Hope on the Rocks (Rainbow Cove)

He did something with the baby’s cord, and as he lifted her back up, wrapping her more securely in the blanket, something happened inside my chest, a lock snapping open, old dreams and new ones springing free. I was so damn proud of Quinn, saving the day, but more than that, he looked so right with the tiny baby in his arms. The tenderness rushing through me was almost enough to have me weeping too.

Quinn put the baby in Ramona’s waiting arms, bringing forth a fresh round of tears from her and Darren, who touched the baby’s tiny head with the tip of his finger.

“Valentina, you even made it on your special day,” he whispered.

“She sure knows how to make an entrance,” I joked right before the room filled with EMTs. A flurry of people surrounded the bed, checking Ramona and the baby. Quinn agreed with the lead EMT that both of them could benefit from being checked out fully at the hospital. He stayed right with Ramona until the ambulance personnel loaded her and the baby up.

At some point, someone had called my mom, who arrived in time to drive Darren and follow behind the ambulance. Miraculously, the once pelting rain had cleared, leaving only a cold, clear night and Quinn cuddled up in my arms long after Teddy had finally fallen asleep in his bed.

“Wow. I still can’t believe that happened,” I marveled for the hundredth time.

“Me too. My hands are still shaking.” Quinn demonstrated by holding one up. I grabbed it and held it tightly.

“You did great.” I kissed his temple.

“Well, Ramona did all the work. But I’m certainly going to be riding the adrenaline a good long while.” Laughing, he leaned his head on my shoulder.

“You’re all cute when you get high on doctor stuff,” I teased before kissing him again and getting serious. “Thank you. For real. I’m so glad you were here.”

“Where else would I be?” He sounded surprised, like every doctor gave up his Valentine’s Day to babysit his boyfriend’s nephew.

“This is where you belong. Right here.” My voice came out all thick. “Even if this is the most bizarre first Valentine’s Day ever.”

“Somehow, I don’t think we’ll top it next year.” Still chuckling, Quinn tipped his head back far enough to kiss my jaw. “And I think it’s pretty perfect, honestly.”

“It is.” My chest officially could no longer contain all my emotions, and I had to scrub at my eyes with one hand.

“Ramona even said I’m honorary family now.”

I wasn’t ever going to get a better opening than that, so I took a deep breath and patted my pocket. “Want to be actual family?”

Forty

Quinn

“What do you mean?” My voice was as shaky as my hands, which hadn’t calmed down from Ramona’s precipitous labor, and now Adam was looking at me all expectantly as he pulled something from his pocket.

“Marry me.” Two gold rings lay in the center of his palm, and I might have gasped. I shouldn’t have been that surprised. We’d been house-hunting and daydreaming for a good two months now, and every other sentence started with someday. But somehow, I was still gobsmacked, all the air leaving my lungs at once because someday was apparently right now, this minute.

“Really?” I sounded not unlike Darren earlier, all befuddled.

“I’ve had these for weeks now. Kept debating on where to ask. Wanted to ask you at the house, but that kept getting pushed back.”

“I know.” The house we both wanted had been delayed coming on the market, the property caught up in probate court, and while we’d seen other places in the meantime, we kept coming back to that one place we’d first seen the day Adam got his new truck. We’d finally gotten word that very morning that the property would clear probate and be listed within the week. I tilted my head. “You sure this isn’t about the house?”

“It’s about you,” Adam insisted, almost vehemently. “You, Quinn. I want you. Screw the house and screw being practical. I choose you. No matter what.”

“Wow.” Now I sounded more like Ramona, absolutely amazed and more than a little panicked at this turn of events.

“Good wow?” Adam asked cautiously, hand closing around the rings. I opened his fingers back up and plucked both rings out so I could admire them more closely.

“Good wow.” I held them up closer, glasses more than a little smeary after the night we’d had. “Yes. I choose you too. I want to be family for real.”

“We will be.” Adam sounded so certain that I had to believe him. I chose him, letting hope win, and kissed him with everything I had.

We spent the rest of the evening curled up together on the couch dreaming more about those someday plans that now seemed closer than ever. I was far too giddy to even think about sleep, and for once, Adam seemed the same.