“Yes,” he replied easily, as if the idea had already been made up in his mind.
A small knot formed in my chest. “Don’t you think it’s too soon?” I asked, trying not to meet his eyes as I stirred the curry slowly in the pot in front of me. The wooden spoon moved in slow circles while the rich scent of spices rose with the steam. I focused on the motion, pretending that the curry required my full attention.
Behind me, I heard his chair scrape softly against the floor.
Then his footsteps.
“Is something bothering you?” he asked as he reached me and turned me around to face him.
My eyes dropped to the cool tiles beneath our feet.
The kitchen suddenly felt too quiet.
Geeta had taken Lucas and Emma to the park, leaving the house still and almost eerily silent.
Cole lifted my face gently with his finger. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
I forced myself to look into his eyes, even though tears blurred my vision.
“There’s an awful feeling in the pit of my stomach,” I admitted quietly. “And I can’t seem to get rid of it.”
I did not fully understand the feeling myself, but it had been building inside me for days.
Without saying anything else, he pulled me into his arms.
My cheek pressed against his chest, and I breathed in the familiar scent of his aftershave—that warm, woody, peppery fragrance that always reminded me of him.
“Baby, nothing is going to happen,” he said. “Your past does not determine your future. I’m right here, and I will always be here.”
His arms tightened around me slightly.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he continued. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you or our children. I’ll keep you safe, and you’ll be the only one living in my heart.”
His words wrapped around me like a promise.
I clung to him, my fingers gripping the fabric of his shirt.
“Promise?” I asked softly, lifting my head to look at him again.
“I promise,” he said, kissing my forehead.
A small smile tugged at the corners of my lips despite the growing unease in my chest.
“Now,” he added gently, his voice lightening, “can we talk about how I would like to adopt our children after we get married?”
The words made my heart swell.
Our children!
Coleand I decided that the wedding would take place in the fall, in October.
We both wanted the same thing—a small, intimate ceremony surrounded by family and friends.
Nothing extravagant.
Nothing overwhelming.
Just the people who truly mattered to us standing nearby as we promised to spend our lives together.
