“Surprise,” he whispers close to my ear as we walk inside.
“Oh my God.”
I’m speechless. Probably because there’s not enough air in my lungs to speak. The vaulted ceilings are breathtaking with vast wooden beams stretching across the top. Just as I had suspected, the natural light filtering in through the windows is stunning but not overwhelming. I can see now that the glass has been tinted so the light filtering in isn’t harsh, but soft, offering a warm, cozy feel.
Linc steps out in front of me and grips my hand while Caroline darts off upstairs. “I’m going to find my room,” she shouts, her feet eating up the stairs with excitement.
“C’mon. I wanna show you the rest.”
“I can’t believe they got it done so fast.”
“I know people,” he says with a wink, pulling me toward the kitchen, which is even more impressive than the living room.
“Oh, wow. This is amazing.”
The floors are all wood and polished to perfection. There are cabinets galore and the appliances are all state of the art. The countertops are an exquisite dark granite and there’s an island in the center equipped with a wrought iron pot rack hanging low from the ceiling.
Linc wraps his arms around my waist, kissing my neck. “I see you barefoot and pregnant, cooking up a storm right over there.” He points to the six-range stove.
“That’s a little sexist, don’t you think?” I tease, although nothing would make me happier.
“A little.” I give him a pointed look over my shoulder and he kisses my nose. “Okay, a lot, but what can I say, this is like a dream come true for me. The woman I love, making a home for us, taking care of me and our children.” He sweeps my mouth in little kisses. “You, naked, wearing nothing but an apron and a smile.”
Laughing, I swat his arm. “I won’t be doing that while I’m pregnant, I’ll tell you that.”
“Okay, maybe not while you’re pregnant but soon, very, very soon.”
I turn to face him completely. “How is it possible to love someone as much as I love you?”
“Easy, it’s me and you.Us, baby. It doesn’t get any better than this.”
He takes my mouth in a hard kiss, conveying everything I feel.
Love.
Devotion.
The burdens of life I carry melt away when his lips are pressed against mine, when I’m wrapped in his arms. I forget about all the bad and bathe in the good.
“Mama, Mama! Come look,” Caroline squeals from above.
With his hand holding mine, he leads me up the stairs. The house has five bedrooms and three baths but the entire third floor is one large bedroom, and it’s clearly been designed for Caroline. It’s open and bright and the far wall is nothing but built-in bookcases filled with books. Tons and tons of books. In the center there’s a reading nook equipped with a big pink oval cushion and what looks like dozens of throw pillows in every shade of the rainbow. And written above it, in big scrolling letters it says…
Read to live…live to read.
This is obviously the cause of her excitement because the smile on her face is priceless and it makes me wish I hadn’t left my phone in the car so I could capture this moment forever, even though I know I’ll never forget it. “Look at all the books, Mama!” she exclaims, tugging me toward the center of the room. The walls are painted a soft yellow and the bathroom a soft pink. I twist my head to get a look at Linc and find him kneeling down on one knee. When I look back at Caroline, she smiles mischievously as if she’s in on it, too. I turn my attention back to him. His hand reaches for Caroline’s and mine.
“I want to make a promise to each of you right here, right now. No matter what happens in my life, you two will always come first. Always. You both mean the world to me and you’ve made me happier than I could have ever thought possible. I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure I do the same for you, too. I’ll tell you each and every day how much I love you. How much you mean to me, and I’ll never let you down. Never.” My eyes sting with tears as I look down at the man who undoubtedly owns my heart.
Who has always owned my heart and fought like hell to keep it. The fact that he not only promises to love and care for me but Caroline as well only cements my deep love for him. I’ve said before there’s no way I could ever love him more but like so many times before…
I am wrong.
