Page 154 of Triple Play
“This one’s for you—an office. It has the best natural light in the house, perfect for studying. And it’s got—” I point to the built-in desk. “Already set up. You wouldn’t even need to buy furniture.”
She’s just standing in the doorway, not moving.
“Elise?”
Nothing.
“If you hate it, we can—”
“The master bedroom is down the hall,” Jordie interjects quickly. “It’s big enough for all four of us. We figured—we thought—”
Still nothing.
I’m starting to seriously panic now.
“Elise. Please say something.”
She turns to look at me, and her eyes are bright—shining.
“You bought a house.”
“We bought a house.”
“For us.”
“For us.”
“All four of us.”
“All four of us.”
A tear slips down her cheek, then another.
“Hey—” I reach for her, but she’s already moving, wrapping her arms around my neck and—
EPILOGUE II
FIVE YEARS LATER
Elise
The babysitter’s taillights disappear down the driveway, and I lean back against the front door with my eyes closed.
Silence.
Blessed, beautiful silence.
“Are they asleep?” Grant’s voice comes from the stairs.
“All three. Checked twice.” I open my eyes. He’s standing there in the dress shirt from dinner, tie loosened, sleeves rolled up. Still unfairly hot after five years and three kids. “Mia tried to negotiate for another story, but I held firm.”
“That’s my girl.” He crosses to me, slides his hands around my waist. “The negotiating or the holding firm?”
“Both.”
The twins—Mia and Mason—just turned three last month. Mason’s named after Grant’s brother, and the resemblance is so strong sometimes it makes my chest tight. Same ice-blue eyes, same stubborn jaw, same way of tilting his head when he’s thinking.
Mia’s got Grant’s coloring too, but my attitude. Which means we’re in for a fun teenage years situation.
