“No, she’s not pregnant, and yes, I’m hoping in time we can have kids. First, I want her to have some enjoyment.”
“I totally agree. If anyone deserves it, Is does.” She pressed her hands together and kept repeating the word please.
“Fine, fine.” He dug down into his pocket, and pulled out the single diamond ring. It was a basic ring but beautiful. The moment he saw it, he just knew that his girl would love it.
“Oh, that’s perfect, Edward. she is going to love that. You love her, don’t you?”
“I’m about to ask her to marry me. Of course I love her.” He pocketed the ring, and nodded for her to get back to her tree. “Don’t give anything away.”
“I won’t. I’m so excited. It has been too long since I came home. Can you believe that I actually missed Cape Falls?” she asked. “How messed up is that?”
“It’s not messed up.” He told her about Ryan, and how he had felt lost. “It’s a curse.”
“Nah, it’s not a curse. Even with all of its faults, Cape Falls is home.”
“You’re going to come back here?”
“Of course. Where else would I want to go? I want to be here when I’m Aunty Sophie.” She gave a little wiggle. Sophie was the one that was always so full of energy and spirit.
“Here we go,” Isabel said. She had three hot steaming cocoas on a tray.
He got up, taking the tray from her hands, and placing it on the coffee table. Picking up one cup, he handed it back to Isabel as Sophie took hers.
The tree already had lights on, and he grabbed the remote turning it on. “Merry Christmas, ladies.”
The tree started to twinkle.
Isabel sighed and rested against him. “It’s perfect.”
Sophie winked at him, and he rolled his eyes. She was going to seriously spoil his surprise. He wanted the day that he proposed to Isabel to mean something, to be a memory that she would never forget.
They cleared away the debris from the decorations, and while Sophie vacuumed, Isabel got started on food. He didn’t think it was possible to have a family again. His old family was all gone, dead to him, or at least as good as dead to him. This was his home, his way of life, and he intended to make every second count.
Dinner was a fun affair. He loved watching the two sisters together, laughing, giggling, talking about their life growing up. Isabel looked well. She looked happy, and she looked healthy, which meant everything to him.
Later that night, after Sophie had gone to bed, and Isabel had made her way up, he closed up the house for the night.
Entering their room, he saw that Isabel wasn’t in bed yet. The en suite bathroom had a light shining out of it. He made his way toward the bathroom, and found Isabel naked, staring at her reflection.
“You okay?” he asked.
She nodded. “Yeah, I was just looking.” Her fingers were stroking down the length of one scar, or at least the lines of multiple scars. “There are times it feels like this is someone else’s body. What I did, it doesn’t seem right. It doesn’t seem true.”
Edward folded his arms, listening.
“I wish I didn’t do this. I wish I didn’t feel the need to rely on this. It’s not who I am now. Yet, I can still feel it, and it scares me.” She lifted her head to look at him. “I’m so happy. With you, with Sophie, with our life, even with Cape Falls, which I never thought for a second I would admit to.” She chuckled. “Life is one crazy train, really. Isn’t it?”
“It moves so fast. You’ve just got to learn to enjoy the ride.”
She nodded. “I haven’t enjoyed the ride. When I was younger, I hated life, I hated everything, and I was wrong to. You’ve shown me so much of myself, of what I’ve been capable of, and I love you so much, Edward.”
He moved into the bathroom and banded his arms around her waist. Staring at her body in the mirror, he looked at those scars, and they didn’t repulse him. They made him sad, but also, she was overcoming it.
“I’m so scared,” she said.
“Why?”
“Because even when I look at myself, and I see what I’ve done, I sometimes think about it. It’s all I can think about.”
“Then we take it one day at a time, like we always have been. I’m in no rush for this to be over between us, babe. I told you once before and I’ll tell you again. I’m in this for life.”
She held onto his arms and turned. “I love you, Edward, so much.”
“Then we keep on going, one day at a time, for each other, and for the life we’re making together.”
He pressed his lips against hers, taking the kiss he’d been craving all day long.