Pregnant.
Withmy kid…proof that we were both getting out from under what had tried to bury us.
“We don’t have to keep doing this,” Willa was saying, shaking her head. “This—this thing between us?—”
“Are you kidding?” I blurted out.
She watched me.
“Willa, I want this,” I said. “I’ve…never been more sure of anything in my life.”
“You do?”
“I didn’t know before you got the results, but I do now,” I said. “Please—let me take care of you?—”
She flung her arms around my neck, heaving a sigh of relief. People were staring…I didn’t care.
She pulled back slightly. “It’s so fast, though. You’re sure?”
“Seems like it’s already happening…”
“Not definitely,” she shook her head. “There’s a chance it was a false positive.”
“And the bloodwork?”
“They said it’ll take 3-5 days.” She paused. “But…they did say it would have had to be from the past few weeks. It couldn’t be his. It would definitely be yours.”
I pulled her in again, tucking her head under my chin, against my chest. Her breath came steady and deep, her fingers curling in the cotton of my shirt.
Documentation. That was the thing. She had no ID, no birth certificate, no legal existence…and now she might be carrying my child. The lawyer was working on it but lawyers moved slowand Shepherd Daley was still four miles away and the bloodwork wasn’t back yet and?—
“Marry me,” I breathed into her hair.
She pulled back and looked up at me, eyes wide.
“Forrest—”
“I know it’s so fast,” I said. “I know that’s…I know. I want you to be free in whatever way you need, I want to facilitate that however I can. But I also…” I paused. Tried again. “If you’re my wife, you have documentation. You have protection. You have?—”
“Forrest.”
“I know it’s not romantic?—”
“Forrest.” She put both hands on my face. “Ask me again. Not the practical version.”
I looked at her for a long moment.
“Willa June Pruitt,” I said. “Will you marry me?”
Her eyes went bright.
“Yeah,” she said. “Obviously.Yes.”
I pulled her into my arms and kissed her hard, truly not giving a damn if anyone saw us. I needed to be with her…needed to talk to her about what the future looked like. I wanted to do this. I also wanted to make sure she got whatever she wanted, that she would be able to reach for anything.
I would go anywhere with her if I had to.
She’d brought me back to life…and I was going to give her the life she deserved.
