"I love you," he repeats before his lips graze my belly. "I love this little man, too. I love him so much."
I do too. I don't know him yet. Neither of us does, but we talk about him as if he's already here. Our son will be born in the fall. My doctor told us that he was most likely conceived around Valentine's Day. We didn't use a condom that night or any time since. I took my birth control pills, but the doctor said that they're not foolproof. We didn’t care. We were overjoyed when we found out that we were going to have a baby. Our baby.
Ryker brings his other hand into view and opens it. I see the box. It's the box that he's kept hidden in the top drawer of the desk in his home office. I first saw it in May when I was looking for tape to wrap a gift for my mom for Mother's Day. I opened the small box without realizing what it was.
It's a beautiful diamond, a stunning solitaire in a white gold setting. I've never thought about what my ideal ring would look like until I saw the one Ryker picked just for me.
I didn't tell him I found it, but on Mother's Day, he asked me to marry him. I reminded him of our planned Christmas Day engagement and he kissed my still flat stomach and told me that sometimes we have to make compromises.
"I want you to be my wife no
w, Lark. I want us to be married when our baby comes."
I stare into his eyes. "I want to be your wife."
"I wake up every day more grateful than the one before. I get to love you. I get to raise a child with you. I get to grow old with you, Lark. Please marry me. Please let me be by your side forever."
I hold his hand while I lower myself to my knees. "If I say yes, when do you want to get married?"
"Next month." He kisses my hand. "I want you to marry me on my birthday."
"You want to share your birthday with our anniversary?" I look down at the still closed ring box.
"I finally felt like I was living when I met you, baby. What better way to celebrate my birthday than by marrying the woman I love? Will you marry me, Lark?"
I look into his eyes as I hear the box open. I feel the cool metal when he holds the ring against my fingertip. I nod. "Yes. I'll marry you."
"I can finally breathe now." He laughs as he slides the ring on.
"You knew I was going to say yes." I hold my hand up, admiring the ring. "This is beautiful, Ryker. I love it."
"You've seen it."
I shoot him a look. "What?"
"I've caught you twice snooping around my desk to look at the ring. You even tried it on once."
I did. I put it on my finger one morning when I thought he was still asleep. "I didn't mean to find it. It just happened."
"Do you hear that baby boy?" He presses his lips to my belly. "Your mom has no patience. When you get her a gift, you'll need to find a better hiding place than your dad's desk."
"Can we name him Benton, Ryker? Can our baby be Benton Moore?" I tilt my chin up, my eyes glued to his.
I see the smile in his eyes before it takes over his mouth. "You like it? I wasn't sure you were on board when I suggested it, but it's perfect. I want that for him, Lark. I want him to carry the name of his mother and his father, of both of us."
"I want your name too," I say quietly. "I want to be Lark Moore."
His kiss says it all. I'll be his forever and he'll be mine and three months from now we'll become a family. The family that neither of us could have expected a year ago, but both of us treasure forever with our lives.
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