“Oh,” I say, before grabbing my stomach.
Julian looks at me, concern in his eyes. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
“Oh, God, Julian… I think it’s time!”
“She’s in labor!” Faith shouts, pointing at the clear liquid pooling at my feet. Is that my water breaking?
Julian blinks a few times until he realizes what’s going on. “We need to get you to the hospital!”
I look at him in panic.
“But we were supposed to have two more weeks.”
Julian kisses me and shakes his head. “The baby is ready to meet us now.” To the party, he says, “Sorry for the abrupt exit, but it’s time to get going!”
“Go!” Jackie urges us with a laugh. “We’ll take care of everything here.”
I waddle out the front door with Julian ushering me along. Then, he helps me into the car and holds my hand, encouraging me to breathe through the contractions until we reach the hospital.
“You can do it,” he urges. “Just a little longer.”
My labor is long and hard, but after eight hours of stress and unbelievable pain, our sweet baby girl finally arrives. I lie there, a sweaty mess, when they place our daughter on my chest.
“She’s perfect,” Julian says, kissing the top of my head. “Looks just like her mommy.”
I giggle a bit, touching the baby’s sweet little pink cheek with my pinky.
“Yes, but what should we name her?”
“I’ve always liked the name Stella,” Julian ventures. “What do you think? Stella Rose Holt?”
I smile gently, looking at the miracle we’ve created. “I like that. Hello, Stella Rose.”
Julian looks down on the two of us with a tender smile, and then suddenly, he kneels on the hard hospital floor next to my bed. I swivel, concerned.
“Are you okay? What’s going on? Do I need to call the doctor?”
He shakes that black head, his blue eyes filled with emotion.
“No, sweetheart. I’m just doing something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time. I planned this for the party actually, but it seems Stella Rose had other ideas.”
Then, Julian pulls out a small velvet box from his pocket and pops it open to reveal the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen. It’s platinum with a giant round-cut diamond in the center, surrounded by a halo of smaller diamonds.
“Serenity, I love you with all my heart, and I want us to be an official family: you, me, Stella Rose, and Stewie too. Will you marry me?” Julian asks, emotion churning in those blue eyes. “Will you make me a happy man?”
Tears pool in my eyes. “Yes,” I whisper. “I’d love to become Mrs. Holt, Julian.”
With that, the handsome attorney slips the ring on my swollen finger and pulls me to him, savoring my curvy figure.
“I love you,” he breathes into my hair. “You mean the world to me sweetheart, and you’ve given me the best gift of all: a baby.”
I laugh and cry, while circling one arm around my fiancé, and the other around my daughter. After all, today was to be a day of celebration, and now, there’s even more to celebrate with both Stella’s birth and our engagement too. How did I get so lucky? I’m not sure, but I’m grateful and vow to cherish Julian Holt forever.
* * *
THE END