It also helps that I’m married to my best friend; being with her has made today and every other day worth living.
Then there was the copious amount of therapy. It helped me build a relationship with my dad. The first few months were strange and at times awkward. But then we slowly figured things out. He apologized, and I forgave him.
“I’m here,” I remind her, lifting her hand and kissing every knuckle.
She smiles and those fireworks go off. “I know. I’m here too.”
I do most of the talking, and she replies with a single word or soft hums. But I stop when she parks in a familiar parking lot.
“Come on.” She climbs out, and I follow behind her.
“You’re not here to murder me, are you?” I scan the empty dark lot. “I knew those shows were going to give you ideas. Damn, I should’ve signed the prenup. This was your plan all along, huh? To take all the money?”
Lately, she’s been obsessing over true crimes. It’s all she watches or listens to.
She laces our fingers. “Our relationship has run its course. It’s time I start?—”
“No. I refuse. You can kill me, but you’re not allowed to be with anyone else or remarry. That’s my only demand,” I say as we make our way up the trail.
She laughs, squeezing my hand. “You’re okay with me killing you but not me being with someone else?”
“Baby, I gotta draw the line somewhere,” I severely state.
She laughs harder. “And that’s where you want to draw the line?”
“Yes.” I don’t miss a beat.
Josie guides us off the course. I follow her blindly, not only because I know where we’re going, but I’ll go wherever she goes.
“Lucky for you, I don’t plan to kill you, and I definitely have no desire to be with anyone that isn’t you.”
I kiss the crown of her head. “Yeah, I’m really lucky.”
She grows quiet once we’re at the cliff that led us to be where we are now. We go nowhere near the edge, but we’re still so close, we feel the cool breeze that comes from the water crashing against the side of the cliff. The roar of the waves is deafening, but it’s no match for the silence between us.
I revel in it because before it’d unnerve me. Now I feel nothing but happiness being with her.
“I used to tell myself that this was the only cliff I never wanted to come back to,” she begins. “The memories still lingered here and I hated that. But after talking to Jarvis, I told myself I’d one day be back. She said it’d be good to replace the bad memory with a good one. I just never knew what. But I finally know what I can replace it with…” She trails off, puffing out a jittery breath.
She reaches inside her pocket and draws out something. I can’t make out what it is but then she hands it to me and turns on the flashlight to her phone. She points the light to the thing wrapped in red tissue paper in my palm. It’s not too big, but it’s not small either. When she nods, I carefully remove the paper.
My breath gets lodged in my throat and my eyes go incredulously wide. I don’t blink, breathe, or move as I stare at the pregnancy test in my hand. “You’re pregnant?”
“I am. I found out?—”
I’m hugging her before the words are out of her mouth. Josie giggles and squeals. When I lift her up, she wraps her legs around my waist, but then I realize what I’m doing and I put her down.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t hurt you, did I?” I warily say, palming her flat stomach. “I wasn’t too rough, was?—”
Her face lights up in amusement, but her eyes flood with tears as do mine. “No, it’s okay, I’m okay. I promise.” She lays her hand on top of mine.
“I’m going to be a dad,” I breathlessly say. “You’re going to be a mom. We’re going to be parents. I love you.” I cup her cheek, kissing her softly and pull back to say it again. “I love you. When did you find out? I thought you had the IUD?”
“I love you too.” A watery smile pulls on her lips. “I found out a few days ago, and I took it out a month ago.”
I gape. “A month ago?”
“Yeah, I was ready, and I knew you were too. You weren’t so subtle.”
