My hands freeze in the middle of folding a shirt at Dan’s casual statement. I turn, and he’s where he was a second ago, stretched out on his side in the middle of my bed, surrounded by my laundry. He just finished helping me match up my socks as I put everything away from spring training.
Despite the domestic nature of our morning, his words catch me by surprise. Which quickly makes me feel foolish. And excited.
Of course, we need to discuss our living situation, but isn’t it too soon for that? I mean, we’re having a baby, and we love each other, but…
But what? What more do I need?
I subtly shake my head and clear my throat. “Oh yeah?”
He looks up from his phone and turns it around to face me. “What about this one? It’s close to where Sin and Willow live, has four bedrooms, and a big backyard. Oooh, we could get a dog!”
“Dan, we’re going to have a baby. I’m not adding a puppyinto that chaos.”
He waves his hand at me, looking back at his phone “I said dog, not puppy. We could rescue an older one.”
It’s moments like this that make me pause and question if he’s being silly or serious. With Dan, it could be either.
“We don’t have to rush on a house, you know, either one of our apartments will be fine at first.”
“Well, yeah, but which one? I’ve got the security and the amenities, but you’ve got the view.”
“You want to move in together. Now?”
I suppose Dan hears the question in my voice because he sets his phone down and sits up. “Well, yeah. Don’t you?”
Moving to the bed, I sink down on the edge. He moves to sit beside me, drawing my legs up and over his lap.
“I don’t know.” I sense him tense up and grab his hand. “Not because I don’t want to, but I guess…” I pause, trying to collect my thoughts into something that makes sense. “I guess I never let myself consider it. I know that sounds so stupid, we’re having a child together. And I know you love me, and I love you, so moving in together should be obvious. But —”
“But you still have a hard time fully believing that nothing is going to diminish my love and that our future is clear to me.”
If the way he understands me better than I understand myself isn’t a sign he is the only man for me, I don’t know what is.
My head moves up and down, even as moisture wells in my eyes. Dan chuckles, wiping away the tears.
“I haven’t wanted to overwhelm you or rush you. I mean, you were engaged, literally the day before you kissed me for the first time. But maybe that was a mistake and I should have said itsooner. I plan on marrying you, Birdie. You’re my end game. My championship. The only trophy that truly matters. I want to spend the rest of my life dedicated to you and our family. So whether we move in together now or later, I don’t really care. As long as you know deep down, this is it. You and me, together forever.”
I’m blinking away my tears as his words heal the cracks I hadn’t even realized were still covering my heart. I don’t want to be a woman who needs constant reassurance, but if there was ever a man who would be happy to provide that, it’s Dan. I lean in and kiss him softly, wrapping my arms around his shoulders and climbing farther into his lap.
“I love you.”
“I know.” His lips quirk up in a grin.
We kiss again and again, and just as I’m ready to make a mess of my piles of clean laundry, Dan stands up, cradling me in his arms.
“Come on, Birdie. We can finish this later. Let’s get a snack and go for a walk.”
He carries me out to the kitchen, setting me down on the counter before going to the cabinet where I keep all of my favourite snacks.
Pulling out a package of licorice, he waves it at me, and I reach for it with grabby hands. But as soon as I open the package, I gag. “Oh my God, nope.” I throw it at him, and of course, he catches it. “Get that away from me, please.”
Reaching for the basket on my counter, I grab a vial of essential oils, not even caring what it is. When I open and inhale the bright scent of bergamot, I sigh in relief.
“No licorice during pregnancy. Noted.”
I pout. “That’s depressing. Can you get rid of it all?” I ask, hopping down from the counter and giving him a wide berth, seeing as he’s still holding the offending package. I take another inhale of bergamot and move to the couch, leaning against the back of it as Dan pulls out all the licorice and puts it in a bag before tying the ends.
“Garbage?”
