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“I just realized something,” I said. “And I had to come and tell you.”
Mila raised her eyebrows, but she didn’t press me for details.
“I just realized that I can’t let you leave town.”
She looked even more surprised by that. “Why not?”
“Because… I don’t think I can live without you.”
I wasn’t trying to be romantic. I was very aware that this was like a scene pulled straight out of a movie, but I didn’t care. This was our reality, and there was something magical about it.
Mila stared at me for a moment. and then her face broke into a brilliant and beautiful smile. “You’re serious?”
“More serious than I’ve ever been about anything else in my life,” I said. “I love you, Mila.”
She smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. “I love you too, Zack.”
I was vaguely aware of Devon, standing in the background watching us, but I didn’t care. He would have to get used to this. I grabbed Mila and kissed her hard on the lips. She returned my passion with equal fervor. When we finally broke apart, we both laughed together.
“So… Will you stay with me?” I asked.
Mila nodded. “What do you think?”
Epilogue
Mila
Five Years Later
I was washing dishes in the sink, looking out onto the gently sloping hill that preceded the clubhouse. It was a beautiful view, and five years in, I still couldn’t get enough of it. The house was no longer a ruin of lost opportunity. It was now bright and vibrant and full of life.
We had spent the better part of six months renovating it so that it was livable once more. It had been a labor of love, and Zack and I had been very involved in all the new changes. I had actually painted the kitchen walls myself, and Zack had laid the tile. It had been another bonding experience that had brought us closer, and in fact, I actuall
y felt that it had helped Zack find a new relationship with his parents, even after their deaths.
Everywhere I looked, there was a new memory that rushed to mind, and I realized how lucky I was to have that at all. My life had gone from ordinary to nightmarish to extraordinary in a matter of months, and I had Zack to thank for that.
“Mommy!”
I turned to the little girl at the kitchen door. She had my auburn hair and Zack’s hazel eyes. It was a perfect combination because she was beautiful, and I didn’t feel like I was biased in saying that. I remembered the day I had found out I was pregnant with her. Zack and I had been together officially for almost a year, and we had settled into the newly renovated house only months before.
We had just established a rhythm that suited us both, and I was intent on enjoying that part without planning for the future. Of course, my desire to avoid planning was completely obliterated the moment I saw that pregnancy test. My first instinct had been joy, and my second instinct had been panic. What would Zack say?
As it turned out, I didn’t have to worry at all. Zack was nothing but a pillar of strength for me. He was at every doctor’s appointment. He read every book I bought on pregnancy and childbirth, and he insisted on being as involved as possible with everything to do with the baby. It was just another experienced that proved that as unlikely as our connection had been, it worked.
“Yes, darling?” I said, turning to her.
“I’m hungry.”
“That’s because you didn’t finish all your veggies during lunch,” I told her.
“I hate veggies.”
“Hate is a strong word.”
“I don’t like veggies,” she corrected.
“Sit down,” I said. “I’ll get you a snack.”
