Page 49 of The Heart Remembers

“Why?” she teases, but her red knees and the kink in my back answer the question.

A week after Tom’s birthday celebration, I moved out of my place in Florida and into a new townhome in a suburb just outside Grand Rapids. I’d gotten the job with VetGym without much experience other than a history in the military, my tech training, and Katie’s recommendation. Maxwell Hudson and I hit it off immediately.

Katie moved in with me, letting her ex handle their old apartment.

Did it all come together too fast? I’d argue our coming together has been over ten years in waiting, and neither of us was going to wait any longer.

A squeak through the baby monitor alerts us to AJ’s waking from a nap.

“That’s my call,” Katie whispers while a smile graces her beautiful face. She leans forward to give me a quick kiss and then hops off my body. She grabs her scattered clothes off the floor and heads to the staircase.

“You’re lucky there’s no hallway ahead of you, or you’d be pinned to a wall for round two,” I tease, perching up on my elbows to watch her walk around naked.

She glances at me over her shoulder. “Promises, promises,” she jokingly mocks, clutching her clothes to her beautiful form. I can’t wait for her to be pregnant with my baby one day. We aren’t waiting, working on it as often as we can, although we aren’t married yet.

Katie wanted a summer wedding. I wanted one days after I proposed in the summer rental kitchen. We compromised and agreed on a winter wedding near Christmas.

In the meantime, I got her a ring and gave her a second proposal. I wanted it to be unique, something memorable like all those kisses had been. I took her back to the boulders bordering the lake, and during a sunset, I bent on one knee, asking her once more to marry me. Her family wasn’t present, but they met us all at Town Tavern for a celebratory drink. The Carters love to celebrate, and they love that local bar. Katie and I even snuck out back to recreate that second kiss, the one burned into my memory and written over my heart.

“You’re my hero,” I whispered to her after we kissed under the single lamplight.

“No more waiting,” she replied.

This time, she wasn’t too young, and I didn’t walk away. This time, we re-entered the bar together with her wearing my ring and both of us ready for new memories. This time, she’s mine for keeps.