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“But—”
“I want you, Lauryn, just the way you are. I don’t want to live in grayscale anymore. I want my life to be in full color with you. I don’t care if you know which fork to use for seafood or can make small talk about the latest opera. In fact, I’m thinking about leaving the firm myself.”
“What would you do?”
He holds my gaze. “Live in the country. Raise a family. Maybe start a private practice to serve folks who really need representation.”
My jaw drops at the first two, but when he mentions serving folks, it hits me like a ton of bricks. I’ve always known what kind of law he’s really loved. “Your pro bono work,” I whisper.
His eyes go wide. “How’d you know about that?”
Good question, considering he’s kept the countless hours he’s donated to nonprofits around the city under wraps for years. And definitely hasn’t let his father find out.
I lift a shoulder. “I pay attention.”
He raises a hand to my cheek and brushes his thumb across my lip. “Not close enough attention to see how I’ve had to hold myself in check every day for the last two years.”
I undo my seatbelt and lean across the center console to kiss him. “That makes two of us.”
“Really?” The disbelief in his voice is endearing and betrays his surprise.
I bite back a smile and nod. “Really.”
Epilogue Miles | Two Years Later
AtruckrumblesdownMain Street outside my office window as Lauryn knocks on the door before popping in. “Your eleven o’clock with Rob from the Dairy Council just got pushed to noon. He’s on his way, but there was an issue with one of his tanks this morning he had to sort out.”
With a smile, I glance up from the legal brief I’m annotating as she sets a manila folder on my desk and circles around to press a kiss to my hair.
“Not a problem,” I assure her.
“I’m heading to my parents’ house for the dress fitting, remember? But I should be back soon.”
“Still keeping that dress a surprise?” I ask, leaning back in my office chair and tugging my wife down onto my lap.
“Yes,” she giggles as I nibble her ear. “Although, I have a feeling my mom’s going to have to let out the pleats another few centimeters.”
I lay a hand on her belly. “Good. Means you and the baby are healthy.”
A wide smile fills her face before she leans over and kisses me. “I’m just glad he or she hasn’t decided to arrive early. I’d hate to miss my husband getting recognized by the bar for his outstanding pro bono work.”
“And I’m just glad you’ll be there in case my parents are in attendance. You know how much they love black tie events in the city.”
She leans her head on my shoulder and fiddles with a button on my shirt. “If they show up, you’ll be as gracious as you always are with them, even when they don’t treat you with the same respect.”
She’s right. For a good year after I left the firm, my father didn’t speak to me. He couldn’t understand my decision to leave and thought I was sacrificing my career for a woman. He said I was crazy to move to the country, but what he didn’t realize is, I wasn’t giving up anything.
Choosing Lauryn over my future as a partner at the firm meant I was taking control, following my dreams, and finally living life on my own terms. Plus, I was gaining a woman, who loves me for me, and her family, who don’t attach conditions to their feelings.
She turns her head to allow me greater access.
“Sure we can’t skip it?” I murmur, kissing my way across her collarbone.
“Once you see me in my dress, you’ll be glad we’re going.”
“I’ll be glad when we’re back at home alone and I’m peeling it off you.”
She purrs a hum of approval and weaves a hand into my hair. “I’m just glad the ceremony wasn’t scheduled for next weekend. That’s the festival, and then you’d really have an excuse not to go.”
