I move quickly, silently, until I’m right behind her. Then I wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her back against my chest.
She makes a noise of shock, giving a little squeak that makes me smile, then she immediately melts into me, still holding the platter.
“Don’t scare me like that,” she whispers. “You should learn to walk noisily.”
I lean down and kiss her neck, that spot just below her ear that always makes her shiver. She does, right on cue, and I feel it run through both of us.
Then I move one hand to her stomach, rubbing it gently. Just the thought of what’s growing there makes my chest tight with emotion.
She giggles and pulls away, spinning to face me. Her eyes are bright, her cheeks flushed pink.
“Stop. Someone might see you.” She glances toward the doorway. “We agreed we were going to wait a few weeks. It’s still early days.” She gets this look of worry, which quickly disappears; a glint of excitement returns.
I can’t help the huge grin that spreads across my face.
“I’m so fucking excited. I’m going to be a father. We’re going to be parents. I can hardly believe it.” I shake my head, reaching for her again. “I’m like a kid on the night before Christmas.”
“Shhhhhh.” Her eyes go comically wide. “Stop. Behave.” She steps back, putting space between us, then uses her chin to point at one of the platters. “We need to get back in there. Make yourself useful and take that platter.”
I pick it up, but I can’t stop looking at her. At the woman who changed everything. Who took my broken, fucked-up self and somehow made me whole again.
“I’m proud of you,” I tell her quietly.
Her expression softens. “I’m proud of us,” she says firmly. “We put that money to good use.”
“I agree…we did.”
“It was a team effort. Now let’s go back in there and celebrate.” She smiles.
We carry the platters back into the main space, and I take a moment to really look at what we’ve built. The room is large and airy, with huge stackable doors that open onto the deck. Beyond that, I can see the rolling lawns and pretty flower beds.
It’s perfect. Everything is fucking perfect.
“There you are.” Sally appears at Wren’s side, pressing a glass of champagne into her hand. “You need to relax. Enjoy it.” She winks at me. Then she goes back to stand next to her husband, who puts an arm around her waist.
Drake materializes beside me, putting a glass in my hand. His other arm is wrapped around Harlow, who beams up at him, one hand on her very swollen belly. She’s due any day now, and Drake looks both terrified and thrilled about it.
“To new beginnings,” Drake says quietly, lifting his glass.
I nod, clinking my glass against his.
Wren pings her glass with a fork, and the room quiets. All eyes turn to her.
“If I could have your attention for a moment,” she says, her voice carrying easily through the space. “Someone very dear to us would like to say a few words.” She looks over at Falkor.
The old male stands, Eldra at his side. He holds up his flute, and my throat gets tight. This male has become like a father to me over the past year. Seeing him happy, seeing him with Eldra, fills me with more emotion than I can properly express.
“To Shady Palms Nursing Home,” Falkor says, his voice strong and clear. “Once a dream, now very much a reality. And to finding love when you least expect it.” He leans down and kisses Eldra on the top of her head. The elderly female smiles up at him, her eyes crinkling at the corners.
It still surprises me sometimes how they ended up together. They were friends for months before it evolved into more. But watching them together, seeing how they look at each other, I realize it makes perfect sense. They deserve each other. They deserve this happiness.
There are cheers from around the room.
“To Shady Palms!” Becca yells, holding up her glass.
Vulcan nods. “To dreams coming true.” He’s looking at Becca as he says it. Those two have been inseparable since the night they met in his tech cave.
“To Shady Palms,” the room echoes.
