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Every day was a great day with her.
We didn’t argue or fight, and we rarely had a disagreement.
I think part of that was because I always wanted to make her happy, so even if there was something I might not have normally decided on, if it was something that she wanted, I wanted her to have it. But I think the bigger reason why we got along so well was because we’d both been through hell.
We understood how bad things could be, and we appreciated what we had with each other more for it.
I’d spent the better part of my afternoon outside today, chopping wood. It was that time of year, and I always liked to be ahead of the game. But knowing what was in store for us for the weekend, I wanted to make sure that I had some quality quiet time with my gorgeous wife tonight.
Fully prepared for that, I made my way to the front door, so I could head inside, shower, and have dinner with her before we curled up on the couch together.
But when I walked inside, my plan fell to pieces.
Because Dakota was sitting on the floor in the corner of the room by the fireplace, resting on her shins in front of the Christmas tree. And I could tell with just one looked at her that something was very, very wrong.
Before I moved from that spot, I took just a moment to think about what could possibly be upsetting her, and that’s when it hit me.
Maybe she wasn’t necessarily upset, but she was recalling where she was in her life at this time last year. My heart broke for her, thinking that she was feeling any sort of distress.
I removed my boots, pulled off my jacket, and crossed the room.
Placing one hand on the middle of her back, I sat down beside her, searched her beautiful face, and asked, “Is everything okay?”
She swallowed hard, tears in her eyes, and shifted her attention away from the tree and toward me.
“It was a year ago to the day that I made the decision to file for a divorce, so I could move to a cabin in the mountains, where I’d find a guy who’d always have my back,” she started. Following a brief pause, she continued, “I never thought I’d get that. I wasn’t even sure I wanted it. But then you came along, and you were everything I needed in my life.”
This all sounded so good.
She had tears in her eyes, but maybe they weren’t the kind that meant she was struggling. Maybe this was just about reflection and gratitude. I didn’t think Dakota was finished saying whatever she needed to say, so I sat there and waited patiently until she was ready to continue.
“For months, I’ve been asking myself how I could be so lucky, and do you know what I just realized today?”
I shook my head. “No. What is it?” I asked.
“I thought that moving here and meeting you was me being lucky, and to some degree, it was,” she shared. “But it was just the beginning. It was the very beginning of something extraordinary and wonderful.”
“I feel the same as you,” I told her.
She blinked, a tear escaped, and rolled down her cheek. “I’m pregnant, Jack.”
My whole body tensed. “What?”
She pressed her lips together, struggling not to break down into full-fledged sobs. “I’m pregnant. We’re going to have a baby.”
The minute she got the words out, it happened. She burst into tears, her body shaking with the force of her sobs.
“Sweetheart…” I trailed off, instantly wrapping her in my arms and pulling her close.
This woman.
This unbelievable woman was pregnant with my child.
We were going to have a baby, and I was going to have another chance at being a father.
If she’d not been crying with her face in my chest, Dakota might have seen that I was feeling just as overwhelmed by the news as she was.
This was all she’d ever wanted.
