“You gave birth and had major surgery three days ago, and you’re somehow standing on your own two feet. You’re stronger than anyone I’ve ever known.”
I smiled as I felt him press his lips against mine.
“There isn’t a day that goes by that you don’t astound me. That I don’t wake up, roll over, and lie there in awe of your face. You have given me the three greatest gifts in life I could’ve ever asked for,” he said.
“And what are those?” I asked.
“Your love, yourself, and our son,” he said.
I felt tears springing to my eyes as his hand wrapped around my head.
“We needed a fresh start, but we also needed to remember our past and where we came from so we can always remember going forward how strong we are during the times when we need to cling to one another the most. I wanted to give you this not just as a wedding gift, but as a new mother gift. I wanted to give you a place you could call home, a place that wasn’t tainted with any sour memories of our past but illuminated with the happiness of our future.”
“Oh, Bryan,” I said. “What in the world have you done?”
“Something that I hope you’ll like,” he said.
Then, the blindfold dropped from my vision.
I felt Bryan slip his hand into mine as my vision corrected. The blurriness of my tears subsided, and the picture in front of me slowly emerged. I was standing on a winding driveway that sat back in a forest of trees I didn’t know existed in San Diego. Birds were chirping, and the sun was shining. The smell of grass and nature filled my nostrils, and in front of me was the most beautiful home I had ever seen.
“Oh my gosh,” I said with a gasp.
“Welcome home,” Bryan said.
“When in the world did you build this?” I asked.
“Over the past four months. I had the company help me out,” he said. “And don’t worry, it’s furnished inside, complete with Little Johnny’s nursery, but not so furnished as to erase your touch.”
I was in awe of the home standing in front of me.
The massive home in front of me was a pale peach color. The wraparound porch and the shutters were white, lending a brightness to the home that made me smile. I slowly walked up to the porch as Bryan followed behind me, taking in the comfortable rocking chairs that looked out over the sprawling acres of land that were fenced in.
“How much of this land do we—?”
“Everything within the boundary of the fence is ours,” Bryan said.
I walked up the steps, my neck craned as I looked around. I held onto Bryan for stabilization, but I was anxious to get inside. I threw the front door open and was greeted with the most wonderful smell. Cinnamon and cardamom filled my nostrils, but it was the expanse of the home I enjoyed the most.
“This place is massive, Bryan.”
“Do you like it?” he asked.
I walked into the foyer and looked down at the cherry mahogany hardwood floors.
“Holy shit,” I said.
“Hailey, the baby,” Bryan said mockingly.
“Shut up.”
“I love you too,” he said.
Bryan followed me as I walked around the house. There was a massive kitchen that sat against the back of the house, with french double doors that led out to the porch. There was patio furniture, a fire pit, comfortable seating, and umbrellas to shade us from the sun. I ran my hand along the furniture, plush and velvety as my eyes scanned the walls. They were painted this beautiful grayish-blue color.
It reminded me of the color of blue lace.
“Want to see the upstairs?” Bryan asked.