“That’s up to you.”
I rub my stomach, staring down at it. “It might make me feel better to know someone else is going through the same thing.”
“Then we’ll tell them when Laney and Fletcher get back from their trip.” Rhonan leans forward to kiss me. “I love you, Vienna. You are my future, and that’s all I want to focus on now, all right?”
“I don’t want a future if it doesn’t involve you and Ellis.”
“Same, baby. Get some rest. We have the rest of our lives to look forward to now.”
Those words are the last thing I hear as I drift off into a deep sleep, thanking the universe for everything that I’ve gone through to get to this moment because this man is the type of man that Lydia told me I deserved—and now that I found him, I’m going to do everything I can to keep him and love him until my very last breath.
Chapter 31
Rhonan
A Plan None of Us Saw Coming
“Where the fuck is Elliot?” Henley asks, checking his phone again for the tenth time. “He’s never this late.”
Fletcher shrugs from his seat at the blackjack table. “Did anyone try to call him?”
Henley nods. “I did about ten minutes ago, and it just went straight to his voicemail, but then he sent me a text saying he was on his way.” He glances back at the front door of my house. “But his office isn’t that fucking far from your house, Rhonan.”
“I’m sure he’ll be here any minute,” Fletcher says as he shuffles the cards on the table in front of him.
He and my sister got back from their honeymoon just a few days ago, and since it’s been nearly three weeks since their wedding and longer than that since we’ve played blackjack, I invited the boys over to my place for a game tonight. Even though I knew that Joanne would be here with Ellis and Vienna, I didn’t want to be too far away. I only justwent back to work last week and I’m finding myself struggling when I’m away from the two of them, more than I care to admit.
I know time and talking it through with my therapist is the only way that anxiety will dissipate, but I’ve only had one session with my therapist so far, so I’m not exactly a straight A student yet in that capacity.
So, while the boys and I are playing blackjack, the girls, including my sister, are over at Vienna’s house hanging out. Her lease is good for another three months, so we decided to keep her house for extra space and a place for us to hide to be alone once she’s fully recovered, if you catch my drift. Once her lease is up though, she will be moving in with me and Ellis and then I’m gonna try to convince her to marry me before this baby is born once her divorce is finalized.
I want to make this woman my wife and I’m not going to waste any more time contemplating a timeline for that.
“Do you think the girls are going to be able to stay awake for the movie?” Fletcher asks me from across the table.
I chuckle. “Doubt it. Vienna will just fall asleep at random times right now. Between recovery and the baby, she doesn’t have much energy at all.”
Henley shakes his head. “I still can’t believe that the two of you are going to have kids within a few weeks of each other.”
As Vienna and I discussed after she got home, we decided to go ahead and tell everyone about our baby too. To say the reactions were a mix of shock and elation would be an understatement.
I think the person that was the most elated was my dad, though.
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him cry that hard but knowing he was going to get not only one, but two new grandbabies sent him reeling. The smile on his face has been permanent ever since he heardmine and Vienna’s news as well, and he even told us that he’s thought about trying to date lately.
“Seeing you take another chance on love has made me realize perhaps I should do the same.”
Hearing those words from him is something that I’ll never forget. For the longest time, he’s been the person I’ve looked up to, admired, and respected so much. But in that moment, he told me that I was that person for him.
The past three months have taught me more about myself than years before have, and I’m soaking up each nugget of wisdom. I thought that at this point in my life, there wouldn’t be much more for me to learn. I’ve gone through some of the toughest moments a man should have to, but like my dad said, suffering brings gratitude—and now, that is the promise I’m making to myself for this next phase of my life—to be grateful for the lessons, the blessings, and everything in between.
“Don’t you want another kid?” Fletcher asks Henley as I reach for the bowl of pretzels in the center of the table.
“Hell yeah, I do. But I’ve got to put a ring on Elodie’s finger first.”
“Any ideas on when that might happen? You know, just so I don’t steal your thunder,” I tease.
He lifts a brow at me. “Already thinking about popping the question to Vienna?”
