It’s a reminder that no matter our journey or the obstacles thrown our way, we were always leading to the same finish line together, hopelessly in love and happily married.
EPILOGUE
Six Months Later
Jackson
Why isit so bright in here? I rub my eyes and open them to see Belle smiling.
“I thought you said I could sleep in for my birthday?”
She tries to push me off the bed.What the hell?
“We have an appointment in one hour. You’re not going to want to miss this.” She pushes me toward the shower.
“I don’t even get a birthday blowjob. What kind of marriage is this?”
“There’s no time, darling. Hurry up!” she snaps.
* * *
I’m standing in Chelsea, staring at a sign that’s almost unbelievable to my eyes.
Dr. Sara Hampton
Obstetrician-Gynecologist
Belle snakes her arm around my waist and leans her body into me. “I’ve been keeping a secret,” she whispers.
“Are you pregnant?” My eyes bulge, darting between her and the sign.
She grins with a look of contentment. “No, but hopefully one day.”
“What are you saying, Annabelle?”
“I’m saying that without you knowing for the last six months, Dr. Esposito and I have been putting a plan into place where I feel safe to have a baby. We’ve been working through my fears and found the best doctors in London to work with. We spoke to them together, and they all assured me that, under supervision, we could try naturally for a baby. Of course, being in my late thirties, my age may be a factor, but besides that, it’s safe for us to start trying. Happy Birthday.”
“B… Sweetheart.”
I don’t want her to go through any unnecessary stress for me. We’re happier than ever, and we don’t need to change a thing.
“Look at me, Jack.” I turn my face toward her willful one. “I know what you’re thinking. But I want this, and I put a lot of work into figuring out the logistics. Unless you’ve changed your mind?”
“Of course not. You know how I feel about having kids.” I look back at the building. “You’re sure about this?
“I am, truly. I want to have your baby, Jackson Peters.”
I bite my lip to hide my grin. “I’m not sure whether it’s okay that I’m turned on by that statement… but I am.”
“That’s because you’re a horny bastard.”
I laugh loudly. “Okay, B. Let’s try to make a baby.”
Annabelle
Eight Years Later
Here we are, eight years later, with our closest friends and family in Taormina, Sicily, lounging on the beach overlooking Mt. Edna in post-marital bliss.
