I grab a tissue from my nightstand and sit on the edge of the bed, dabbing at my eyes and blowing my nose.
I’m not even sure what this is. I just feel… overwhelmed. Grateful. Happy.
Matt steps quietly into the room.
I glance over at him, rolling my eyes at myself. “God. I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize, babe. We’re fine.”
He comes to the bed and takes my hands, pulling me up before wrapping his arms around me. “You okay?” he murmurs into my hair.
I tuck my arms beneath his, sliding them around his back as another wave of emotion hits.
“Yeah,” I cry, shaking my head against his chest. “This is so dumb. It’s not like he called memom. I don’t even want that. I just—the way he said it, like it was so natural. And then I looked at you, and then him…” I trail off.
He doesn’t say anything, just rubs my back, patient as ever.
“I was just thinking how great everything is. How happy I am. And then he said this simple thing and it just hit me, right in this place I didn’t even know existed.” My eyes fill again, blurring everything, and I sniff hard. “I know I’m not a mom, but—” I squeeze my eyes shut, tears slipping free. “He just made me feel like one. And it was really beautiful.”
“You don’t have to have your own kid to be a mom, babe. What you do every day for Cole makes you a mom.”
I wrap my arms tighter around him.
He really is the best.
“Sometimes I just get scared,” I whisper.
“Scared?”
“Yeah,” I admit. “I’m just… so close to having everything I’ve ever wanted that sometimes I’m afraid I’m going to wake up and it’ll all be gone. Like this is too good to be true.”
He pulls back, slides his hands around my jaw, and tilts my chinup. His thumb sweeps across my cheek, wiping away the moisture. “Babe, none of this is going anywhere.I’mnot going anywhere. And I’ve got thirty years to back that shit up. I hate to break it to you, but you’re stuck with me.”
My lips curve. “I could think of worse people to be stuck with.”
He makes a face. “Christopher and Andrea?”
A laugh forces its way out of me. “Oh my God. Yes. That would actually be torture. I don’t even know how I’m going to handle seeing them every day for a week in Greece.”
“Guys?” Cole shouts from the kitchen. “Are we finishing the game or what?”
“We’re coming!” Matt hollers back.
Then his gaze settles on mine. “You’re not losing us. Not me. Not him.” He presses a kiss to my lips, then grins. “But I’m still going to kick your ass tonight. You know I don’t lose.”
I lift a brow. “I see your ego is still perfectly fine after losing your salary card.”
He chuckles. “It’s all a part of the plan. I’ve got you right where I want you.”
“Right,” I say as I turn for the bathroom. “I’m going to clean up my face real quick. I’ll be right there.”
“Take your time,” he says, backing toward the door. “We’ll wait for you.”
I click between tabs,saving another pair of Stefana into my wedding folder. I’ve managed to cut down a few options tonight. That is, until I inevitably change my mind again.
Matt flips the bathroom light off on his way out and makes his way to the bed. He plugs his phone into the charger, then slips under the covers beside me, sneaking a glance at my laptop.
“You still looking at crowns?” he asks.
