lief had managed to keep his new relationship with Josefin a secret from his children.

He was not entirely sure how they would take it, but it would not be long before the truth came out.

Though perhaps he could have chosen a better time to break the news.

For whatever reason, Karen had woken up on the wrong side of the bed that morning. Perhaps it was simply one of the many quirks of adolescence.

Or, it might have had to do with the fact she fell off the bed in her sleep, at some point during the night.

Either way, Karen clearly was not in the mood for anything displeasing.

Chapter 4: In the Name of the Moon

Some time after what he still wasn't sure was an actual date, Lief still couldn't get Josefin off his mind.

Of course, that had happened to him at least three times before, and none of those times ended well. And yet, something told him she was worth it.

Nevertheless, he was wary. Arvid and Edvin's mother was a widow, after all. He had no experience with widows.

But then, there was nothing wrong with courting a woman with experience. On the other hand, Josefin might still be grieving her late husband.

Lief wasn't going to push her into a potential relationship if she didn't want one. It was still worth a try, though.

So, the next chance he got, he waited until Karen got home from school. When she did, he made sure she was all right on her own.

Of course, perhaps Lief should have taken better note of the night.

Chapter 3: It's a Date! Or is it?

Lief had not actually expected it to be only Josefin to visit his home.

He also had not expected her to show up so early.

But of course, that was not going to stop him from being a decent host to his guest.

According to Josefin, Arvid was called into his part-time job, and Edvin hadn't been feeling too well. Lief was...saddened to hear that.

But nonetheless, he would make sure that Josefin was appreciated. And he even promised he'd go visit Edvin if possible.

"So, is your husband keeping an eye on Edvin while you're gone?" Lief had to ask.

As she answered, Lief couldn't help but notice Josefin's smile was a little tight around the edges. "I'm...afraid not," she said in a rather sad tone of voice.

"Huh? Why not?"

Chapter 2: Serendipity

The next day, true to his word, Lief had finished at the office, and come to take Karen home.

He knew he could take his time, but Lief really didn't want to dawdle. Not to mention he had asked the neighbors to watch Kristin before he went to work. Surely, they weren't being too inconvenienced?

It was better than constantly hiring a babysitter, and not as expensive. But, hopefully, Lief would relieve them of that duty shortly, and they could head home.

But first things first. Pick up Karen.

Lief was given the familiar greeting from Edvin Oss. It was friendly, if not a tad blunt.

But then, Edvin wasn't one to be overly wordy. He was more suited to give a handshake and a short "Hey."

After being let in, Lief had to ask if the boys' parents were home. As if expecting the answer, Edvin responded with "Mom is."

For whatever reason, Lief never actually met Mr. and Mrs. Oss. But he attributed that to not knowing the boys all that long. But this time, he felt it was about time to meet the parents.