41. Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty
** Six Months Later **
Blaise was right when he said the business was about to get busy. Right after the wedding, we landed a handful of new clients, including Amon and Partners Law Firm, and the town's biggest accounting firm, Typhon Financial. Both companies wanted us to run their systems and be their external IT support full time. With the extra growth, it only meant one thing.
We needed a bigger space.
And more staff members.
My little former bedroom wasn't able to accommodate more than two of us so the business purchased an office space downtown, and to make sure we kept our promise to Mackenzie, we hired a new staff member. And then another.
And a few more.
Now that we had staff, I was promoted to Business Manager, looking after all the day to day functions of the business, setting up meetings, taking instructions from new client enquiries, and dealing with staff inductions and schedules. It was a full-time job, but now that we had other staff working for us, it meant Blaise and I could work normal hours.
Following that, the hot water system blew in our house, so Blaise and I sat down to discuss what to do. The landlord was no help and it turns out that Blaise had saved enough for a deposit on a house. Many arguments followed — mainly on my part — but after some negotiating, I agreed to purchase a house with him — just as long as my boss gave me a pay raise so I could contribute to the mortgage payments. If I was going to be on the title, I was going to do my part.
Shortly after we signed the deed and moved in, I took Blaise to meet my family. Surprisingly, my father loved him. I mean, he's not hard to love at all. But it helped that Blaise told my Dad that he would protect me at all costs. He even gifted my father matching balaclavas, telling him that if they ever needed to go rogue on someone, he was prepared.
My Mom, of course, adored Blaise. And while we were there, we held Uncle Logie's celebration of life. It turns out there was one more surprise waiting for me.
That sneaky angel left me part of his inheritance — gifting half to me, and half to my Mom to share with Dad. I hate knowing I had money because I had to lose someone I love, but knowing he was still looking after me meant a lot. Especially with my newfound financial responsibilities. Having my own money from a source separate from Blaise's business meant I didn't feel as guilty about things.
We made sure to regularly travel to see our families, even organizing for my parents to join us at Mackenzie's house. So here we were, seeing our two families together for the first time. I can't express it but it's up there as one of the most heart warming feelings. What was even more special was seeing Alfie and Lauren, my eyes immediately spotting her small, protruding stomach. Apparently what happens in the Bahamas… comes home with you.
"I'll need to come see your new house," Mackenzie says looking at Alfie. "And yours," she beams at Blaise.
"Did he talk you into a theater room?" Lauren whispers to me.
I laugh, giving her a nod. "We have a theater room too."
"I knew it!" she exclaims, while Alfie fist-bumps Blaise.
"Good man," he says. "I'll be over soon for a movie night."
Blaise nods, wrapping his arm around my waist. "You'll have to come see the office too. Sky just finished decorating both."
"Oh, I didn't know you liked interior design," my Mom mumbles, surprised. "You obviously got it from me and not your father."
Dad looks up from a mouthful of potatoes, stunned. "I'm a handyman."
"I had some inspiration," I say, looking at Blaise with a smile.
He gives me a wink, kissing my cheek.
After lunch, we head home, my eyes admiring our garden as we walk up the steps to our two-story house. Neat, trimmed rose bushes line the front of the house, the red standing out against the freshly painted white wood.
We open the front door and I walk in, heading for the living room down the end of the hallway. It's an open spaced area at the back of the house, the whole far wall nothing but windows which look out over the creek. Turning around as Blaise follows me in, my eyes gaze up at the large picture hanging on our wall above a fireplace.
It's my inspiration for our house.
The one thing I search for every morning when I wake, and every night before I go to sleep upstairs.
It's us.
In a large mahogany frame, our picture hangs on the wall — our first kiss, captured forever in time.
"I love that photo," Blaise murmurs, standing next to me to stare at it.
"It's my favorite," I reply.
I lean my head on his shoulder, the two of us staring at the picture until finally, Blaise turns around suddenly, throwing me over his shoulders.
I let out a squeal as he carries me toward the stairs, dragging me up to our bedroom.
"We're recreating that night right now," he laughs, eyes sparkling with mischief, slamming the door behind us when we enter the bedroom.
Sometimes I still struggle to believe everything. One minute my life looked hopeless, the next, I was living my dream life.
I finally had everything I had ever wanted.
My lesson, my solution, my redemption, my soulmate… was right in front of me the entire time.
I got burned with the others, but with him, I went down in a fiery Blaise of Glory.
Finally, it made sense, the pieces falling into place. It was right there all along. It was him — the one I could always rely on.
I should have known all too well.
THE END.