“I’m dumb for that.”
“No, you’re kind, which is never dumb.”
“It was great meeting Alex.” Maren changes the subject, and since it’s our wedding night and I’d rather not talk about Linda, I don’t push.
“I’m glad you got the chance. He leaves tomorrow so, who knows when we’ll get to see him again.”
“Oliver,” Maren says, and I wait, knowing she isn’t done talking and needs a second to get her words together. “Today was perfect.”
“It was.”
“You gave us the wedding we deserved, and I love you so much.”
I kiss her, and I keep kissing her until we’re both breathless. Then I lift her into my arms and carry her to the bed.
Our families have all headed home or to the hotel down the road, which is more like a roadside motel, but not my problem. So, we are in our home, the place where I hope we can raise our kids together, alone.
I lay her on the bed, smiling down and marveling at her beauty. She takes my breath away.
“Why are you smiling?”
“Because I can’t believe that you’re mine.”
“I have been yours since the minute I asked you to marry me.”
I laugh. “I think I became yours then too.”
She leans up and grips my tie, pulling me to her. “And now we belong to each other.”
“Always.”
She smiles. “Always. Also,” Maren says, her voice changing before she tilts her head with a grin, “I have a surprise for you.”
“You do?”
“I do. See, I thought we were going to spend our anniversary at the resort, so I had a cake and all kinds of things made.”
“I think my surprise is better,” I say before trying to kiss her, but she shifts back a little.
“Maybe, but that wasn’t all of it. Are you ready?”
“I’m really hoping you’re going to tear that dress off and be completely naked because I’m really ready to see if we can make the house shake tonight.”
Maren giggles. “I think you’re going to like it.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. I’m pregnant.”
Epilogue
MAREN
~Six Years Later~
“I’m not ready for this,” Oliver says as he grabs Brynn’s backpack.
“We may not be, but she is.”
“She’s not ready to go to school.”
“The state says otherwise.”
He rolls his eyes. “Like I trust any of them.”
I smile and pat his cheek. “She will be fine and so will you.”
Brynn comes running down the stairs, blonde hair flying behind her like a cape. She takes the last four as a jump, causing my heart to falter until she stands with her arms in the air. “I did it.”
“Can we not do that again?” I make my way to her.
Brynn has her father’s personality with my features. It’s a lot of fun for both of us. I look at her, and see myself, but when she talks, all I hear is him. She is funny, smart, and sarcastic at the age of five. All we hear is that it’s only going to get worse.
“I wish I could make that promise, Mama, but you said I can’t lie. It’s a sin.”
Oh for heaven’s sake.
“Nice try.”
Oliver comes over. “How about this, if you do that again, you won’t have the television for a week.”
Her green eyes widen before she clutches her hand to her chest. “You wouldn’t do that to me, would you, Daddy? Not for practicing my gymnastics.”
“I would.”
She looks to me. “I was told that I don’t try hard enough, and that’s what I’m doing. I’m practicing.”
“Your teacher did not tell you to leap off the stairs as practice. But I appreciate your effort in trying to sell it.” I boop her on the nose. “Now, go eat your breakfast before the bus comes.”
Brynn rushes off, and Oliver flops onto the couch. “That child is a menace.”
“That child is you.”
He smirks. “Menace.”
“Who you love.”
“With every fiber of my being.”
Brynn is everything to us. She’s truly a miracle. We conceived her naturally, but since then, we haven’t been able to get pregnant. After countless visits to fertility clinics over the years, we finally decided to stop trying. The emotional toll it was taking on us was too great, and we are eternally grateful for the child we do have. Still, I struggle.
Ashton Miller is one of the top infertility specialists in the country and a good friend of mine. She explained it wasn’t anything either of us was doing wrong or even the chemo treatments Oliver had a few years back. It just wasn’t working, even after IVF.
There are days when I swear I can imagine the tiny baby in my arms. I can feel his weight and see his blue eyes that are just like his father’s.
“Hey,” Oliver says, opening his arms, “come here.”
I settle onto his lap, allowing him to once again be my safe harbor, and rest my head on his chest. “How did you know I needed this?”
“Because I know you.”
“I’m a lucky girl.”
“You sure are.”
I snort. “If you do say so yourself?”
“I think both of us are lucky, so there’s that. You know that I love you more every single day, don’t you?”
“I do.”
“And I am completely content with our life. We have everything, Maren. Everything.”
He’s right. I know he is. We have a beautiful home on Melia Lake that we built when we found out we were pregnant. It’s tucked back so the guests can’t see it, but we still have a great view of the water.
Every month, we take a trip out to the farm, check on the horses we bought, and visit with my family. A wonderful couple lives there full time to care for the land and the animals. Thanks to Brynn, what started out as a few chickens and horses have grown into a damn zoo.
Really, it’s Oliver’s fault since he can’t say no to her.
“I know we do. I just can’t seem to stop from wanting more.”
“If it happens, then it’ll be because it was right.”
“You always know what to say.”
He laughs. “I wish I did. It would make arguing with you so much more fun for me. Instead, I usually end up going in circles.”
“Because you’re usually wrong in those instances.”
He raises a brow. “Shut up and kiss me.”
I give him a kiss right as Brynn enters.
“Eww! Kissing boys is gross.”
Oliver pops his head up. “It is. You should never do it. Ever. Boys are stupid.”
“You just kissed Mama.”
“Because I’m stupid!” He pushes me up off his lap. “See? I am going to put myself in timeout.”
“Don’t do that, Daddy! I’ll protect you!” Brynn giggles and rushes over to him, throwing herself into his arms.
Oliver catches her and spins her around and around. “Thank goodness!”