"What's up?" I ask.
He stares into my eyes. His eyes are wet!
"Drake?" I feel a lance of panic move through my system. What if he is thinking about what his father said? What if he thinks that he is right? I'm socially inferior, but before I can overthink it any further, he turns to me and speaks.
"I love you."
For a second I can't move, I can't think, I can't do anything, then my mouth opens and blurts out the words I've been dying to say. "I love you, too!"
We stare at each other for what seems like a lifetime until a radiant smile slowly breaks over his face, and he bends his head and kisses me again. He still looks a bit shell-shocked when he pulls back, and I laugh at his expression.
"You okay?" I ask.
He wraps his arms around me, lifts me off the counter, and while we are still joined he walks towards the bedroom.
"Never better," he beams at me. "But I missed lunch and I'm ravenous.
I laugh with happiness. And that is a pretty damn good feeling.
Epilogue
Drake
"Drake, I need to tell you something."
I've got my vows in my pocket and I look up at her. She is still wearing her toweling robe, her make-up is half-done, and her hair pulled back into this complicated updo that I intend to ruin the moment I get her alone. I feel my stomach do a flip. Every day I look at her, and she seems to become more and more beautiful.
We agreed to get ready together, to ignore all the stupid traditions that usually came with stuff like this, and now I wonder if she wished for something different. To be honest it's the wedding I wanted, given the choice, low-key and precious. With the most perfect woman in the world.
My entire world shifted on its axis when I met her. It's been as though my feet haven't touched the ground. So much has happened in the last year. We've both been caught up in the whirlwind of passion and love that started at our first meeting. Since then, Morgan has recovered, Reese has started college, and I've been picked up by another team in the city, a bigger one. I occasionally pass by billboards with my face on them, and it never stops being really fucking weird.
I get to my feet and go over to her. "What's up?"
She licks her lips. It's a nervous gesture. She better not be getting wedding jitters because I'm not above hauling her over my shoulder and forcing my damn ring on her finger anyway. The only thing I want is her. Forever.
She takes a deep, shuddering breath, and looks up at me. I notice her hands are laying gently over her stomach, flattening the fabric of her robe over what looks like …
"You're pregnant," I breathe, and she nods, eyes wide.
A smile breaks out across my face, and I scoop her up in my arms and twirl her around and around while she keeps her arms tightly wrapped around my neck, squeals, and tells me that I'm making her giddy.
"You're pregnant!" I exclaim again, and she nods vigorously.
"Are you happy?"
"Does pizza taste good?"
She giggles like a child. "Yes, pizza tastes good."
I slide my hand under her robe and she jerks away and slaps my hand. "You'll spoil my hair. The minister will know exactly what we've been up to."
"No, I won't."
She grins. "Promise?"
My hand is already pushing away her white silk panties and stroking her clit. "Promise."
"Oh, Drake. You know, we won't be able to just fuck whenever we feel like it when the baby comes, don't you?"
My hand stills and her hips jerk involuntarily against my hand. My Princess always was a greedy girl. "Why not?" I ask.
"It'll scare the poor kid."
"He's going to learn about it in biology class, anyway?"
"Shut up and fuck me, Drake,"
I don't need any more encouragement. I'll sort that kid out when he comes. Get him a stash of lollipops or something and stick him in a crib. It'll be fine. It'll always be fine, as long as I've got my Reese with me. I let my hand start moving again and Reese sighs with pleasure.
Today is my wedding day, and life is good.
Really, really good.
The End