Love Survives(138)

It only took Kat a few seconds to realize where we were. We walked inside, noticing right away how empty it was.

I didn’t give her time to look around since I was already leading her up the stairs. “Where are we going? Did you ask the realtor if you could see this place? I don’t understand.”

“We’re almost there. Keep walking.”

When we reached her old bedroom, I put my body in front of her before opening the door. I’d had a painter come in and put butterflies on the walls and added Brooklyn’s name in wooden blocks. We’d purchased furniture and rugs, matching the décor on the walls. To make the room suitable for our little princess, I’d gone all out and bought her a royal bed.

While she was taking it all in, I placed my hands on her shoulders.

“Kat, my job is here and so is our family. You don’t have to run anymore, so I thought if it’s okay with you, our daughter could grow up in the house that your parents built to raise you in. We can take old memories and make new ones with our own children. I know I took a huge leap, but I know you and I-”

She shoved her mouth against mine, preventing me from finishing. After a few minutes, I backed away. “So, it’s okay that I already bought it?”

She nodded. “Yes, it’s very okay. It’s the most beautiful present, aside from B, of course.”

I agreed. “Of course.”

Kat walked up to the pink four-poster bed. “It’s beautiful.”

“This room was all Mom and Dad. They hired someone to come in and make it perfect. Do you think she’ll like it?”

“She won’t want to ever go home.”

I could tell it had finally sunk in that we were going to have to move. Her other house would go for sale. “We can talk about it later.”

“No. We’ll sell it. I don’t even care how much I get for it. There’s not another house in the world that could mean as much as this one does to me. I don’t even know what to say right now.” I followed behind Kat as she made her way into her parent’s old bedroom. For several minutes she stood there as if she were reminiscing about them. I finally wrapped my arms around her. “I think they’re happy we’re here, Kat. They’re watching us, you know. I think they always have been.” I spun her around to be facing me. “I never told anyone this, but there were so many times that I could have died, that I should have died. I swear someone was keeping me safe while I was out there. Now I know for sure, that it was them. I think they brought us back together.”

“Thank you for waiting your whole life for me.”

I wiped her tears away with my thumbs. “Maybe in our next life you won’t make me wait so long,” I joked.

“Let’s enjoy this one first.”

I waited until the bedroom filled with people to get down on one knee. It was important that everyone was around for this. “There’s just one more thing, Kat.” I popped open the old velvet box and watched her eyes light up. As we stood in her parent’s room, I was proposing with the same ring her father had given to her mother.

“I’d very much like it if you had my name. What do you say, Kat? You think you might want to be my wife?”

She dropped to her knees and let me put the ring on her finger. She kept kissing me, all over my face. “Yes, of course.”

I could count on my hand the moments in my life that mattered to me. This was one of my top events. I’d never forget the way it felt to have her accept my proposal, or to hold my daughter while we celebrated it.

A little later, downstairs in the kitchen, we popped open a bottle of wine and each held up glasses. “Here’s to coming home.”

In unison the rest of the family announced, “cheers.”





Chapter 60

February 14th 2014

I’d already been up for hours, pacing around my parent’s kitchen when my phone rang. She knew we couldn’t see each other until she walked down the aisle, and I wasn’t going to let her persuade me to sneak a peek. “Hey, babe. Don’t you dare beg me to come over there. You know the rules.”

“I’m calling on behalf of your daughter. She’s up and insisting on being with you.”

“I’m in the kitchen. If you promise to stay in bed, I’ll come get her.”

“I hate that you wake up before the sun rises.”

I laughed as I walked out the door and followed the path to our kitchen entrance. “Do you miss me yet?”

I could hear her talking to our daughter, who had become quite impatient. “He’s coming.”

Little patters of feet could be heard as soon as I got inside.