Back in the Soldier's Bed

“We were idiots,” he said, echoing her thoughts. “We wasted so much time.”

“It doesn’t matter,” she replied, squeezing his ribs. “We’re here now. We got here in the end.”

“It was better than I remembered.”

She smiled against his shoulder. “Like riding a bike.”

He rolled over then, and his eyes and lips sobered into a more serious expression. “Shan, I still have work to do. I’ll be in therapy for a while. I’m still going to struggle.”

“I know that.”

“But I’m going to do it. Because I’m not going to let you down again. Not your or Emma.”

“I know that, too.” She reached up and touched his cheek. “I trust you, Jonas. I’m done being afraid. Loving you means trusting you. Faith, not fear,” she whispered.

He leaned forward and kissed her lightly; a confirmation.

“Hey, Shan?”

“Hmmm?”

“Can we tell Emma?”

“Tonight?”

“Tonight.”

She imagined telling her daughter—their daughter—that she and Jonas were getting married. Emma would be thrilled. She would want to be the flower girl. That was just fine with Shannyn.

“Pack a bag, soldier,” she suggested. “We can tell Emma and you can stay the night.” As far as she was concerned, he could stay all the nights from now on.

Because if they were going to be a family, it only made sense to get started as soon as possible.

Epilogue

They picked up Emma at Patty’s and headed home. Jonas listened to his daughter chatter about chicken nuggets and fries and how they’d gone home and roasted marshmallows at Lisa’s firepit. She had the sticky fingers to show for it. Jonas was completely under her spell. His daughter was a miracle, and it was all because of Shannyn. She was a hell of a mother.

And now she would be his wife.

“Hey Emma, your mum and I want to talk to you about something. Sit with us on the sofa for a minute?”

“Okay, Daddy.” She reached up for his hand. “Can I sit in the middle?”

“Of course.”

He remembered that first day when she’d called him Daddy, and the word had filled him with panic and fear. Now it was the sweetest word in the world.

He looked over at Shannyn. She looked happy, too. And without the pinched look around her eyes she’d had so often. He’d put her through so much, but no more. They’d face the future with open communication and love. He was done holding things in where they festered.

“Honey, your daddy and I had a big talk tonight,” Shannyn said. She was looking at Emma, but she reached over and took Jonas’s hand. “And we decided that we would like to get married.”

Emma’s eyes got wide and she looked from Shannyn to Jonas. “You mean you would be here all the time, Daddy?”

He swallowed around the lump in his throat. “That’s right, sugar. I love your mommy. And she loves me, too. Would that be okay with you?”

She nodded, her dark curls bouncing. “Yes, but now I have to think of something else for my letter.”

Jonas frowned. “Your letter?”