Epilogue
Lila
A year later
"I'm home!"
I call out into the house, admiring the newest addition to the living room. The old couch really did have to go, even if it was the first place Marcus and I had sex here.
"Be right down!"
Marcus is clearly upstairs. I take off my jacket and shoes, leaving them by the front door. It's a bit chilly outside today, another summer bleeding into fall.
I can't believe I've been living with Marcus for a year. Or that we got married after only a month of living together.
But we knew. We knew this was it for us, and every day I fall more and more in love with him.
He's been so kind, so much more choosy about jobs. Even his boss seems to have accepted that his "man" isn't up for as much morally dubious work.
Footsteps ring out from the stairs, and I look up to see Marcus hurrying toward me with a grin on his face. His clothes are covered with paint.
"Don't you dare get that stuff all over the place." I eye him hard. "I wanted the upstairs painted, not the floors or me."
Marcus doesn't flinch. He saunters up to me and wraps his arms around my waist. "That's what the laundry is for."
He's kissing me, and it takes everything I have to push him back and check my clothes. "Marcus!"
I look down. Thankfully, there isn't smeared paint on my scrubs. "You could have gotten paint on me!"
Laughing, he shrugs. "Aren't the scrubs to protect you from pee and poop and blood?"
Rolling my eyes, I shake my head at him, but I can't help but smile. "Alright, fair. And I'll have you know that none of the patients peed on me today. So, win."
"Hey, that is something." He leans back, kissing my forehead as he pulls me toward the kitchen. "I mean, hell, I figured you were going to be reeking like cat pee forever at this point."
"Ugh, thankfully no. Plus, I won't really be able to help the cats as much now."
He rounds the island and reaches into the fridge. Marcus pulls out two beers and glances back at me, his brow up in question.
"Why? Something to do with finishing your degree?"
"Nope, that part's doing fine. I should be the proud owner of a vet tech degree in just a few more months, and this internship has been amazing."
"Okay, then why?" He sits down next to me at the island, handing me a beer.
With a tiny grin, I take it but then set it down away from me without opening it. "It's not good for my health, considering..."
Marcus narrows his eyes on me, regarding the beer and then flicking his gaze back to mine.
"...toxoplasmosis. It's a thing to be worried about now. But it's easy to avoid as long as I'm not dealing with any cat poop."
"Toxoplasmosis? And we weren't concerned about this before because?" He lets that hang, and I just smile at him. "And the beer? Not thirsty?"
I can hear the suspicion in his voice, and I love it. I break out into a little giggle. "Oh, I'm plenty thirsty. But I can't have alcohol."
The confirmation makes Marcus's mouth drop open. He scoots closer to me. With his hands up, he sucks in a breath.
"Princess, what are you telling me right now? Did we...? Are you...?"
"You're going to be a father, Marcus." I smile. "The good kind."
The words land exactly the way I want them to. His whole face changes — shock melting into something raw and open and so full of joy that my chest aches.
"Oh my god! You're pregnant!" Marcus shoots up off his chair, launching toward me as he pulls me into a huge hug. "Oh my god! Babe, really?"
He leans back, eyeing me with so much excitement and hope that I start to tear up. "Yes. I took the test last week. I'm pregnant."
He's crushing me in a hug again, and all I can do is laugh, the tears falling from a place of happiness for once.
My life has changed so much since Marcus entered it, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. He's exactly the right person for me, and I'm finally living my own life — out from under the control of my asshole father.
Who is currently on trial for fraud, embezzlement, and a host of other charges now that the truth has come out.
It turns out that a "mole" leaked a bit of information from his private computer, and the FBI found a lot more when they investigated.
It's still one of my proudest accomplishments, along with attending vet tech school, helping animals, and now, carrying a child.
"I'm so happy, princess." Marcus kisses me, and I live in that moment for several seconds. "You're going to be an incredible mother."
"Thank you. You still going to be interested in me when I'm the size of a blimp?" I tease. I have no doubt that Marcus will do fine.
He's a good man.
"I don't know if you've noticed, princess," Marcus stands, then scoops his arms under my legs and pulls me against his chest, carrying me toward the stairs, "but I have a bit of a breeding kink."
Laughing, I have a feeling I know exactly where he's taking me. "I have noticed a bit, but I'll admit this is a surprise. You know you can't get me pregnant twice at the same time, right?"
"I can damn well try, princess. And you're going to enjoy every single moment of it."
I smile. "Yes, sir. I believe I will."
The End