“You hated designing this place,” Lindsey reminds me.
“You did?” Darian’s hold on me tightens.
“I made this place how I thought it was supposed to be done and to live up to this life. I mean, I want to keep it for when we’re in the city, but this place…” I click on the picture of the land. “It would be for all of us.”
“I love it,” Darian says against my neck. “I think it’s exactly what we all need.”
“Me too,” Lindsey agrees. “And with that, I’ve got to go meet Mary.” She hugs us goodbye before she heads out, looking way more confident than she did when she walked in. I know she’s got this.
“We have time before we need to catch a flight.” Darian pulls the string of my robe, making it fall open. “And there’s something else you need to tell me. I can sense it.” His hands rub up and down my hips.
“I do. I think it’s why last night got to me so much.”
I don’t know why I’m so nervous about telling him. We both want kids, and we always said one day. In fact, we’d said forever ago it didn't matter if we made it big or not, we’d start trying on my twenty-fifth birthday. I’d stopped taking the pill then, but I hadn't brought it back up to Darian. Maybe I should have, but I'm sure he forgot about it. It was so many years ago when we were lying in bed talking about our future together.
“You’re pregnant,” he guesses, making me gasp.
“How did you know?!”
“I might have been a busy man, but I know your body. Plus we already talked about it, and you threw out your pills months ago.” I burst into tears. “You don’t want to have a baby?” I can hear the panic in his voice.
“I do! I’m sorry, I’m just so happy and so many things I’ve wanted for so long are finally happening.”
“Oh love.” He cups my face. “Don’t say you’re sorry.”
“Last night when I said I forgave you, I meant it.”
“I know, but I need something else from you.” He kisses a few of the tears away. “You’re the heart of the family. There is a sweetness you give us all, and that’s who you are. That’s why everyone that meets you falls in love with you, and it’s part of why we’re so protective of you. We don’t want anyone to take advantage of that.”
“That’s really sweet,” I sniffle.
“You’ve got to start telling me when you want something. I don’t care if you think it’s going to bother someone else. I’ll handle that. How you and our baby feel, that’s number one to me.”
I’ve always known Darian would be a wonderful father and husband. Whatever he puts his mind to, he can do. I think we somehow got a little lost along the way to this point, but both of us tried to give the other what we thought they needed.
“I can do that,” I agree. We’re both going to make changes.
“I love you so damn much.” He pushes the robe all the way off me, letting it fall to the floor.
“I love you too. For richer or poorer. I’ll always be yours.”
Epilogue
Darian
Two years later…
“I’m home!” Rosy calls out, and I stand up, nervous to see what she thinks. “Darian, are you—” She stops talking when she walks out onto the back terrace and stares at what I’ve done.
“Welcome home, love.”
It took about a year to build our perfect home, and even longer to finish the outside just the way we wanted it. We spend so many nights out here eating dinner when the weather allows or playing with our daughter while she perfects her walk. It’s one of our most favorite places because of the view and the time we spend out here, so I knew it would be the perfect place to do this.
“What are you doing?” She glances around at all the candles I’ve lit and the flowers that were delivered while she took our daughter Megan to Lindsey’s house for a sleepover.
We had our house, Lindsey’s, and the twins' houses built all at the same time, so that could account for what took so long. We’re all on this big piece of property together, and Allison lovingly calls it “the compound.” I like it because we’re all close, and at any given time Megan gets to be loved on by her aunts. It will be even better as she gets older and she can play with her cousins anytime she wants.
“It took me a long time to find what I was searching for, and I wanted to make the moment special.”
“You’re not giving me a new ring, are you?” She holds her hand close to her chest, and I see the gold band shine in the candlelight.