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We sat there on the floor, letting the sun shine brightly over us, bringing the house to life for the first time since we closed on it. Sure, we didn’t have it fully furnished yet, and the boxes were still packed tightly, but I realized in that moment that none of that was what made a house a home. Inside these walls were two people that I loved with all of my heart, and what made the house really feel like a home were the sounds and feelings that were bursting through the open spaces. The sounds of Lily squealing and shaking her rattle, the laughter coming from deep inside Bea, and the chuckles that I couldn’t seem to get over when I was with them. Everything about who we were as a family unit made anywhere we went feel like home, as long as we were together when we did it.
Bea laughed and cooed at Lily, and I watched her interact with our daughter. It was like she was made to be a mother, someone who cared deeply for her child and wanted everything that she could give her to be perfect. She shined brighter than I had ever seen her shine when she was with Lily, and that warmed my heart. I had never thought in a million years that I would be settled down, buying a house, and working for one man, but this was the best thing that could have happened for me. In the end, it was also the best thing to happen to Glen.
When I told him, he was ecstatic, revealing to me that he had proposed to his girlfriend. He was going to talk to me about it when he got back. This got him off the hook, and we just dissolved the company. My days of traveling, living out of hotel rooms, and eating bad room service were finally over. At that moment, from where I was standing, that was an amazing thing, but if you had asked me two years before, I would have laughed you all the way down the slope.
I reached out and grabbed Be
a’s hand, thinking about all the time I had spent in agony, wishing and hoping that she would find her way back into my arms. I pulled her close, lifting her up into my lap. She sat sideways, blowing kisses to Lily and turning to me, wrapping her hands around my neck. Her eyes shimmered under the light of the sun cascading over her face, the light reflecting off the streaks of red naturally intertwined in her long, brown hair. She smiled at me and leaned in, kissing me on the cheek. I smiled back and shook my head, taking in a deep breath.
“What?” she asked.
“Nothing.” I smirked. “You know, I really love you.”
“Thank you.” She laughed.
“No, I mean it. I love you without even the shadow of a doubt lurking nearby. There has not been one moment since New Year’s Eve that I questioned my feelings for you and how deep they truly run. You are the woman of my dreams.”
“You are the man of mine, figuratively and literally.” She laughed. “And I love you, too.”
I smiled and leaned in, kissing her lips and holding her tightly, my head resting on her chest. I listened as her heart beat steadily inside, pulsing the amount of love she had in her heart out into everyone within close range. It was amazing to me that over a year after she captivated me with her smile and her charm, she was still doing that today. I never got tired of her voice, of her giggles, and of her warmth. I never got tired of coming home and seeing her there by my side, excited to have me back home. I already knew that in the blink of an eye, fate had given me everything I needed in my life, but I just refused to acknowledge it at the time. There wasn’t a single part of me that missed my old lifestyle, not even for a second. I knew now that the men that complained about being in a committed relationship because they missed their freedom were never really in love with the other person. It took a cosmic connection, a partnership, and emotions that I couldn’t control if I wanted to, to make me never want to go back to my old life ever again.
I loved Bea, and I couldn’t wait to see what the future held for us.
Epilogue
Six Months Later
Bea
I tossed my towel over my shoulder and walked into the kitchen, laughing as Lily sat up and giggled at the cartoon on the screen. I turned back to the sink and finished rinsing the dishes and loading the dishwasher. I had finally found a rhythm between work, keeping up with the house, and taking care of Lily all day. Of course, I never had to do it alone. Cameron was on point every time he came home from work. He knew that I worked hard, too, and instead of treating me like a housewife, like Grant had done a lifetime ago, Cameron split everything with me, making sure we were partners and equals in our relationship. Truth be told, I loved having my little family. It was exactly I’d always wanted and more. The love I had for Cameron just kept growing, even when I thought I couldn’t love him any more than I already did.
Work was amazing, and they found that I had a real knack for writing romance. Not only was I still ghostwriting, but I had put out my own series of chick-lit with the publishing company. It was doing amazing, and this last book had hit the top ten within hours of going on sale. I never actually thought I would enjoy writing romance, but now that I wasn’t bitter and unhappy with my life, I had a lot to pull from. The first story I wrote was actually about my journey with Cameron, only I changed the names and added a few extra romantic gestures for the readers that liked the overload of love and mush. Cameron thought it was funny, and he read every book that I put out.
I looked over at Lily as I reached up to put away the coffee mugs. She was sitting quietly, playing with her new blocks with drool just dripping all down her chin. The poor girl was teething, and it was keeping her, and us, up at nights. I loved watching her grow, being so amused and enchanted by the smallest things in life. Lily reminded me to slow down, to take in the moment to moments, and to really stop and be thankful for everything that was around me. She made me see the world with a new light and a new curiosity, just like she did every day. I was almost jealous at how new everything was for her, and she wasn’t tainted by the Grants of the world quite yet. My hopes were that she would grow up to be strong and independent enough to never fall for the Grants of the world.
The house phone rang just as I was thinking about that, and I walked over and picked it up. The caller ID was from the resort, and I figured Cameron was calling to check in on his lunch break. Sometimes, he would call ahead, and I would fix lunch so that we could sit down together and eat. It was a nice treat, especially right now when the resort was getting ready for the normal end of October winter weather. The jump off to ski season was right around the corner, and I was happy for Cameron because that meant he could start teaching again.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Hey Bea, it’s Brian,” he said.
“Oh, hey, Brian. Is everything okay?”
“Yes, yes,” he replied, calming my nerves. “I was calling to ask you if you would pack up Lily and come up to the resort? Cameron needs you up here.”
“Um, okay,” I said, looking over at Lily. “What’s this all about?”
“Honestly, I really don’t know,” he said, sounding suspicious. “I was just asked to give you a call and have you come up. Do you want me to send a car?”
“Um, no, I can drive,” I replied. “Give me about fifteen minutes, and we’ll be over.”
“Great, see you soon,” he said, hanging up before I could ask any more questions.
I clicked off the phone and looked down at it with curiosity. Why in the world would Cameron need Lily and me to come to the resort in the middle of the day on a Tuesday? I shrugged my shoulders and walked into the living room, scooping up Lily and taking her upstairs to get ready. I brushed my hair and threw on a t-shirt and jeans with a light jacket. I changed Lily’s diaper and packed a diaper bag full, just in case we ended up being there all day. Before I left her room, I checked my phone to see if Cameron had texted me. It was so strange and so very vague, but I had agreed to come, so I figured why not?
I slung the diaper bag over my shoulder and picked Lily up, carrying the car seat out and snapping it into its base. I fastened Lily in, realizing she may be getting ready to move up a size in car seats, and I shook my head and sighed, wishing she would slow down already. I went around the car and climbed in, starting it and pulling down the driveway. We only lived about ten minutes from the resort, but in the opposite direction of the town, so the view was beautiful, and the drive was always pleasant.
As I made my way there, my mind skipped all over the place, from worrying that something was wrong, to wondering what in the world Cameron was up to. It wasn’t often that we surprised each other with anything, except maybe an extra hour of sleep on the weekends. Nonetheless, I needed to turn off my brain. I didn’t want to ruin whatever it was that he had in store. When I got to the resort, I parked the car and lifted Lily out of her seat, putting her on my side and grabbing the diaper bag. As I walked forward, I saw some bright neon yellow signs stuck in the ground, which was not at all like the resort. They were very neat and orderly all the time. As I got closer though, I realized that the message written on the sign was for me.
