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I feel tears rolling down my cheeks, and I nod my head vigorously. "Yes, Jesse, of course," I tell him.
He lets out a whoop of joy and slips the ring onto my finger. I hold my hand out and admire it, still in disbelief.
"I've been wanting to ask you for so long," Jesse says, his voice filled with emotion. "But I wanted to wait until the time was right."
"It's perfect," I say, still staring at the ring. "I can't believe it."
We hug each other tightly, and I feel an overwhelming sense of love and contentment. I know without a doubt that this is the person I want to spend the rest of my life with.
"Where did you even get this?" I ask. "It's so unique!"
"I had it custom made," he says. "Eli is a silversmith, and he asked me to describe...to describe how I felt about you. This is what came out."
My tears renew. "It's so beautiful."
"Just like you," he says. "Beautiful, complex, and perfectly flawed."
As we sit on the porch swing, watching the last of the sun's rays disappear behind the trees, I realize that I'm not afraid anymore. I'm not afraid of the future, of the unknown, of what might happen.
Because I have Jesse by my side, and I know that no matter what comes our way, we'll face it together.
Chapter twenty
Jesse
Andjustlikethat,I'm becoming a dad.
We drive down to the clinic, a special doctor having come out from Portland to perform the C-section. Fern Hollow isn't normally set up for this kind of thing, but Reagan called in a few favors and told her colleagues it was important to do it here. Moving Piper too much could make her go into labor, and we don't want that.
No...we're doing this as safely as possible.
I hold Piper's hand as we drive to the clinic, trying not to show her how nervous I am. As we park in the lot, I take a deep breath and give Piper a reassuring smile. She returns it weakly, her eyes flickering with fear. I can't blame her - there's always a risk with surgery, and this is her first child.
Ourfirst child.
Reagan meets us at the door, a smile on her face as she brings out a wheelchair. I help Piper into it and she takes a deep breath.
"How are you, Piper?" Reagan asks, never letting on that she has any problem with Piper--maybe she doesn't. "How's the bedrest been?"
"Horrible," Piper laughs. "I'm ready to have my legs back--and my baby in my arms."
"Have you thought about a name?" Reagan asks.
We have--on and off, and we've come up with all kinds of crazy things. But we keep settling on the same thing over and over.
"I think we're going with Hope," Piper says quietly. "Because...well, I guess it's obvious."
Reagan smiles. "It's beautiful."
We make our way down the short hallway, past the receptionist, who flashes us a friendly smile. The doctor from Portland is waiting for us in a freshly outfitted surgical theater, a tall woman with short hair and a kind face. She introduces herself as Dr. Park and shakes our hands.
"Alright, Piper," she says, "let me walk you through what's about to happen. As you know, we're going to perform a C-section. We'll make a small incision in your abdomen and uterus to safely deliver your baby. You'll be under anesthesia, so you won't feel a thing, but you'll be awake and aware of what's happening around you."
Piper nods, her grip on my hand tightening. Dr. Park continues, "Once we have your baby out, we'll clean her up and make sure she's breathing properly before we hand her over to you and dad."
I squeeze Piper's hand reassuringly, letting her know that I'm here for her. I can see tears glistening in her eyes, but she gives me a small smile.
"I'm ready," she says, her voice barely above a whisper.
