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I committed to proving myself to her by always having her at the centre of everything I did. I flew back as a surprise one weekend because I knew she was upset about something, just so I could wrap her in my arms and help her feel better. I flew home to be there for her labour with Elliot. A few months after his birth, and long after Maddie got the all clear, she started to fly to spend time with me in the States, being my sanctuary when I finished work for the day. When filming was complete, I packed up my life there, flew back to the UK, and set up a permanent home, one where I got Delilah’s input for every decision because I wanted her to move in, for it to be our home. We’ve been here, together, ever since.

She is home. She will always be my home.

“I’m sorry it wasn’t the surprise I intended,” I tell her.

“I have a question,” she says.

“Yeah?”

“How did you expect to pull off a surprise party if I was going to arrive looking like this?” she asks, gesturing at her jeans and vest top. She’s not dressed for a party, but she always looks beautiful.

“I was going to come to the spa with a dress for you to change into and say we were going for dinner.”

“What about when you drove me towards home?” she teases.

“I was hoping you wouldn’t mind being blindfolded in the car,” I admit.

“Been a long time since you blindfolded me.” She chuckles.

“I’m game if you are, when all the guests are gone.”

I nip her ear and am delighted when she gives a little shiver of desire. I can count our relationship by many different milestones. Twenty-two years since we fell in love the first time. Ten years since we briefly reconnected. Eight years since we forgave each other and fell back in love. Four years since we got married. It doesn’t matter how I count; it still makes me happy that the passion between us has never dimmed.

“What about Evangeline?” She gasps a little as she talks, but I know it’s from how my mouth is now moving against her neck.

“You think I wouldn’t have arranged for Evangeline to go for a sleepover tonight with Grandma Verity, Grandpa Simon, and big sis Maddie?” I tease. Our daughter is two years old and a live wire. Right now, she’s out at the park with Caleb and Felix, being distracted from the party preparations.

Delilah grabs me by my shirt, closing the small gap between our bodies. She looks at me with heat in her eyes.

“Do you have time to come upstairs, to help me shower…?”

There’s a clatter from the kitchen and laughter from both Maddie and Elliot, and the whir of the toy car.

“Seeing as I no longer have to go surprise you at the spa, I guess I have time to come upstairs,” I tease. It’s a feeble response. It wouldn’t matter if I only had a minute before I was due to be somewhere; I would quit it all to go upstairs with Delilah, to be anywhere with her.

She grabs my hand and pulls me up the stairs, a mischievous smile on her face.

***

“That was exquisite,” I proclaim later as I zip up her party dress. It’s one of her own creations, something she wore to my final film premiere. I’ve been working on theatre productions since I settled permanently in the UK.

“It always is with you,” she murmurs back as I kiss her shoulder.

“I hope that doesn’t suggest you’re experimenting with anybody else, just to check,” I tease, and she laughs loudly.

“Never.”

“Never,” I repeat. No woman has ever caught my attention since we got back together.

“Good to know,” she replies, smiling in the way only somebody completely confident in the devotion of their partner can. I know this because it’s how I smile at her.

I step away and reach into my bedside table. “Do you know what would look amazing with that dress?”

“Do tell.”

“Happy birthday.” I hand her the wrapped box. It’s an early present given her birthday isn’t until tomorrow, but I know it will look perfect with her dress, and I hope she’ll love it.

She unwraps the paper and then opens the velvet box. Nestled inside is a platinum chain, long enough that it drapes around the neck twice for a layering effect. Across the chain, at varying intervals, are precious gems. The original design was set with diamonds, but I had some stones replaced with the gemstones for the birth months of the people she loves dearly when I had it custom-made for her. Ruby for Maddie. Amethyst for Elliot. Citrine for Evangeline. Emerald for Caleb. Peridot for Felix. Then there are two stones placed directly side by side: sapphire for her, and pink tourmaline for me.