Chapter 14
Rowley
One Month Later
“I’m late,” Prudy says, worrying her lip. “Ten days. I think it’s serious.”
I swallow down the shout of euphoria that pushes up my throat and go into the bathroom, where I keep the pregnancy tests I bought for her.
Prudy hates going outside. The experience with her grandfather’s death deeply traumatized her, and she lives in terror of something horrible happening again if she goes out of the house.
She’s in therapy, and we do small steps to help her process that fear, but for now, I still do most of our shopping.
I put in my notice right after Christmas. It would be impossible to work and still take care of her the way she deserves. Plus, Prudy is not ready to move out of this house, even though it’s a daily reminder of the hardships she experienced here.
“Oh.” She stares at the test I’ve handed her. There’s a smiling baby on the packaging. I smile at it, and then at her, waiting to hear what she’ll say.
We never talked about this, but I know she noticed we never used protection. Prudy is smart, even if she’s innocent about some things.
When she looks at my face, she seems withdrawn, shrinking into herself. Her eyes are wary, and I frown.
“What’s wrong, baby?”
She releases a shaky breath. “You bought it for me because you expected it. And I mean… It makes sense. I just… I didn’t think that far.”
Her eyes look everywhere but at me. She hugs herself with both arms, the test held tightly in her fist.
“I expected it,” I say calmly. “I hoped you’d get pregnant fast. Will you do the test? I want to be sure before I break out the fireworks.”
She seems taken aback, her eyes finally landing on mine. “Fireworks? You’re… happy? But I thought…”
“What did you think, sweetheart?” I ask gently. “Did you think I didn’t know what pumping you full of cum every night would do? I did that on purpose. I want you to have my baby. More than one, I hope.”
“But we’ve known each other a month!” she explodes, confused and frustrated the same way she was when I put up Christmas decorations to make her happy.
My chest wrenches with sadness and anger on my girl’s behalf. She’s confused and lost because she doesn’t understand how someone can want her as much as I do. Someone seriously fucked up in her past, teaching this beautiful, fascinating woman that she wasn’t worthy of love.
I don’t say that, though. I don’t show her my anger, because she’s not the one who deserves to see it.
“Soulmates, remember?” I say with a smile. “And baby, I know you had sex ed at school. I know you knew the risk as well as I did, and you never said a word about it.”
She looks away, shuffling her feet clad in colorful fluffy socks that I got her a few days ago.
“Yes, I knew,” she mumbles. “But I thought… I don’t know.”
“What did you think?” I ask, lifting her chin so she has to look at me. Her eyes are wide and angry, still confused, and a bit defiant.
We stare at each other in silence, and I caress her chin with my thumb, waiting patiently until she tells me. When the silence stretches, I ask again.
“What did you think?”
She huffs, grits her teeth, and glowers at me.
“I was certain you’d leave, and I wanted to have someone to love! But you’re still here.”
She breaks away and stomps to the bathroom, locking herself in. I stare at the door until I hear the sound of her peeing, and then I race down the stairs, taking them three at a time, until I reach my coat hanging by the door.
I reach in the pocket, taking out the small, velvet box I got three weeks ago. I was going to do it tonight, anyway. I had this whole date planned, a nice dinner, champagne, romantic music, but this is even better.
I’m back upstairs before Prudy’s done, and I wait, pacing in front of the bathroom door as my heart hammers with nerves.
She’ll say no, I know she will. I’m ready for it, because it’s only prudent, and Prudy’s character has a lot to do with her name. She’s cautious about many things, which still surprises me after the way she accepted me so easily.
But the goal isn’t to get her to agree. I want her to start thinking about it, so she slowly gets used to the idea, and then, after I ask her again in a month and she refuses again, it won’t be as shocking.
I’m ready to keep proposing for years if necessary. Until she says yes.
The bathroom door clicks open, and I freeze, breathing faster and faster.
I tell myself it is nothing, that I knew what I was doing, but the prospect of her telling me no has my gut churning. I want her to say yes. Her refusal, though expected, will crush me.
“It’s positive,” she says, showing me two pink lines on the test.
I swallow, my throat dry and itchy. Usually, she’s the speechless one, and I talk for us both. Tonight, I can’t find the words. The mix of terrible anxiety and elation is too weird to express, so I just stand there like an idiot, watching her and waiting for my tongue to unlock.
But when Prudy shoots me a bitter, sad look, likely interpreting my silence as a sign of disappointment, I know I have to do something.
So I get down on my knees, still without a word, because my throat is squeezed tight by nerves. I open the little box and extend my hand toward her.
“A ring.”
She sounds baffled, cocking her head to the side as she looks at the gorgeous white gold band with a rhombus setting of four diamonds catching prisms in the light. I spent hours picking it out and finally settled on the most expensive ring in the shop. Only the best for my girl.
“Are you apologizing again?” She sounds faint and faraway, still clutching that test stick in her hand that hangs loosely by her side.
“Did I do something to apologize for?” I ask, relieved to have my voice back. “Anyway, I’m not. I’m proposing, silly. Will you be my wife and have my children? Please?”
She stares at me, nonplussed, and I grit my teeth and brace. Now I regret being so cocky about it. I’m completely in love with her, committed to be together till death do us part. Right until this moment, I thought I was pretty good at handling the way she’s not on the same page.
Prudy tolerates me. I’m in her life and bed because I claimed those spots as mine, and she just went along.
And on a normal day, I pretend she loves me back. This, however, will tear those pretensions to shreds. I’ll never be able to lie to myself again.
“Yes.”
I hang my head low, gritting my teeth as my eyes feel suddenly hot. God, I can’t cry. So undignified. I have to hold it together, because I knew she’d do that, I knew she’d say yes, and… Wait.
I look up, heart bursting with hope.
“Yes? You’ll marry me? For real?”
She fidgets, nibbling on her lower lip, her eyes creased with worry.
“I… Did you want me to say no? You seem disappointed. Did you only ask out of duty?”
“No!”
I jump to my feet and hug her tight, shaking with soundless laughter. “God, no. I was sure you’d say no, but I hoped so much for a yes! Did you mean it? Do you really want to be with me? It’s forever, baby, so think hard. I won’t let you go.”
“That’s the thing,” she says, laughing, too. “I don’t want you to go. Ever.”
“Yeah?” I pull away to look at her face. I am so happy, I can’t control my wide smile that’s making my cheeks hurt. “That’s a fucking relief, love. I promise you, I’ll be the best husband and father in the world. I love you.”
She gasps softly, watching me from under her lashes. Her mouth works soundlessly in that way of hers, trying on words before she says them out loud, and I wait patiently.
“I think I love you, too.”
I can’t hold back the happy laughter that bursts out of me.
“You think? God, that’s so cute. But I’ll take it. I’ll take anything you give me. I’m yours.”
I put the ring on her finger, and we both admire the way it sparkles. Prudy discretely wipes away a tear when she thinks I’m not looking, and I wipe away a few of my own.
It’s just the beginning, and I already have everything I’ve ever wanted. All that’s left is living a happy, long life with the woman I love.