Any woman with even half a heartbeat couldn’t possibly stand a chance against falling for him. Even when she was pretty sure she had feelings for him, her mind and the walls built up around her heart and wouldn’t let her expose them. It was only after Declan had made the first move that she felt the pressure lifting from her chest, chipping those walls a bit. It didn’t take much more for the walls to completely fall, leaving only a few stones standing to stumble against once in a while.
And then came the big reveal. It had torn her apart, obliterated her world, and ruined her very being more than it had been previously. She was absolutely and utterly lost. It took a lot to get her to finally see the truth, to understand that life wasn’t full of perfect lines or even squares. There were curved lines, unfinished edges, octagons, and a million other shapes thrown in. Even with all those possibilities, she and Declan didn’t fit into any of them. They were their own unique shape, and right or wrong, she was in love with him. Right or wrong, he had saved her while devastating her. Right or wrong, they were in it together, and they were going to stay that way.
Even after she forgave him, things were still complicated, still rocky. They spent hours talking things out, figuring out missing details of Declan’s life, dealing with his guilt, with her fears. Declan finally convinced her that they should speak to Chuck, and he was a godsend. He helped them see things through. No matter what, though, no matter how rough things got, how wonderful or horrible the memories were or the emotions got, they didn’t give up on each other. They couldn’t even if they wanted to. They were both hopelessly, unconditionally, irrevocably in love with each other. They needed to get through it all. And finally, they got to a good place, one where they were comfortable with the outcome.
And when they finally made love…Megan’s heart fluttered a little every time she remembered how gentle, how caring, how absolutely wonderful Declan was with her. He had driven the fears and bad memories away with his love and with his body. He made her feel like a woman, a seductress, like she was in control. It was phenomenal, and their sex life only got better from there. She finally understood what people meant when they said that sex with the one you love isn’t sex, it’s a union of two souls merging into one.
The day Declan proposed was one of the happiest days of her life, that was, until her wedding, and then the birth of Lana. Seven years ago, Declan had wanted to get away for his birthday, telling her his ideal birthday would be spending it just with her. They had found a quaint little bed and breakfast near the ocean and the owners helped arrange a picnic on the beach to celebrate Declan’s big day. When they made it to the beach and Megan starting putting everything out, Declan got down on one knee, pulled out a ring and told her that the greatest birthday present she could ever give him was to say “yes,” and then he asked her to marry him. It was simple and sweet, exactly what Megan would have imagined. They came back a little over a year later and got married in almost that exact spot with their close friends and family.
When they found out she was pregnant, Declan cried and then ran outside into the street and starting yelling, “We’re having a baby!” over and over to anyone that would listen. It was absolutely the sweetest sight that Megan had ever seen. Lana, the second love of Megan’s life, was Daddy’s girl first and foremost, and then Mommy’s little princess. She had them wrapped around her finger, and they wouldn’t have it any other way.
Even though it was Megan’s birthday, she had a surprise present for Declan, a surprise that would be arriving in a little less than nine months, actually, but she would save that for later, when it would be just the two of them. As she looked again around the room, taking in the faces of her parents, Declan’s parents, the other family they were close to, the friends who were more than just friends, Declan’s wide smile and Lana’s toothy one, she put a hand over her belly. They were waiting for a wish, but she didn’t need one. She had it all.
“Happy birthday to me,” she practically sang, and everyone laughed before she blew out the candles. “I love you,” Declan whispered against her lips as he moved in for a quick kiss. No, no wishes needed.