“That’s love, baby.”
Their laughs slowly faded into a comfortable silence as their gazes lingered on one another. Aspen wanted to pinch herself. It was crazy how things changed in such a short time. Weeks ago, she was in bed, sulking over her relationship ending with Lance. Now, she was basking in the unspoken love she’d felt for years. A love so pure she didn’t understand how she couldn’t see it at first.
Breaking the silence, Mahari questioned, “What’s on your mind?”
“Us.”
“What about us?”
“I just . . .” Aspen leaned back and rubbed her belly. “I can’t believe we’re here. The more I think about it, the more I realize that I wasn’t happy unless I was with you.”
“And I feel the same way. You became my light in the dungeon of grief. After Heaven passed, you were the first person to bring a real smile to my face. I’ve always known you were special. You’ve been my person for as long as I can remember, but that solidified it for me.”
“Why did we wait so long, Mahari? Why did we hold our feelings back and allow all this time to pass. All these things to happen to where if we’re together, it’ll be frowned upon.”
As happy as she was, Aspen couldn’t act like others’ opinion of them didn’t matter to her. Being with Mahari was like a dream come true. There was no doubt in Aspen’s mind that he’d continue to treat her the way he had been, but she worried how outsiders’ opinions would affect them if they were to officially take the next step.
There were so many factors that would easily make their relationship inappropriate to the eyes of others, with the biggest one being Aspen being pregnant by her ex-boyfriend who is Mahari’s cousin. She could hear the whispers and see the headshakes in her mind.
Mahari got up, picked up one of the gifts, and walked over to Aspen. “Open this.”
“Are you going to answer my question?”
“Of course, but I want you to open this first.”
Playfully, Aspen snatched it from Mahari. It was a small box with a pink bow on the top. A gasp parted Aspen’s lips when she opened it to see a diamond tennis bracelet that she was sure cost a pretty penny. Mahari took it out the box and snapped it on Aspen’s wrist. She admired the way the diamonds glistened, even in the dim light.
Aspen whispered, “You remembered.”
“When it comes to you, I don’t forget much.” He reached over and picked up the other gift. It was the same size as the other box, so Aspen giddily took it from him.
“No you didn’t.”
“Now, you know I couldn’t leave the girls out.”
To someone on the outside, the bracelet was just a lavish gift. For Aspen, it was confirmation that Mahari truly listened and clung to her words.
Years ago, when Heaven was pregnant, Mahari was trying to find the perfect push gift for her. He wanted to go all out butwasn’t sure if what he had planned would suffice, so he called Aspen.
“Hey, Mahari. What are you up to?”
“I have a question.”
Aspen smiled. “I’m listening.”
“If you wanted a push gift, what would it be?”
“Oohhh!” Aspen cooed. “Are you already looking for Heaven one?”
Mahari walked around the car he’d been eyeing for Heaven. He thought it would be the perfect one for her to consider to be her mom car, and he couldn’t wait to fill it up with one or two more little ones.
“I am, but I’m not sure if I’m on the right track.”
“Well, for me, I’d want a diamond tennis bracelet, one matching with my baby. My dad did that for my mom after she had me, so it’s something I’ve always desired. Most women want a new car or something that’ll be essential for them and the baby.”
Mahari swiping his thumb over Aspen’s wet cheek brought her back to the present. “I’ve thought about that conversation since you first told me you were pregnant. I knew exactly what I wanted to get you. It might be a little early, but I couldn’t wait.”
“Early or not, I’m grateful. Thank you.”
