"What the fuck?" Will's hands settled on my shoulders, sliding across to pull me close. "Karen! What's happened? Jesus."
I pulled back, unsure if this was a figment of my imagination or if I was having a mental breakdown.
"W-W-W-Will?"
"I'm here, baby. Jesus, what the fuck? Talk to me."
The sobs continued; my body confused by his presence.
Why is he here?
"W-w-why are you h-h-here?" I hiccupped, scrubbing at my tears.
"What? Of course, I'm here. Where the fuck else would I be?"
I drew in a shuddering breath. "You're n-n-not leaving m-m-me?"
His eyebrows shot up; his expression startled. "What the ever-loving fuck? No!"
Happiness the likes of which I'd never known burst over me. All tension released from my body, the sobs of heartbreak immediately turning into tears of joy.
"Oh, baby." He wrapped me tight, crushing me to his chest as I cried.
"Ms. Quim—oh! I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can—?"
"Just give us a minute," Will said softly, over my head.
"Of course." The nurse stepped out, shutting the door to the examination room.
He murmured soothingly as I cried it all out. The fear, the joy, the love, the bittersweet heartache of loving someone and fearing they were lost to you. All of it came streaming out leaving me a snotty, damp, wrung-out mess.
"Better?" he asked when the hiccups subsided.
I nodded, sniffing a little.
"I know this isn't romantic. I expect you had visions in your head of roses and candle-lit dinners, or maybe somethinginvolving sky jumping at the rate you're going." His smile reached his eyes, crinkling the wrinkles that lived there.
God, he really is the most handsome of men.
"But I find I can't live another moment without you, Karrie." Will dropped to one knee, digging in his pocket to pull out a small square box. "Marry me. Marry me and let me love you. Let me love you and our baby, and have a life with you both. Please."
I gasped, my heart thundering as I stared at him. "But… is this… you don't have to. We can co-parent without—"
He shook his head fervently. "No. It's not because of the baby. It's because of you. You're everything I've ever wanted. From the first moment I saw your butt in those Yoda pants—"
"Hey! You said you didn't look!"
"—to this moment right here. Every single second with you is perfection. It's always going to be perfection. Even if we're fighting or crying or kissing. Every second with you is my heart's wish. I love you, Karen. I want to marry you, not for the baby, but for me. The baby is icing on an already decadent cake."
I sniffed, tears threatening to spill again. "Are you sure?"
He grinned. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life."
"Then yes. Hell, yes!"
He surged to his feet, his hands coming to cup my face as he pressed joyous, hungry kisses across my cheeks, my lips, and my forehead. "I love you. I fucking love you."
"I love you too." I wept, overwhelmed by all the feelings inside me. "But we're not getting married until after the baby."
