I’m frozen in the middle of the room staring at them. Seeing him with her like this triggers visions of motherhood to flash through my mind. A swollen belly. Bottles, diapers, strollers. Parks, museums, zoos. Dillon tickling a little girl or throwing a ball around with a little boy. Sounds of laughter. Crying babies. A family.
I lay my hand flat on my belly and suddenly a flutter of excitement mixed with a bit of panic stir inside of me as something occurs to me.
I’m late.
CHAPTER 30
Dillon
Amy hasn’t been feeling well. She’s been so tired and she hasn’t been able to eat. I think all of the stress has finally caught up with her. We’ve been so busy on the ranch. Today we have a little girl coming to work with the therapist for the first time. She was diagnosed with post-traumatic-stress-disorder. She’s only twelve. Her mother was a drug addict and she doesn’t know her father. She wasn’t abused, but she witnessed her mother do things for drugs that no child should ever see. She reminds me of Amy. Seeing the girl smile around the horses reminds me I’m doing the right thing. The ranch is now bringing happiness and healing to girls like Amy.
Amy took her journal and some wedding magazines over to the elm. Since the fence is gone, she spends a lot of time there reading and writing and planning our wedding. We decided to say our vows under the elm and have a small reception in the barn with just our small group of friends. Of course, we’ll have a bonfire and s’mores to follow. My dad is going to walk Amy down the aisle. Laney is going to be Amy’s maid of honor, Danny will be my best man and Daisy will be the flower girl. It will be a private, quaint wedding. It’s what we both wanted.
As I walk across the field toward Amy while she reads under the tree, I recall seeing her in that exact same spot for the first time. She was so sad, lonely and scared. Now, she’s happy, confident and strong.
She sees me and sets her journal down. “Hi,” she says with a sweet smile.
“Hi.” I sit down on the ground with my legs folded beneath me while she leans against the tree, her legs pulled up to her chest.
“How are you feeling?”
“Better.”
“Have you decided on a date?” I told her I’d marry her tomorrow if I could, but I wanted her to have enough time to plan a special day.
“Um. Is next weekend too soon?”
“Nope.”
“Good. I have something for you.”
“You do?”
She hands me a small wrapped rectangular box with a square sheet of paper attached to the top. She looks nervous. Her eyes are shiny with unshed tears and her cheeks are flush.
I remove the piece of paper and before I unfold it, I glance back up at Amy just as she wipes the tears that she couldn’t stop from falling. Then I read it.
It says boy or girl?