Eric stops me in front of a door and puts a finger to his lips. “I need you to close your eyes.”
“Close my eyes?”
“Trust me.” He whispers against my lips. I try for a kiss but he pulls away and holds his finger back up.
“Fine.” I stick my tongue out at him and let him lead me into the room. Excitement bubbles through my veins. Turns out, I’m a bit of an exhibitionist. The mystery just heightens it.
We talk a few steps and then I lose his hand. I’m about to open my eyes, but he asked me to trust him, so I keep them shut and try to feel for him in the dark. All around me, something moves.
“Eric?” I say softly.
“Open your eyes.”
What I see takes my breath away. The room is covered in candles and stargazers. Hannah, Lily and Paxton are in the background with their phones out. Okay, maybe a bit of an exhibitionist, but this is a bit much.
I turn around, confused, looking for Eric. He waits behind me, on one knee, holding out a solitaire ring.
I can’t move. I can’t breathe.
“Kate.” Eric says softly and takes my hand. “Kate, my love. You make every day worth living. You are my sun, my moon and my stars. Marriage is something we shunned, but I’ve come to realize it’s only terrible with the wrong person. Marriage with the right person, the person who stirs your soul and completes your being, is perfect. Marriage is not just Kate and Eric, it is also our son. Our family. I do not want one more day to pass without you in it.”
A deep warmth spreads through me, a different fire from the one I felt downstairs. I don’t cry and my breath slowly returns, but I still feel like I’m floating over my body, watching all this unfold. Like it’s not real.
“Kate Monroe, the beautiful mother of my child, the fire in my soul, the sunrise and sunset of my day, the love of my life. Will you marry me?”
Never before have I seen him so impassioned, so in love with me. I can feel it pouring out of him like a waterfall. In his eyes, I can see our future together and nothing has ever felt so beautiful.
“Oh, Eric.” I say softly. “There is nothing on this earth I want more than to be your wife.”
His smile melts what little of me is left. He slides the ring on my finger and kisses me.
It’s the kiss of forever.
BONUS EPILOGUE
KATE
TWO MONTHS LATER
The last notes of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star play out of a teddy bear before looping through for the fiftieth time. Never before in my life did I think I’d be so happy to hear those tinny notes. I rest my head against the recliner and close my eyes for just a moment.
Rest is rare, but in sweet moments like this, where little Beau is wrapped up in his favorite blanket and the house is silent save for the soft music, I don’t mind. Instead, my heart feels like it will explode and grow at the same time, an emotion I still struggle to comprehend.
Becoming a mother is nothing like I expected and everything I ever wanted. Sweet kisses and adorable baby laughs, bright blue eyes and tufts of dark hair, his father’s dimples and my nose. I could sit all day and just smell the top of his darling little head.
Watching Eric with our son is the most amazing part of all. The man who once terrified me became the biggest softie on the planet the day our son was born. As soon as they put him on my chest, I knew I’d fallen so deeply in love that I could never escape and I’d never want to.
Eric was more anxious, terrified he wouldn’t know what to do with a baby. When the nurse carried Beau over, he was pale as a ghost and afraid to move for fear of dropping him. Two minutes later, everything about him melted into little Eric-sized puddles and he couldn’t stop staring at the gorgeous little boy who had just been pushed from my body.
The gorgeous little boy who was made the night Eric told me I was a fever in his veins. The night I lost my heart to the man who I thought would end my whole world. In the midst of that fear and confusion, this perfect little boy came to life and changed our world in insurmountable ways.
I have never before been so grateful for sex. Now I thank the universe for it every day.
Beau yawns in my arms, his tiny mouth taking up his scrunchy little face, and snuggles into me. Tears prick at my eyes as I stroke his chubby cheeks and hum along with the only song that lulls him to sleep.
We rock like this for another four rounds of the song because I can’t bear to put him down. I need a shower and clean clothes, a glass of wine, and at least seven naps. The dishes need to be done and bottles need to be sterilized, but I want to savor this moment for as long as possible.
Lily pops her head in the room and smiles. She uses a series of comically complicated hand motions to ask if he’s asleep. I nod and smile back.