Page 145 of His to Save

“So. Damn. Perfect.” I rasp my praise against her neck, punctuating each word with a kiss as we both come back down to earth.

“I love you,” she murmurs sweetly, exhaustion already settling in.

“I love you, Pip. So damn much.”

CHAPTER 53

NORA

Ichew on the end of my pen and stretch my back from side to side as I read over my latest diary entry. This one is all about my last ultrasound—Scarlet convinced Dr. Snider to do a few extra, given the trauma I went through.

James is absolutely perfect—from his heart rate to his measurements. Scarlet says he’s a wiggler and that I should feel him move any day now. Which is annoying, since my pregnancy book says most first-time moms feel their baby by twenty weeks, and here I am a whole two weeks past that, and haven’t felt a thing.

Wait a minute…

I freeze in place, focusing all of my attention on my belly.

No way…

I toss my diary to the side and hold my breath, hoping like hell this isn’t just wishful thinking.

Minutes that feel like hours pass, but then, sure enough, my belly ripples like someone’s popping popcorn inside of it.

“Atlas!” I grab his hand and place it on my belly.

“What?” he asks, still halfway asleep.

“The baby!” Excitement and disbelief pulse through me in equal measure.

“What about the baby?” he asks, panic edging the sleep out of his voice.

“I can feel him!” I literally feel like I’m floating, I’m so happy. “He's moving.”

His focus lasers in on where I placed his hand. “I don't...”

“Shh. Just wait.”

We both sit in silence, holding our breath as we wait for James to move again.

“There!” I glance his way. “Did you feel it?”

“Holy shit!” His voice is tinged with awe. “That's—that's our baby?”

“Yeah.” I nod as tears fill my eyes.

“Fuck.” That single word somehow encompasses every single emotion rocketing through me.

“I know.” I rub the space our sweet jellybean was just kicking. “It's so surreal to feel him... I can't even describe it.”

Atlas abruptly rolls away from me, grabbing something from his nightstand. “I can.”

He rolls back toward me with a small velvet ring box in his hand. “It feels like the start of forever. Like the rest of our lives. Like every good thing that ever was or ever will be. I love you, Nora. I love you more than I can put into words.”

“Atlas,” I whimper, already knowing but somehow not daring to believe where this is going.

“Shh, Pip. Let me try.” He flips open the box revealing a sparkling oval cut diamond on a gold band. It’s simple, yet perfect. “Marry me, Pip. Let's make this thing between us official.”

I don't mean to laugh at him, but I do. “We’re official no matter what. You know that, right?”

---