Page 141 of Feels Like Home

“Why didn’t you say anything? I thought marriage was off the table. AfterHeather?”

He scowls at me. “Don’t say her name and ruin our proposalday.”

“Pro…” I clear my throat. “Proposal day?” I squeakout.

“Well, it wasn’t necessarily planned this way, but I’m taking my lead from James, I guess. I’ve had this, well, I’ve had this for a while now.” He reaches into the front pocket of his jeans and pulls out a little black velvet pouch. “I had to take it out of the box. That thing was annoying the shit out of me in my pocket. But I never wanted to be away from the ring, kind of like you. The boys helped me pick it out. And Bri. I asked herfirst.”

I suck in a breath and move my eyes from the object in his hands to his mouth. His tongue sneaks out and licks his lips, his teeth grazing his bottom lip. I take in a shaky breath, resisting the urge to bite his lip. It seems that I’ve hit the horny stage of this pregnancy, and even though I couldn’t keep my hands off him before, it’s only gotten worse. Or better, depending on how you look at it. I look up in his eyes and can see that he knows exactly what I’mthinking.

“You…what?”

“I took the kids out for pizza,” he explains, and the fact that he says kids and he’s including all three as if they’re one does something to me. “And I asked them what they thought. They’re excited. All three of them. So excited, in fact, that they dragged me to a jewelry store as soon as we were done eating. They’re probably going to be pretty pissed that I did this without them,actually.”

I couldn’t stop the wetness on my cheeks if Itried.

“Christine,” he raises up on one knee, kneeling in front of me. He takes the ring out of the pouch and slides it over the tip of his forefinger while I wipe the tears from my face and sniffle. “You told me once that I needed to be happy. I listened. You. You’re my happy. You’re Reece and Aidan’s happy. You’re Bri’s happy. And soon, you’ll be our little girl’shappy.”

I giggle and snort and try to remain looking cute but it’s just not possible with the ugly crying that’s happening right now. “You’re just so sure it’s a girl,huh?”

“Hazel’s gonna even out our brood, youknow?”

I nod my head, not being able to speak, but I know my smile is watery. He’s so sure of us, of her, he’s named her. And it’s the perfect name. My green eyes. Hisbrown.

“Neither of our lives have been easy, but that’s okay with me, because I think that going through the crap? That’s what brought me to you. But I do wish more than anything that I was your first love, and that you were mine always. I wish we could have shared all those moments together from the start. I wish no one had come before me to have your heart, and I pray I’m the last one to have it. I wish that person who had you first hadn’t hurt you. I wish he wouldn’t have taken advantage of the best thing you have to offer. But most of all, my wish is that you’ll know I’ll never forsake your heart, I’ll never take it for granted, never forget that it’s the most precious gift that you could ever give me. And, if you’ll let me, I’ll care for you, for the both of you.” He leans up and kisses my stomach again. My hands go into his hair and he looks up at me, tears shining in hiseyes.

He reaches for my left hand and blows out a shaky breath. “You’re the love of my life, Christine. I don’t want to wait a second longer. For the rest of our lives I want to wake up to you next to me in our bed. I want to have the privilege of loving you forever and knowing you’re always mine. I want to travel the world with you by my side, I want to cook breakfast next to each other, clean up baby puke, watch our boys play sports, see Bri graduate from college and help her start her life, maybe adopt a puppy, choose paint colors, potty-train this little nugget, argue over who last emptied the dishwasher and what movie to watch and where to vacation next, curl up on the couch together and binge watch shows on Netflix. I want my last name to be yours. I want to show our kids what a real marriage is like for the rest of our lives. Will you marryme?”

There’s no other answer I could give him. Even before the proposal he just gave me. I nod my head quickly and sob. “Yes! Ofcourse!”

I throw my arms around him, knocking him down and back into the coffeetable.

“Oomph.”

“Sorry, got a little excited.” He just smiles and twists so we’re lying on the floor between the couch and coffee table, him hovering overme.

“I have one more question, and I want you to think about this, and we’ll have to talk to them, but… if you want…” He hesitates, suddenly looking nervous andshy.

“Hey, what is it?” I graze the stubble on his face with my fingers, and he closes his eyes, leaning into thetouch.

“The boys. They love you so much. I know it’s early, and I don’t expect this to be decided now. But I want to know if you’re open to discussing adoption withthem?”

My heart does a double tap against my chest, tears springing to my eyesimmediately.

“Yes.” I don’thesitate.

His answering smile comes quickly and widens across his face. “That’s two yeses. Damn, I’m a lucky man. Can I put this on you, now?” He shows me the beautiful cushion cut diamond ring. It could turn my finger green or be a Ring Pop for all Icare.

“What are you waiting for?” I stick my hand up and wiggle my finger, anxious to have the sign of his everlasting love on my finger, and he effortlessly slides it on. We both watch, and as soon as it’s in place he lifts his eyes tomine.

“How’d you know mysize?”

“One day when you were taking a nap I sized your finger,” he admits with a slight tinge of blush to hischeeks.

I choke back a laugh and can just picture him trying to be stealthy. Though I’m a little concerned by how out of it I am while napping. “Youdid?”

“Once I got that ring on your finger, and a yes out of your mouth, I only want to see it on, never off, so I wanted to make sure itfit.”

“I love you so much, Mr.Simpson.”

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