I shake my head. “Come on. I’ve been working on this all week, I want you to see it.”
I slowly stand up and pull her with me. I wrap an arm around her shoulders and tuck her against me.
She laughs. “I feel like this is a ploy to get us to the bedroom.”
I chuckle. “We will get there, but later. First, I want you to see this.”
I stop outside the guest bedroom. “I need you to know I didn’t break my promise. I did not buy any of this the day we went.”
Her mouth drops. “Elijah…”
I open the door, hoping I did the right thing, and as soon as I see the look on Sam’s face, I know I did. She puts her hands to her mouth as she walks in. I had someone come earlier this week and paint safari animals on one wall. Everything is blue and yellow, and everything she said she wanted, even the things on her wish list, are in this room.
She walks around the room, looking at everything, and then turns back to me with her eyes shining.
“Elijah.” Her voice breaks, and I walk over to her.
She looks around the room. “You didn’t have to do all this.”
“I wanted to,” I tell her simply.
She crosses over to me in two steps. Her arms go around me, and she tucks her face into my chest. Her body shakes as she cries.
I kiss the top of her head. “Hey, it’s okay.”
She leans her head back to look up at me. “They’re happy tears. I love you so much, Eli. I tried so hard this week to protect myself, sure that you would change your mind about me.”
I gesture around the room. “Does this look like I’m going to change my mind? I’m planning our future, Sassy, and it’s a good one.”
She nods as I suck in a deep breath. Almost nervously, I go down to one knee. “There’s something else I got this week, and I want to give it to you.”
Her mouth drops in shock.
I pull the ring box from my pocket, open it, and take out the diamond ring. “Samantha, I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life. You are the one for me. You. Him. Us.”
Her hands fly to her mouth. “Eli,” she whispers.
“I promise to love you. I promise to always be here for you. For him. For all our future babies.” I’m almost pleading with her, hoping that she says yes. “Marry me, Sassy. Marry me and build a future with me.” I shake my head. “Please say yes.”
She slowly goes to her knees. “Yes, yes, God, yes, I love you so much, Eli. Yes, a thousand times, yes.”
Relief hits me hard, and I finally take a steady breath.
I put the ring on her finger, and then we kiss. Our lips meet, and the kiss feels deep and almost desperate, as if we can’t get close enough.
When we pull back, my forehead rests against hers, and her hand is over my rapidly beating heart. Our forever starts now.
EPILOGUE
SAMANTHA
Eli never leaves my side.
Eight hours of labor, and he’s been right next to me the whole time.
The pain is unbearable at times, but Eli is there to talk me through it. He cheers me on, kisses me, and wipes the sweat and the tears off my face.
He’s patient and kind.
