Page 66 of When Forever Stays

We sit in pensive silence, each sipping our beverages and enjoying the serenity of nature and the gentle slosh of waves against the shore.

The sound of tires against gravel eventually breaks through our peace, but when I turn and see the man behind the wheel, I don’t miss a beat. I jump up and sprint down the steps, leaping into Rhett’s arms the moment he’s out of the truck. I wrap my legs around his waist. His arms lock beneath my thighs, and he becomes my solid ground once more. He’s my safe place, even in the storm of our own making. Because together, we have been a storm.

I cup his face and kiss him hard on the mouth. Then my arms go around his neck as he deepens the kiss, not needing to use words to show me how much he cares about me or how much he’s missed me. My heart doubles in size and butterflies fill my belly as our kiss continues.

When I feel at least partially satiated, I try to pull back, but Rhett doesn’t let me. His one arm holds my legs in place, and the other skims up my back and holds me firmly against him. We kiss until we’re both breathless and I find myself sliding down his front.

The magnitude and desperation of my actions then hits me. My eyes widen, and my face heats to volcanic proportions. I just made out with my boyfriend in front of Rosa. But I don’thave time to be embarrassed because before I realize what’s happening, Rhett is on one knee and pulling something out of his pocket.

“This is not how I imagined doing this. I wanted to give you a romantic moment, and I’ve tried several times over the last few weeks. I could plan another one, but I can’t wait a moment longer.” He inhales a shaky breath. “I know our relationship has been far from conventional, but you are the most beautiful and unconventional woman I’ve ever met. Dana Swann, you are the sunshine to my clouds, the beauty from my ashes, and the woman I truly believe God created for me.” He swipes at his eyes with the hand not holding the small velvet box. “I love you more than I can put into words. My heart knew I loved you the moment you stepped foot on my tennis courts, but it took my brain a little longer to figure it out. I made several more mistakes and will probably make countless more, but one mistake I will never make again is leaving you. I love you and I need you to be my wife. I need you in good times and in bad, in?—”

I cut him off, unable to hold back my enthusiastic “YES!”

He smiles and stands, wrapping his arms around me, holding me close, and I know in this moment that he will stay with me…forever.

THE END

EPILOGUE

RHETT

“You’ve got this, baby. We’re almost there.”

“We?” she asks, her voice shrill from the pain. Dana’s nails dig into my skin as another contraction hits her.

I know countless women before Dana have done this, been the vessel God created life in, but it doesn’t matter; my wife’s continual strength amazes me. From the first signs of pregnancy through each of the trimesters, she’s handled it with ease and grace. Now she’s bringing our first child into the world.

A few minutes later, the most beautiful sound fills the hospital room. Our daughter’s tiny body is quickly wiped down by the nurses before she rests her on Dana’s chest. There are tears in Dana’s eyes as she gazes at our first child, our baby girl.

“She’s absolutely perfect,” Dana says as she takes our little one’s tiny hand and puts it on her finger.

“Just like her mama,” I say, looking from our little girl to my gorgeous wife.

Dana smiles up at me. “This feels like a miracle.”

“I was just thinking the same thing.” Leaning down, I place a gentle kiss on Dana’s forehead, then our daughter’s. “What are we going to name her?” I ask. Although we’ve discussed names, we couldn’t settle on any of them and decided to wait until she arrived to pick one.

Dana looks up at me with a smile that tells me she’s found the right one and that her mind is already made up.

She beckons me to lean down so she can whisper it in my ear.

“It’s perfect. A perfect name for our perfect little girl,” I say.

We’re discharged to go home after two nights in the hospital. It’s finally time to create our new normal as a family of three.

I pull into the driveway and tell Dana to stay in the car so I can unlock the door and help her get in more easily.

I stick my key in the lock but halt when I notice it’s already unlocked.

“Hello?” I ask, then motion for Dana to stay in the car.

“In here!” Rosa calls from one of the bedrooms.

I breathe a sigh of relief. “I didn’t realize you were going to be here when we got home,” I say loud enough for Rosa to hear me.

“I just wanted to make sure everything was ready for you.” She pokes her head out of the bedroom we turned into a nursery.

“You’re a gem, Rosa,” I say.

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