He’s not wrong. This place will always have a special place in my heart. This is where Maya fell in love with me. I fell in love with her the second I saw her, but it took her a little longer.
Maya squeezes my hand as we step into the grand luxurious lobby. The beach looks as stunning as ever, the turquoise water crystal clear.
“I missed this place,” she says softly, almost to herself as she looks around.
I missed our private beach, our secluded hot tub, that big master bed—everywhere I claimed her during that first magical week together.
Jericho gets us checked in fast and we’re on our way to our room, excited for a long, relaxing week. Just the two of us.
The wedding was extraordinary—an extravagant ceremony in Tuscany, at a restored villa surrounded by olive groves and vineyards.
Maya would have been happy marrying me at the local community center, but I wanted to spoil her. I wanted to make her feel like a princess, so I flew everyone to Italy and set them up at a gorgeous nearby hotel. It was all so perfect.
The ceremony was at sunset, the entire valley glowing gold. She walked down the aisle in this shimmering gown that I’ll never forget. The sight of her walking toward me brought tears to my eyes. I felt like the luckiest man in the world. I’m sure every other man in the crowd was wishing they were me.
Her parents were so thrilled with the event. She told me her dad can be a harsh critic, but even he was looking around with a sense of awe as we ate delicious Italian food and drank fresh Tuscan wine under the stars.
So far, we’ve gotten along great. I’m excited to build our relationship over the years. Anyone who can create someone as special as my Maya is worth getting to know in my opinion.
The whole wedding was perfect, except for one hiccup. Maya’s cousin Leah got into the champagne a little too hard and she fell into a fountain, making a fool of herself. We did have a good laugh about it and when she left to get changed, she didn’t come back for the rest of the night. Maya was relieved about that. I told her that every family has a black sheep and not to let it bother her.
“Ready?” Maya asks as she unlocks the door to our suite with a grin.
“I’ve been ready for a honeymoon with you since the first second I saw you on the plane,” I say, my body already aching for a taste of my wife.
She smiles shyly as she pushes the door open.
We walk into our home for the week and Maya is full of gasps and oohs and ahs as she walks around, checking out the luxurious suite once again.
I’m only checking out her. My hungry eyes are locked on my bride.
Jericho set us up with a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket with two glasses on the table. I pop it open and pour my bride a glass.
“Here’s to us,” I say, holding up my glass for a toast. “To our new marriage. To years of happiness and joy. To kids who will most certainly be coming. To adventure, and love, and decades of being together. You’re my soulmate, Maya, and I can’t wait to grow old with you.”
She smiles as we clink glasses.
I bring the glass to my lips, but she hesitates.
“You can block your nose so you don’t sneeze,” I say with a warm smile. “I won’t judge. It’s just another part of you that I love.”
She tilts her head as she lowers her glass.
“I was going to wait to tell you at dinner…”
“What?” I ask, my pulse racing with excitement. I think I might already know…
She puts down her glass and grabs her purse instead. I can’t breathe as she reaches in and pulls out a stick.
“I’m pregnant,” she says, beaming as she shows me the positive pregnancy test.
I stand there stunned, unable to move as I stare at those two pink lines.
And then it snaps. I leap forward, grab her in my arms, and spin her around, spilling my champagne all over the marble floor.
“You’re pregnant?” I say, pulling back to stare into her beautiful eyes. “For real?”
She nods, tearing up. “You’re going to be a daddy.”
