Page 84 of The Love Comeback
Colton lets out a heavy sigh. “Fine.”
My heart skips a beat at the love in Ella’s eyes. “Deal. Wedding. Then a baby.”
“Who wants cake?!” Colton squeals.
And just like that, our happily-ever-after begins—with cake, of course.
Epilogue
Ella
Two Years Later…
“Okay, we’ve got this.” Chandra pats my back as she takes in the sight of the decorated table. “It looks amazing.”
I nod, taking in the adoption sign. “He’ll love it.”
“Yes, he will,” Mom chimes from a few feet away. “I’m glad you and Kade decided to adopt Colton. I know it means the world to him.”
My eyes land on the photo beside the cake—the one where Colton’s grinning with pancake batter on his cheek and Kade’s in the background flipping breakfastlike it’s a sport.
That was the morning everything shifted. The morning he asked the question that changed all of our lives.
It was just a regular Sunday, just the three of us. Colton was still in pajamas, curled up at the kitchen table, his hair sticking up in every direction as he devoured his pancake.
He’d looked up to Kade mid-bite, fork in hand, and asked, “So… now that you’re married, if you adopted me … would that make me yours?”
My heart caught. Kade froze at the sink, dish towel in hand.
“You’re already ours,” Kade said, his voice steady but soft.
“But I want it to be real,” Colton said after a pause. “The papers. The name. All of it.”
I’d walked over, knelt beside him, and said, “Then we’ll make it real, sweetheart. As real as it gets.”
I smile at the memory before turning back to Mom.
“It’s the easiest decision we’ve ever made,” I tell her. “And Kade and I will make sure he never forgets Katie and Brett’s legacy.” I let out a breath, feeling an overwhelming sense of emotion. We’ve already celebrated Colton’s adoption, just the three of us. Today is about celebrating with everyone we know and love.
“Yeah, and this gives us a chance to celebrate you and Kade, too, since, you know, you had to run off and elope instead of letting us see you walk down the aisle in a white gown.” Mom’s memory is on point today, and I smile even though she’s picking on me.
“You got to see pictures,” I say, shrugging. “We just couldn’t wait for some huge wedding. Eloping in Mexico was right for us, and I’m so glad we did. It was amazing.”
“Oh, I’m sure.” Chandra giggles. “I bet it was a beautiful oceanside wedding—and Colton was there, so that’s all that matters.”
“Yeah, but he was busy looking for sharks,” I add, just as my stomach churns with nausea. I catch my breath, my hand flying up to cover my mouth.Thissecret has been the toughest one to hide.
Even from Kade.
“I’ll be right back,” I say, trying not to lose my breakfast. I pick up my pace, jogging to the bathroom off the main dining room where the table is set up. I push the door open and rush to the toilet, dropping to my knees in my dress. I lose everything I’ve eaten this morning.
I sigh, reaching out and hitting the handle to flush it down. When I lean back, I startle, noticing my mother standing in the doorway. “Sorry,” I say quickly. “Breakfast just didn’t settle right.”
“Uh huh,” Mom hums, stepping in and closing the door. “I think there’s something you’re not telling me. I might have some memory issues, Ella Louise, but I am not stupid. I know the signs… How many weeks are you?”
I breathe in deeply. “Um, I’m eleven weeks. I found out when we finished the adoption paperwork for Colton, and I didn’twant to tell them. I thought it would be fun to surprise them with the announcement at the party.”
“I bet it’s going to be a girl.”
