Amelia bursts into tears. Pretty much the reaction I was expecting. She walks into the dark room, examining the photos of our summer together. She turns to me, her eyes rounded and in awe.
“You built me a darkroom?” she whispers, her fingers coming to her lips.
“This house wouldn’t be your home without it.”
“And who developed the pictures…” Her voice trails off when she sees I’m beaming with pride. “You?”
“Since I graduated early, I decided to take a course on developing film. I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again…and it made me feel closer to you.”
“Oh, Knox.” She throws her arms around my shoulders and peppers kisses all over my face. “You’re the sweetest man I’ve ever known. God, I love you so much my heart could burst.”
Before I can respond, she goes back to the photos, eyeing each and every one.
“I got the camera and the film from Sunny. She told me you never developed it after I left,” I explain. “Gotta say, babe, I’m a little disappointed you never developed my photos. I, for one, used yours every single night.”
She blushes at the memory of the dirty photos she snuck into my bag. “Glad to hear it. I had the polaroid. That one memento hurt to look at. A whole slew of them? I wasn’t strong enough… But looking at them now, I sure was missing out.”
I wrap my arms around her waist, nuzzling the nape of her neck. “We both were, baby. But the good news is, Mrs. Wellington, we’ll never have to miss out again.”
Amelia tilts her neck, giving me better access. She places her hands over mine and squeezes. “Take me to bed, Mr. Wellington.”
She doesn’t have to ask me twice. We close up the darkroom and make our way through our new home.
That sounds so damn good.
Amelia pauses as the bottom of the staircase. Her expression is wistful.
“What’s wrong, babe?”
She shrugs. “It’s silly. This night… This day. It’s been perfect. More than I could have ever imagined. It’s just… I wish Branson were here. It feels wrong spending the night in our new home without him.” She waves the thought off. “I’m probably just out of sorts since it’s the first night I’ve spent away from him. That we’ve spent away from him. Do you think we could call your mom just to check in?”
Just as I’m about to agree, the doorbell chimes.
Right. On. Cue.
“Who could that be this late?” she wonders. Then her eyes widen. “I’m barely dressed! We can’t have visitors!”
Having prepared for this, I go to the coat closet, grab a robe, and toss it to her with a wink. “Go get the door, Melia.”
Her eyebrows furrow, a cute frown forming on her lips. She ties the robe tight around her waist, and even with as much as I want to, I don’t tell her that it makes her breasts look even more magnificent. I follow as she crosses the room and opens the door to see who’s standing on the other side.
Once again, Amelia bursts into tears. Mom looks beyond my wife, her amused expression meeting my own.
“It’s a running theme today,” I tell Mom.
“Oh, Kate. I can’t believe this. How’d you know I’d be missing my boy?”
Mom chuckles then steps inside as Amelia offers her in. “I have two boys of my own, sweetheart. But it wasn’t me who planned this. Your husband knew you’d be feeling a bit melancholy without him and asked me to bring him by. With strict rules not to interrupt for a couple of hours. From the looks of it, I think my timing is impeccable.”
That masculine swell of pride bursts in my chest, beating like a rhythmic drum. “Your timing couldn’t be better, Mom. I just finished giving Amelia the tour.”
“How do you like the darkroom?” she asks, turning her attention back to Amelia.
“Oh my gosh. It’s just wonderful. I can’t believe I have my very own darkroom. Poor Knox. I can already foresee he’s going to spend many hours waiting for that red light to go off.”
“If it makes you happy, then I’ll live,” I tell her.
“And the rest of the house?” Mom asks. “Is it to your liking?”
“I love it,” Amelia gushes. “I can’t thank you enough for helping Knox find this place. And I love that we’re so close to you! Branson will be so lucky to grow up with grandparents nearby.”
Mom affectionally pats Amelia on the shoulder. “We’re equally lucky to have a grandson and new daughter-in-law within a stone’s throw. Truth be told, I always dreaded the boys leaving the nest. Now, they’ve both left within the same year.” She peers down at a sleeping Branson in her arms. “But having this little guy around will soften the blow a bit. I’m quite adept at raising Wellington boys, you know.”
“I can’t argue with that,” Amelia murmurs.
Mom shifts and then places Branson in Amelia’s arms. She gives Amelia a pointed look. “I also want you to know I won’t be an overbearing mother-in-law.”
I choke back the laughter that rises, though not quickly enough.
Mom’s glare silences me. She softens when she turns back to my wife. “Okay, I’ll try not to be. If I ever get out of line, don’t hesitate to let me know. It’s just been so long since I’ve had a baby around. I might try to hog him.”
“I think he’d enjoy that, Kate.” Amelia finishes with a yawn. She tries to suppress it, but she’s not convincing.
I clear my throat.
Mom glances over at me, her eyes filled with amusement. “I think that’s my cue to get out of your hair. The wedding was beautiful, you two. Amelia, welcome to the family. I’ve never had a daughter, and now, I have two. I know I can never replace your mother. I wouldn’t even begin to try. But I hope that, as we get to know each other, you’ll find you can lean on me no matter what.”
I fucking love my mom.
After we say our goodbyes to Mom, Amelia turns to me, tears shimmering in her eyes. “I’ve only known her for three days and I already love that woman. It’s no wonder you know how to treat a woman so well. Your parents must’ve been the best role models.”
“They’re pretty great. Now, you’re about to fall asleep on your feet, so let’s go upstairs.”
“Oh crap. Where’s the baby going to sleep? There’s no furniture in this house except for our bed!”
I grin. “Melia, do you really think I’d plan on Mom bringing him here without somewhere for him to sleep?”
“Well, no. But I didn’t see a crib.”
“You know how I wouldn’t let you look in the master closet?”
She wrinkles her nose. “You said you had a surprise in there that had to wait for later.” Then it dawns on her. “What’s in there? A crib?”
“Not a crib. A bassinet. I thought about going furniture shopping. Since I bought the house, though, I figured I’d let you have some fun furnishing and decorating the place.”
“Knox Wellington, you are the kindest, most thoughtful, sexiest man on this planet. I’m looking forward to married life with you.”
I cross the room and pull her into my arms, the baby nestled gently between us. We stand there in an embrace, taking in the moment, just the three of us.