Devotion

I hear her call my name quietly, and I stop. I don’t turn around, but I wait to see if she has anything she needs to say before I walk away for good.

“Don’t expect another dime from me. You walk away now and you’re dead to me.”

I let the last little bit of hope I was holding on to fall away and nod without looking back. I feel Noah’s strong arms around me, and as I walk to the car, I feel not only the hope for a relationship with my mother wither, but the weight of it, too. I never realized what a burden it was to carry around the possibility for more. Now that it’s gone, it somehow makes me feel like I can move forward with no regrets.

When we get to the car, Noah opens the door for me, guiding me into the limo.

I slip in, and Elina rolls down the divider. “Home?” she asks with a smile on her face.

God, I love her. She’s been more of a mother to me than my own ever was, and I know she’ll be an amazing grandmother to our children.

“Home,” I say, leaning back into Noah’s arms as his lips whisper in my ear.

“Ready to be kidnapped all over again?”

“I think this time I’d like to be awake for the ride back.” I smile as his hand slides up my thigh.

THE END

Epilogue

Aurora

Five years later…

“Look at them. They’re so excited!” I say, nearly as hyper as the kids.

It’s Christmas morning, and Noah is having a hard time holding me in his lap as our two little ones play with their new toys strewn all over the floor. Elina walks in with a tray of hot chocolate and cookies as the lights twinkle on the tree, and every one of us is happy.

“Of course they’re excited. They’ve got a pile of toys and an even bigger pile of sugar in front of them.”

I laugh and wiggle in Noah’s lap. His big hand caresses my belly, and I feel a sense of peace and comfort wash over me.

Our two little girls are so sweet together. Matilda is five and Opal is three. We’ve got twin boys on the way, and they’re due any day now. Noah asked me if I was ready to be done after this pregnancy, but I think maybe one more. I’m not ready to give up having babies just yet.

I’m the mother I said I would be to my babies. I know some days my patience is thin, and I always feel guilty when I sneak in a nap, but I think most moms feel that way. I’ve been lucky to have Noah and Elina, but I’ve also made friends. We ended up moving to the mainland after Matilda was a year old because I wanted her to have interactions with other kids. I got to know other moms and realized that nobody had it perfect. I may have gotten the short end of the stick when it came to parenting, but I realized most moms feel like I do—constantly worried but filled with more love that seemed possible before all this.

Noah encouraged me to open up my own dance studio to teach beginner classes to kids. I wasn’t sure at first, but he knew how much I missed it. It’s only a few nights a week, but seeing the light in the children’s eyes makes it worth it. I had forgotten the magic that came with learning how to move and express myself. It was exactly what I needed, and of course, Noah knew. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, and all of my dreams have come true. Even the ones I didn’t know I had.

Now we come to the island for holidays and when we want some quiet time alone. Spending Christmas here is our favorite, because it puts our family in this bubble where it’s only us and it binds us closer together.

“Well look what I found,” Noah says, kissing my neck.

I look up and see he’s holding mistletoe above me, and I turn in his lap. “Is that what was hanging on our bed this morning?”

“It was directly between your legs. What was I supposed to do?” He smiles at me like the cat that got the cream. And that’s exactly what he got first thing today.

“You are trying your best to have these boys today, aren’t you?”

His big hand rubs my belly, and I feel his erection dig into my ass. “It’s the only present I want.”

My due date isn’t for another two weeks, but the doctor said I could go at any time with twins. Noah is so excited it’s almost too adorable.

“You know if I had any control over it, I would. And I think if you could have broken my water, that would have happened this morning, too.” I blush as I remember how deep he was. “In fact, I’m pretty sore from your attempts.”