Epilogue
Reese ended up taking me and the girls out to dinner to celebrate. Natalie and Sarah were so excited to be eating in a real restaurant for the first time. I’m surprised when we exit the building, and Bianca is standing there, waiting for us.
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
“I’m here for Nat and Sarah. We’re having a girls' night.”
I glance over at Reese, who is trying his best to look innocent, but everyone knows there’s a reason he doesn’t play poker. Once the girls are on their way with Bee, I poke him in the chest. “What are you up to?”
“My lips are sealed. Just get in the car. You’ll see when we get there.”
The drive isn’t long, maybe 15 minutes total, but we’re in the suburbs. For the life of me, I can’t think of a single reason why Reese would bring me here. He comes to a stop in front of a nice two story home. Wait a minute…
“I know this house!” I spin in my seat to face him. “Why are we in front of one of the houses from my Zillow favorites list?”
Reese looks a little sheepish. “Well, I never really told you the full reason why I needed to keep our relationship a secret. You assumed it was because of my father’s abuse, and in part, it was.
The bigger reason, though, is a secret I kept to myself, in case something happened, and it never came to be.
My mom had a trust fund set up for me before she died.
My father was to maintain control over it until I graduated college.
He was allowed to make changes to the stipulations until the day I finished my last class.
If he had found out about us, I know he would have found a way to keep my trust fund out of my hands, and I needed it. For us and for the girls.”
I am completely gobsmacked at this point. “When you say trust fund…”
“I mean my mom left me her entire inheritance. The last I checked it was over 6 million, but that was two years ago, and I have investments that are doing pretty good.”
I feel the color drain from my face. Utterly speechless, all I can do is look back and forth between Reese and the house.
“So, uh, as for the house… I kinda bought it.”
“You KINDA bought a house?” I screech.
Reese scrunches his nose and scratches at his eyebrow, his main tell for when he’s nervous.
“Well, I knew you liked it because it was on your list, and Nat and Sarah have been through enough. I’ve fallen in love with all three of you over the past several months.
I knew if I asked you’d be too proud to accept, and I couldn’t let you keep living there with your mom.
She steals the money you work so hard for, making it hard for you to provide for the girls.
I just wanted to provide a safe, stable home for the three of you. ”
Grabbing a fistful of his shirt, I tug Reese towards me over the console.
“I want to be angry with you, but this is the nicest fucking thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you for loving us the way you do,” I say, and then smash my lips against his.
The kiss starts off violent, Reese letting me take out some of my frustration on him, but by the end it turns tooth-achingly sweet.
The need for air encourages me to finally pull my mouth from his. “Show me the house.”
We both exit the Jeep, and Reese walks around to meet me on the sidewalk.
Holding hands, we head up the walkway to our house.
Our house. Something I never thought I’d have.
The place is even more perfect in person.
It’s not the fanciest house on the block, but it’s just right for us.
Reese is trying to give me the grand tour, but I can’t keep my eyes off of him.
He gives up when I bump into the island in the kitchen because I wasn’t watching where I was going.
Caging me in against said island, Reese kisses a trail up my neck. I hum in response. “Is this the reason you had Bee watch the girls? Wanna christen a few rooms tonight?” He chuckles against my Adam's apple, but pulls away.
“I definitely do, but there’s something I wanna do first.” He drops to his knees in front of me, and my mind plummets to the gutter.
“Oh god. Yes please, and make sure you make it sloppy.”
Reese tilts his head and just stares at me with a look of abject horror.
“What?” I ask, thoroughly confused. “Everyone knows a good blow job needs to be sloppy.”
He drops his forehead to my naval, only increasing my confusion. “Can we please leave this part out when we tell this story to our friends and family?”
“Why the fuck would we be tel– OH SWEET BABY JESUS WHAT IS THAT?” My eyes are locked on the black velvet box he just pulled out of his pocket. Belatedly, I realize he only dropped to one knee.
“Babe, I meant what I said outside. I love you and the girls more than anything in the world. The past six months with you have been the happiest of my life. There was a time when I never thought I’d get to live my life openly and honestly.
Now I can’t imagine a single day going by without the world knowing that I am yours and you are mine.
Would you do me the absolute biggest honor and share your last name with me? I want us to be a real family.”
I’m nodding before he even finishes his speech.
“YES! Of course I’ll marry you!” Reese scoops me up into his arms and spins me around.
We spend the rest of the night christening the entire downstairs.
Who would have thought that a little body swap would lead us here.
Guess I’ll have to come up with a new name for the mission.
Operation: Reese Is the Missing Piece has a nice ring to it. Pun fully intended.
The End