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My entire body trembles and my face grows warm. My hands are damp and I’m just praying he can’t feel it. I lick my lips and feel the quiver in my heart. The way Micah is standing in front of me, declaring his love makes me feel like a fairy tale princess. My vision wavers as the tears well in my eyes and I clasp my hands over my mouth. This is what I wanted, and I never thought I would get the chance to have it.
“What do you say?” he asks. “Do you still want to give this a shot? Do you still want me?”
I open my mouth but nothing other than a stuttering squeak comes out. I lick my lips and try to work a little moisture into my mouth, feeling the trembling in my body growing stronger. He looks at me with a small smile curling the corners of his mouth upward.
“You’re mine, Jordan. You’re mine and I’m yours,” he says firmly. “I know you want to be with me every bit as much as I want to be with you. I can see it in your eyes.”
“I do,” I finally manage, my voice a hoarse croak.
“Are you with somebody right now?”
I shake my head. “No.”
“Good,” he says. “Then why don’t we give this a shot?”
The warmth that started in my belly spreads outward, making my entire body feel like it’s on fire. It takes me a minute to realize what the feeling gripping my heart is. It’s happiness. It’s joy. I’ve never wanted something more than I want Micah and knowing that he’s mine, that all I need to do is reach out and take him, makes my heart swell to the point of bursting.
“I want that,” she says. “I want you.”
He reaches out and pulls me to him, wrapping his big arms around me. He makes me feel safe and being in his arms feels good. It feels natural. And it feels right. And when I look up and meet his gaze, I smile. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.
Extended Epilogue
Six Years Later…
“Are you just about ready?”I ask. “The buses should be here any minute.”
Jordan nods. “I am.”
“And? How are you feeling about this? It’s your first time and all.”
She gives me a reassuring smile. “I feel good. I can’t wait to get started, honestly.”
I pull Jordan to me and give her a gentle kiss. There are days I still look at her and feel a sense of wonder. Days I still can’t believe that things worked out the way they have. After the day I showed up at her school to claim her, we have been inseparable. We married a year after that and had our first kid, a boy we named Austin a year later. Our daughter Madison—Maddie to everybody—followed Austin eighteen months after that. And in between it all, Jordan managed to get her degree in psychology and pass her boards, becoming a certified psychologist.
I look her in the eye and smile. “Have I told you lately just how much you amaze me?”
“You did. This morning after what we did in the shower, in fact,” she replies suggestively. “But you’re welcome to tell me anytime. I never get tired of hearing it.”
“That’s good because I’ll never get tired of telling you.”
She gives me a peck on the lips and laughs. “I love you.”
“And I love you back.”
Jordan takes a step back and even though she’s putting on a brave face, I can see how nervous she truly is. She’s going to Forward Path’s lead counselor this session. Jordan has a thriving practice of her own, but she insisted that she wants to get involved with the program. She said she wouldn’t be who she is today without Forward Path and insisted on giving back. I know how talented and passionate she is about her work, so I was more than thrilled when she said she wanted to be involved and got it set up right away. She’s going to do a lot of good for a lot of people.
“Where are Austin and Maddie?” she asks.
“They’re in the cabin with Hayley,” I reply.
Hayley has been our nanny since Austin was born. She’s part of the family. And when Jordan insisted on wanting to become part of Forward Path, I had some new cabins built—mostly because we’re going to expand and take on more clients per session. But I also wanted one built and equipped for the family. I want our kids to be comfortable while we’re here. I want it to be as close to home as possible.
Jordan fidgets with her shirt and smooths out her shorts, picking off the imaginary lint. She does things like that when she’s nervous. I step forward and put my hands on her shoulders, giving her a gentle smile.
“You are going to be great, you know,” I say.
“You think so?”
