Saving Della Ray

“Repay me? Are you out of your mind? You’re my life. Before I met you and Jess, I had nothing. For years, money just poured into my bank account and I had nothing to spend it on, so I’m happy to spend it on you and Jess.”

I chewed my bottom lip. “How would you feel about paying for one more person?”

Before he could respond, we heard Jess’s footsteps as she hurried over clutching two gaily wrapped presents in her chubby hands. “Presents!” she squealed with excitement. “Presents.”

I kept my gaze on Gage as he went over to get the sausages he’d cooked. “We’ll do the presents later. Let’s eat before the food gets cold. I have to head in to the station in an hour.” He brought the sausages over and placed one on my plate.

“You fry sausages every chance you get. I can’t believe you’re making us eat them with pancakes,” I teased.

“I’ll have yours if you don’t want it,” he said and held out his fork.

I put my body in the way to hide my meal … and that was when I saw it.

Jess had already opened one of the presents and inside was a small black box. She fumbled with it.

I pulled my gaze away, my heart pounding in my chest.

“Jess, you shouldn’t open other peoples’ presents,” Gage said. “That’s Mommy’s, not yours.”

I returned to my sausage, unable to breathe.

My little girl however, kept on fumbling with the box until she pried it open.

I didn’t dare look at Gage and I would never know how the next words flew out of my mouth, “I think I’m pregnant,” I said quietly. “I did a test, but it doesn’t mean much. It’s not accurate. You can’t trust these things. I’ll go for a confirmation later today.”

When he didn’t say anything, I still couldn’t look at him, so I laughed nervously.

“Della-Ray,” he called. “Look at me.”

I turned to him then.

“You just told me the happiest news I could have ever received at this point in my life and yet, you’re not even giving me a chance to receive it. Is that what you meant when you asked whether I could support another person?”

I nodded.

I felt him move then and in a flash, he was on a bended knee beside me. “Yes, Della-Ray I can support another person. I can support any amount of little persons you care to bring into this world. Jess, bring Mommy’s present to me, please,” Gage said.

Smiling, Jess thrust the little black box to him.

My gaze shot up to him in shock as he opened the box and the gorgeous heart shaped rock inside winked at me like it knew a little secret that it would only share with me. I looked back up at him in a daze as he took the ring out of the box.

“I’m not giving you a chance to say no,” he said. “So this is not a question. You’re pregnant with my child, so this is the price you have to pay for that.”

My heart couldn’t take the joy. I couldn’t breathe. I covered my mouth to muffle the ugly crying sounds that were now rapidly working their way up my throat.

Still on his knee, he pulled Jess over to stand in front of me. Then he began to whisper in her ear, much to her delight.

“Mommy, will you marry Gage?” she asked. “He loves you to the moon and back.”

I wanted to cry with happiness. Never could I have imagined that Gage would include Jess in his endearing proposal. I leaned forward and kissed my baby on her lips. Then I whispered in her ear, “I will.”

Jess squealed with excitement. “I will,” she whispered into Gage’s ear then she stepped to the side so I could see him better.

Suddenly, I dove for the love of my life and assaulted him with kisses.

He landed on the floor with me on top of his chest. “I love you,” he growled possessively.

“Not more than me. Not ever,” I growled right back.

The End