We’d be here all night, taking turns checking on River and being by Stormi’s side, but it was time to comfort my wife who’d been through hell and back.
She wrapped her arms around my neck and rested her head on my shoulder. My hands rested on her stomach as I buried my nose in her silky hair, breathing her in.
Rubbing my palm against her stomach, I kissed the top of her head. “I love you so much. You three are everything to me.”
Not able to hold it in any longer, the dam broke and the tears she was holding back tumbled down her face. Her sobs tore me up inside but I knew she needed to release them.
“I l-love y-you too,” she hiccupped.
We stayed that way for a long time, our love for each other sinking into one another to soothe our hearts and souls.
Together, we could get through anything.
EPILOGUE
Lake
We are goingto be okay.
Bronson had repeated that same mantra to me many times over the course of the three weeks since the fire. For a few days I wasn’t convinced we would come back from that night, happy and whole, but I knew now he had always been right.
I tipped my head to the side and drank in the sight of my husband. Just the simplest of acts of watching him get dressed or witnessing Stormi laugh at something silly her father said, had a peacefulness settling into my soul. It was the small things day after day that all added up to us finding our way again.
A bit of sorrow did pierce me when I thought about River and her kids. While our family unit was moving forward, hers was still struggling. Physically everyone was good, but emotionally was another story. I hoped that the changes being made would bring them some peace and that they would embrace the crazy group of people who so desperately wanted to help them.
They had moved into the condo for a short time—my sister finally caving after her many protests—but now they were making a more permanent move. One that me, Stormi and Bronson were thrilled with.
I felt a smile tug at my lips.
It was only a few hours before my sister, niece and nephew—in my eyes that’s exactly what they were, even if it may take them some time to get used to it—would be our new neighbors.
Moisture glistened in my eyes. I was going to pull the ‘pregnancy card’ and say I cried a lot more because of the baby growing in my belly, which may be true, but it was also because my husband was the sweetest man on the planet.
Bronson had insisted that his lake house was the perfect place for our new family to reside. With mad persuasion skill—maybe the cop thing—he convinced River to take the house. He told her it was there for as long as they wanted it and even went as far as to tell her if forever was what she decided, to consider it theirs.
My husband walked toward me and even while feeling sentimental, I couldn’t swallow the giggle that escaped me as I took in his shirt. He was sporting my Valentine's gift with pride. All the women knew about the baby and their men too, since it came up after the fire.
But there was one special little girl that was about to finally get her Christmas present.
We missed telling her that night because she was hurt, the emotional wreckage it had left was hard, and at that point we’d decided I needed to see the doctor first. The last thing we wanted to do was tell her and then find out something was wrong.
Bronson rested his hand on my stomach gently. “How are you feeling, Cupcake?”
Everything looked great at the doctors, but morning sickness had kicked in. Or more like, morning, noon, and night sickness for me. I was managing but my husband was a big worry wart and must have asked me fifty times a day how I felt.
For some, maybe it would be annoying, to me it just made me fall in love with him a bit more every time.
If that was even possible.
My love for him was something indescribable.
I leaned into him and he wrapped his arms around my back, hugging me close. “Little queasy but not going to puke up your fabulous pancakes.”
He chuckled. “I love your honesty but I love you more.”
I’d learn no matter what I was feeling to just give it to my man straight. It was how we rolled. We’d learned to be honest, upfront, and in the moment with each other always.
“Are you ready to tell our angel the big news?” I asked.
