Epilogue
FOOL
Five Months Later . . .
“What surprise do you have for me?” April demands in a huff.
“Just wait.” I chuckle, guiding her out of the car and onto the sidewalk. I’d much rather take my bike, but for this surprise, I want her blindfolded.
Over the past months, I’ve worked my ass off to make this happen for her, now it’s ready for me to unveil.
Since she graduated from college, she’s thought long and hard about the type of business she wants to run, and I’m making sure her dreams come true.
A bookstore with a café that serves baked goods and coffee.
I wasn’t sure whether a bookstore café would work here in town, but I’m sure people will go for the baked goods. I wasn’t a reader, so I’m not sure how that side of things will go.
But the more she spoke about her dream, the more I knew this was the right decision, and it’s a prime location in Downtown Rockwood.
Guiding her into the building, I grin at the people gathered around the empty shelves and countertops.
“Can I take the blindfold off now?” April asks, her voice trembling with anticipation.
“Not yet,” I whisper, leading her to the center of the room. My heart pounds against my ribs as I position her. “Okay, now.”
I carefully untie the silk scarf from around her eyes. April blinks several times as her eyes adjust to the soft light. Then her jaw drops.
“Surprise!” Kayla and Mercy shout as my brothers simply grin in April’s direction.
“Oh my God,” she gasps, spinning slowly to take in the space. “Is this what I think it is?”
“Your bookstore café,” I confirm, unable to suppress my grin. “Well, it will be once we stock the shelves and install the equipment.”
She turns to me, tears welling in her eyes. “But how? When? This must have cost—”
“Don’t worry about the details,” I interrupt, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “I told you that you deserve everything and so much more. And I intend to see your dreams come to life.”
“I love it. I love you,” she cries, launching herself into my arms. “I thought I was going to surprise you . . .”
“What surprise do you have for me?” I ask, chuckling.
“Well,” she pulls back, eyes meeting mine, as she digs in her purse and pulls out a small box, handing it to me.
I open it, giving her a curious look before checking the contents and pulling out a small pair of biker boots meant for a baby. “You serious right now?”
“Yes,” she whispers, biting her bottom lip.
Placing the boots back in the box, I tug April to me and claim her mouth as I have so many times over the months we’ve been together.
When I finally break the kiss, I rest my forehead against hers, my heart pounding with a joy I never imagined possible. “You’re pregnant?”
“Ten weeks,” she whispers, her hands trembling against my chest. “I was waiting for the perfect moment to tell you.” Her voice is barely audible.
I pull back to look at her face, searching for hesitation or fear, but all I find is the same overwhelming happiness I feel. “A baby,” I breathe, the word feeling foreign yet perfect on my tongue. “Our baby.”
Our family erupts in celebration around us. Kayla shrieks with excitement as Mercy rushes forward to hug April. My brothers clap me on the back, offering congratulations I barely register.
“A baby,” I repeat, still processing the news as my brothers’ voices blend into a chorus of congratulations. “We’re having a baby.”
April nods, tears streaming down her face as she smiles up at me. “Are you happy?”
“Happy doesn’t even begin to describe it,” I tell her, my voice rough with emotion.
Nothing could ever begin to describe how happy I am to have this woman in my life, and now we’re about to add to our lives together.
If someone had asked me a year ago if I’d want a family, a wife, and kids, I’d have laughed in their faces. But April changed that for me, and I couldn’t be more thankful. She’s my forever. The reason I breathe. The holder of my soul, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.