Page 36 of My Boyfriend's Possessive Daddy

“This is beautiful,” she says again.

“Not nearly as beautiful as you.”

She turns back to me, her smile wide and warm. “I love you.”

“And I love you, Elodie. With everything in me.”

EPILOGUE

ELODIE

Two Years Later

“How are you feeling?” I ask.

Ethan gives me a shaky smile. “I’m … I’m hanging in there.”

“Everything is going to be all right. You know that, don’t you?”

“I hope so.”

It took more than a year for Ben to finally reach out to his father, but he eventually did. It was a few tentative emails in the beginning. That was followed by some texts. Eventually, they progressed to phone calls. Their relationship is still fragile, but they talk a lot more and seem to have gotten to a good place. Or at least, a better place. Their relationship has progressed to the point that Ben and his new girlfriend are coming for their first visit today. Ethan and I have planned a whole dinner for them, and he’s been running around all day, more nervous than I’ve ever seen him. It's actually kind of adorable.

“Mam, your sauce smells amazing as usual,” I call into the kitchen.

“Of course it does,” she calls back. “It’s the best sauce in the world. It has brought families together for centuries.”

I roll my eyes but laugh, making Ethan grin as he sets the wine glasses out on the table.

“I heard you rolling your eyes, Elodie,” Mam calls out.

“It’s creepy that you do that,” I call back.

“You should be used to it by now,” Ethan said.

“I know, right?”

After everything that happened, I ended up moving back to Emerson to be with Ethan. He and I have our own house, which is just down the street from my grandmother’s—something that made Mam very happy, of course. But it’s made me happier than I ever thought I could be in this small town. Especially given how desperate I was to escape it in the first place. Two important things I’ve learned are that family is what you make it and home isn’t a place. It’s where your people are. And my people are here in Emerson. With Ethan and Mam here, I’ve come to realize that this place is my home.

In addition to celebrating Ethan’s reunion with his son, we’re also celebrating my first book being published. Once I moved back here, free of all the distractions, I devoted myself to my first novel and, much to my surprise, found a great agent who, in turn, found a fantastic publisher. I’ve heard nothing but horror stories about publishing, but this experience has been an absolute dream.

Ethan steps over and gently kisses my forehead.

“How are you doing?” he asks. “Thinking about what you’ll say in your acceptance speech when you win your Pulitzer?”

“Wow. Setting those expectations pretty high, aren’t you?”

“I am. But why not? Your writing is brilliant.”

“You’re biased.”

“I am. But I also know good writing when I read it,” he says. “And you should know me well enough to know I respect you enough to be honest with you.”

That much is true. He can sometimes be brutally honest. But rather than hurt my feelings, it motivates me. I love that he respects me enough to not spout platitudes, but to give me honest feedback. I love that he supports me in every way he can and pushes me to excel. To be even better than I ever thought I could be. And I love that he is my biggest cheerleader. When I’m feeling down, he picks me up. He is always there for me to lean on. And he gives me a swift kick in the backside when I need it. He doesn’t let me feel sorry for myself. For that and so much more, I’m thankful.

For the first time in my life, I feel like I’ve got a genuine partner. It’s an amazing feeling. I’ve never felt so supported before. I’ve never felt so encouraged or cherished. And I’ve never felt so absolutely and unconditionally loved. I wake up next to this amazing man every morning feeling like I’m walking on air. I really do.

The doorbell rings and I share a look with Ethan. He clears his throat and quickly checks his clothing, smoothing out his shirt, and patting down his hair. I walk over, take his hand, and plant a soft kiss on his cheek. He’s doing his best to hide it, but he’s nervous.

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