“Will you marry me?” Elias continues, his voice choked with emotion. “I don’t want to wait to make you my wife. I’m not missing out on another second of being by your side and being a good father. I want to be there every step of the way. For this pregnancy, for you, for us. I promise to love you more every day. Olivia, will you please do me the honor of being my wife?” He opens the box and the most gorgeous ring I’ve ever seen sits on a plush silk pillow. The diamond shines even in the low light, the emeralds pristine and polished.
“Elias?” His name shakes with my nerves. “Am I still asleep? Am I dreaming? Is this heaven?” I take a few more sips of water when I begin to lose my voice.
“No. No, and no, but I will do my best to make sure that your life feels like heaven every single day.” He takes the ring out of the box and pauses, looking at me expectantly.
“Yes.” It’s the easiest word I’ve ever spoken. “Yes. I’ll marry you. Every single day if I have to. Yes.”
All of our friends and family cheer and clap. Elias slips the ring on my finger, and it fits as if it was made for me.
“I love you,” I say to him, my pain drifting away for a few seconds.
“I love you too, Livie. Always.”
My eyes become heavy, exhaustion trying to pull me under, but even through the aches and pains, my heart is full.
The rest of my life, all my dreams, they start now.
With Elias.
EPILOGUE
ELIAS
One Year Later…
I’m waitingat a deli shop with my three-month-old, and for the first time in I’m not sure how many years, I’m wondering if my father will actually show up. I have talked to him off and on since the surgery, but I’m guarded. I haven’t given in emotionally. I haven’t allowed myself yet. I still think he’s unreliable and will eventually go back on his word. He always does.
I check the time, noticing he’s a few minutes late. I want to leave already.
This is the first time I’ve agreed to see him in person since the surgery. I had made the decision that he and I should be done with our father/son relationship, but Olivia being the wonderful woman that she is, convinced me to give him a chance if he got help.
And he did. He’s been in rehab, goes to therapy, and meetings. He sends me proof, not that I ask for it, but every time he sends that proof, there’s a part of me that gets more hopeful.
“How long do you think we should give it, bud?” I ask my sleeping son, who’s cradled in my arms. I can never stop holding him. Any time I put him down, I only ever want to hold him close again.
We named him Sidney, after Olivia’s late father. Sidney Carrington. My pride and fucking joy. The moment he was born, I knew being his father was exactly what I was meant to do.
“Hey, Elias. I’m so sorry I’m late. I missed the bus and I had to wait fifteen minutes for the next one.” My dad takes the seat across the table, his eyes nervous and perhaps a bit fearful about what I’m going to say.
Guilt eats away at me for making him feel like that.
“That’s okay. Don’t worry about it. We haven’t been here long. Plus, Sidney has been asleep.”
His eyes fall to his grandson, and a bright smile crosses his face as his eyes water while he stares at Sidney. His hand covers his mouth with a slight tremble.
“You brought him? I didn’t think…I didn’t think you would. Can I hold him?”
I’m hesitant. I’m hesitant with anyone who wants to hold him.
“Of course,” I finally say, needing to let go of my anger and uncertainty to really give him a chance. I can’t keep punishing him when he is putting in effort. I need to as well.
We stand at the same time, and I gently pass Sidney over to him.
“Oh my,” Dad whispers, ghosting his finger down Sidney’s chubby cheek. “He is beautiful. He looks just like you when you were a baby. Does he sleep through the night?”
I shake my head. “No, he hates sleeping at night. Getting him on a schedule is tough.”
“He got that from you too. You hated sleeping through the night. You were ready to party from midnight to four in the morning. Your mother and I had shifts.” He chuckles, wiping away the tear that hits his cheek. “Thank you.” He looks up at me through wet lashes. “I’ll be a good grandpa to him. I promise.”
