She led him to the other side of the gallery, where a lone painting was displayed. He stopped and stared. It was the same painting—with him on the bluff—but it was in full color, rich and vibrant. The sea wasn’t angry; the waves were joyous and playful, and the grass and flowers waved in bright sunlight next to a pristine white lighthouse. Before and after.
But what truly made it different was that he wasn’t alone in this one. A woman was beside him. She was beside him, in a flowy dress and her hair up and...
And in between them was a small child, holding on to their hands.
“I was going to call this one Dreams,” she said. “And then I decided it was something else.”
“What?” he asked, his throat tight and his heart full.
“Future.”
He stepped closer. The little silver plaque beneath it had Future inscribed. And there was a tag on it that said “Not for sale.”
“Jess?”
“I’m not selling this one. It’s our future, Bran.”
He stared into her eyes. “Are you saying...”
She put her hand to her still-flat stomach, but a smile broke out on her face and he swore she lit up like a candle.
“I took the test last week. Barely, but yes, I’m pregnant.”
He started to laugh. He couldn’t help it. It was a joyful expression of happiness and disbelief, mostly that he could be this lucky. “It’s funny?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“It’s unbelievable,” he confirmed, and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “Look, I was going to do this whole big thing after your showing, but I think this is the right time.” He reached into his suit jacket and took out a blue box. “I love you, Jess. I don’t know that I believed in angels until you showed up at my lighthouse, being all sassy and beautiful. But if there are angels, you’re mine. Will you marry me?”
She nodded. He put the ring on her finger, then pulled her close, amazed and awed that their baby was between them right now.
Jeremy was right after all. Not everyone got lucky a second time around. Now that he had, he was never going to let her go.
* * *