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She picked up the boxes and left, dropping the boxes off into the recycling bin. Light droplets of rain hit her as she tossed them into the bin. Her head lifted as she let the rain soothe her nerves. Her eyes closed and she almost raised her arms but didn’t want to look foolish to anyone walking or driving by.
When she entered the apartment, Amelie was sitting in her highchair eating and Corey was moving around in the kitchen preparing supper. Something she normally had ready by the time he got home.
He stopped and stared at her. Then he was moving until he was within arm’s reach and grabbed her hands.
“We’ll attack this like we’ve done everything else. Together.”
“It’s a baby. You don’t attack babies.”
“You know what I meant.” He frowned. “You’re mad. I’m sorry it slipped my mind that day. I was so afraid of losing you. I needed you in my arms.”
“I’m not mad.”
“Then what? Because I sense you’re not happy about this.”
Her brow arched. “Are you?”
He looked at Amelie, then at her. “It’s not something I expected right away so soon, but I’m not unhappy about it. I’m ready to make a life with you. Moving in was the first step.”
“And having a baby is the next one? That’s skipping a lot of steps.”
“Well, let’s fix part of that.” He shoved his hand into his pocket and withdrew a ring. “We’ll get married.”
Holy. Shit.
“You’ve been carrying that around your pocket? Waiting to propose? I mean, was that you proposing because you didn’t ask me. It sounded like you told me since we’re having a baby. I’m not going to marry you because of that reason. People don’t do that these days.”
“No, I didn’t have it in my pocket. I grabbed it from my stuff in the bedroom. It’s my grandmother’s.”
Whoa. So not just any ring, but a family heirloom. No way she could take that unless he meant it. It was simple. A round diamond, maybe a carat—she didn’t know her jewelry that well—but beautiful. Simple, yet elegant. It was too much.
“I should take the test. Be sure I’m pregnant. I don’t know yet.”
His hand holding hers tightened, the ring still high in the air daring her to put it on.
“First, we settle this. You’re right. I didn’t ask. So let me. Will you marry me, Genevieve?”
“Why?”
His brows pinched together. “Well, I thought it’d be obvious. Because you make my world a better place. Amelie and I need you in our lives.”
But no I love you.
He needed her. He cared for her. But he didn’t love her.
And she loved him so much she was willing to accept that. To take him any way she could. How pathetic did that make her?
“Ok, I’ll marry you.”
He slid the ring onto her finger, then kissed her. “There. Doing things in the normal steps.”
She knew she should feel elated they were taking that next step, but part of her felt nothing but dread.
“Let me take the test now.”
“I’m ready for whatever it says. We can do this. Baby number two should be a breeze. We already mastered it with baby number one.”
She chuckled despite the seriousness of it all.
