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“We’re safe.” I was so relieved; my body wouldn’t stop shaking.
“Yes. Forever.” He lowered me to my feet and like he’d done before, he dropped to his knees. “Will you be mine for a lifetime? I know we haven’t gone on a real date, but I intend to make that up to you. To make up for all the years we’ve lost. To give you hope, a future, and my heart for a lifetime. If you’ll have me.” He kissed both of my palms.
I dropped to my knees and pressed myself against him. “I love you, Gravor. And there’s nothing I’d rather do than spend every day of my life with you.”
Chapter 26
Epilogue
MAZIE
One Month Later
We hiked around the lake, stopping in the same spot we had before for our picnic. This time, we brought all sorts of munchies, from nice cheeses, to crackers, salami, and a variety of fruit. We ate and lounged on the blanket, the three of us side by side with Asher between us, the cheese in our sandwich.
“Sweetie,” I said, nudging Asher’s side.
“What, Mommy?”
It was time.
Gravor visited his brother, Zara, and Livy almost daily, and I could tell by Kuunik’s raised eyebrows when he saw Asher and his brother together, that he’d already guessed. He probably wondered why we hadn’t confessed by now, but we wanted Asher to know first.
“Gravor and I have something to tell you.” I sat up, as did Gravor. He placed his hand on my knee and squeezed it. I wasn’t sure why we were nervous about this. Gravor had lived with us over the past month, sleeping in my bed. He’d cooked most of our meals and stayed with Asher while I worked.
He was a dad in every way but name.
We’d agreed today was the day, and what better day than this lovely afternoon with the sun warming our backs and the lake glistening in the distance?
I tugged Asher up onto my lap, wrapping my arms around him.
“Remember how I told you that your daddy was out there somewhere?” I said, and he looked up at me, confusion in his eyes so like his dad’s. “Remember I said that we’d find him, and he’d be able to tell right away how special you are?”
“Yup.” The word came out hushed as if he sensed how important this moment was. Asher shot a look I couldn’t discern Gravor’s way.
“Gravor is your daddy,” I said.
“My daddy?” Asher gulped and started to cry, tears streaming down his cheeks. “I’ve got a daddy?”
I rubbed his back, unsure how I could soothe him. “Gravor loves you very much, and he wants to live with us for the rest of our lives.”
“I do. You’re special, Asher. I love you.” Gravor shot me a worried look, but I wasn’t sure how best to handle this.
“Are you okay, sweetie?” I asked our son.
He leaped into Gravor’s arms, sobs shaking his body. With his face pressed against Gravor’s neck, he cried hard, whispering Daddy, Daddy.
Reaching out to me, he wrapped his other arm around my neck and tugged me into Gravor’s embrace along with him.
We cried together, both me and our son pressing our faces against the love of my life’s chest.
“Sweetie,” I said, my heart breaking. Had we waited too long or not long enough? “Are you okay?”
Asher sniffed and looked my way. “I am, Mommy. I’m not sad. I’m . . . happy.” He snuggled into Gravor’s arms, his still babylike fingers weaving into my hair, holding tight like he’d done when he was little. His body shuddered, and he sent first me, then Gravor a watery smile. “I’ve got a daddy.”
