I picked up his hand, lacing our fingers together. “When I think about marrying you, I imagine having all our friends in our backyard for the ceremony, followed by a party a lot like this one, and then a honeymoon somewhere on the beach for at least a week. That’s all I want.”
“That sounds perfect,” he murmured. “And even better, it won’t take long to plan.”
“Why is that better?”
He cupped my face and pulled my lips down to his. “It means I can marry you before the summer is over.”
“Are you sure you want to do it that fast?” I asked when his mouth released mine.
“If I could marry you tomorrow, I would.”
I stared into his bright blue eyes as a warm glow filled my chest. “Then, I guess I’ll get it planned as quickly as possible.”
“Good.” He kissed me again. “I can’t wait to get you back home so we can celebrate.”
I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face. “Me either.”
Epilogue 2
A little over a year later
“Brown Eyes, where are you?”
I heard Elijah calling for me, but I couldn’t answer. I flushed the toilet and went to the sink to rinse out my mouth. I couldn’t stand to brush my teeth, so I settled for swishing and gargling with some mouthwash.
Elijah’s voice drifted down the hall, getting closer, “Babe?”
I left the bathroom, taking a moment to breathe and settle my stomach, and ended up meeting him in the bedroom.
“Sorry about that,” I said. “I was in the bathroom.”
“You okay?” he asked. “You’re a little pale again.”
“I’ll be fine,” I said, waving my hand. My wedding set sparkled on my ring finger. The diamond wedding band had been next to my engagement ring for a little over nine months now, and I was the happiest I’d ever been.
“Maybe we should cancel today,” he said.
We were hosting a pool party at our home to celebrate the summer solstice. All my girlfriends and their men were coming, as was Davide and his now-fiancé, Nick. It turned out that, not only was Davide a relationship guy, but he also fell head over heels for Nick. He’d proposed a few months after Eli and I got married. Their wedding was planned for New Year’s Eve, and I couldn’t wait.
“We don’t need to cancel,” I said to my husband. “I’m fine.”
“Brown Eyes, your stomach has been giving you problems since last week. Your pale and tired all the time. This isn’t normal. You should definitely go to the doctor.”
I glanced away, because I’d already been to the doctor, and I knew exactly what was wrong with me. I just wasn’t sure how to bring it up to him.
“I promise, I’m fine,” I replied.
His hands cupped my cheeks, and he turned my face towards his. “Baby, I’m worried about you. I know you’re strong and independent, but it’s clear that something’s not right. I’m gonna call everyone and tell them that we need to cancel because you’re sick.”
He released me and started to reach for the phone in his pocket, but I grabbed his hand. “Don’t.”
“Grier—”
“I’m not sick, Eli.”
“I know you don’t like admitting weakness, baby, but?—”
“I’m pregnant,” I blurted out.
