AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Andrew slides the ring onto my finger and I launch myself to him, laughing and crying at how happy I am. How perfect everything is.
He kisses me, and this time, it’s different because it’s full of promise. Promise of a lifetime of laughter, happiness, and love.
When we pull apart, my gaze shifts, catching sight of movement in my peripheral vision. At first, I thought it’s the waitstaff bringing our dessert. But when I see who’s behind him, heat radiates through my chest.
My dad. Kara. Some of my closest friends and his. Their faces glow with joy and excitement, and I rush to my father as he opens his arms to me. I can’t contain the surge of emotions threatening to spill over and tears well in my eyes.
I want to thank them for being here and for sharing this special moment with us, but I can’t speak. Words lodge in my throat, but my heart swells with gratitude. All the people I love here with me. Can anything be more perfect than this?
EPILOGUE
ANDREA
One Year Later
My eyes flutter open and I call out, “Andrew?”
The bed feels empty, and I turn to look at the time. 2 a.m. Slowly, I get up, my bare feet meeting the coolness of the floor as I make my way to the dimly lit hallway. The soft padding of my footsteps echoes in the stillness of the night.
I approach the nursery, a sliver of light spilling out from the partially opened door. Pausing for a moment, my hand hovers over the doorknob. Slowly, I push the door open, my eyes adjusting to the soft illumination.
There, bathing in the gentle glow of the nightlight is Andrew. He’s sitting on a two-seater rocking chair, cradling our newborn baby, Amelia, against his chest. His face, illuminated by the soft light, reflects awe, love, and also exhaustion.
A mixture of emotions swirls within me—admiration and overwhelming love for both of them.
The rhythmic creaking of the rocking chair fills the room, and I stay rooted to the spot, committing this moment to memory. It’s too beautiful and I want to remember this forever.
Andrew rocks gently back and forth, his touch gentle and reverent.
After giving birth two weeks ago, Andrew refused to let me do anything but rest. He hired a housekeeper to clean the house, launder our clothes, and cook our meals. Even after a long shift at the hospital, he would get up in the middle of the night to attend to Amelia’s needs.
Every single day, I find myself falling even more in love with him.
I slowly approach them, and Andrew looks up. A smile tugs at his lips, beckoning me closer, so I cross the room, my footsteps light and cautious even if I know nothing can disturb Amelia when she’s deep asleep like this.
He shifts slightly in the chair, creating space for me to join him. I sink beside him, feeling the warmth of his body. I can’t help myself so I reach out, fingers delicately brushing against Amelia’s soft skin, marveling at this little miracle we’ve brought into the world.
“She’s beautiful,” I whisper.
He turns to plant a kiss on my forehead. “Just like her mother.”
I lift my hand and run it along his jaw, his five o’clock shadow only making him hotter and sexier. “I love you.”
His gaze softens. “I love you, too. You are my life. You both are.”
I must have done something right in my past life to deserve all this.
* * *
I wakeup to the smell of bacon and eggs. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes and fixing my hair as best as I can, I pad towards the kitchen and find both Andrew and Amelia there. He’s holding her against his chest with one hand while he pours freshly brewed coffee into my favorite cup with the other.
This side of Andrew never fails to do something to me.
At the hospital, everyone looks up to him—from the staff to his peers. When he speaks, they listen. He has this commanding presence, and his patients look at him with respect and gratitude. But at home, Andrew… Andrew is ours. He’s always looking out for us, and he treats me like a queen.Hisqueen.
He puts Amelia in her bouncer as he slides a breakfast plate to me full of bacon, a cheese omelet, and diced potatoes. He also hands me my coffee.
I giggle at him. “Are you trying to make me extra fat?”
