Epilogue - Jacob
I woke up to Lily’s soft snoring. Even with her back in my arms, I’d a hard time falling asleep. I glanced at the clock—it was close to seven, and Tommy would be getting up soon. I softly disentangled myself from Lily’s arms. She let out the cutest whine when I left the bed and headed to the bathroom.
After I took care of business, I slipped on a pair of running shorts. The night before, we had made love numerous times, as we had each night since she came back. I looked in the mirror and smiled at the man I saw. The dark circles had cleared up a couple weeks before. After Lily and Tommy had left, I had thrown myself into my work, staying at the office late every night and coming back before it came up.
I rested my hip against Tommy’s door and watched him play for several minutes. The boy was doing fantastically in school and had made many new friends. He still played with his police toys now and again, but he really liked the rockets. That night, there was going to be another launch. We normally didn’t have many so close together, but after the technology Jared and Neal designed with the facial recognition software worked so well, the government asked us to launch another one to sit over North Korea. They hoped the technology could help find missing prisoners of war. It was a long shot, as the software would only pick up if they moved the men to another location.
“What’cha playing with?” I asked.
“I’m getting my men ready for launch tonight.” Tommy looked at his rocket before turning back to me. “Can I meet a real astronaut one day?”
I had already lined up a surprise for him. Sebastian Cole, an astronaut with NASA, would be sitting with us for the launch. After his last flight, he’d come down with something and hadn’t been cleared to return to duty yet. NSS had made a special arrangement to borrow Sebastian from NASA while he’s grounded. We used his knowledge and expertise with the rocket design that is launching our latest satellite. I asked him if he would sit with us during the launch so Tommy could talk with him and he agreed.
I walked in and messed with his hair before I sat on the floor next to him. Three months had passed since Lily and Tommy returned. I wanted her to be my wife, and I didn’t want to wait any longer.
Tommy looked up from his toy. “I like living with you,” he said before looking back at the rocket and making an engine sound.
A smile tugged at my lips. “I like living with you too. Tommy, can I ask you a question?”
The little boy nodded.
“I want to ask your mommy to marry me. How do you feel about that?”
The little boy bit his lip. “Can I call you daddy?”
I blinked a few times to keep the tears from forming. “Yes.”
He threw himself into my arms and hugged me tightly. I closed my eyes and squeezed his waist.
“What’s going on in here?” Lily asked from the door. I quickly wiped my eyes before I turned. Her blonde hair was up in a bun, and she had a white bath towel wrapped around her. God, I was the luckiest man in the world. She searched my eyes for an answer. It wasn’t unusual for her to find me in Tommy’s room, playing with him in the morning, but me crying while doing it wasn’t the norm. Tommy climbed off my lap.
“Oh, Mommy... Daddy’s going to marry you.”
Lily’s breath hitched, and I closed my eyes and shook my head. I guess I should’ve told him it was a secret. Lily sauntered into the room. I pulled her down so she was on my lap and captured her lips.
“Ew, Daddy!”
Lily pulled back and rested her head on my shoulder.
“So we're getting married?” she teased.
“I planned to ask you tonight during the launch. But now I can’t wait for your answer.”
“What was the question again?” She had a big smile on her face.
Tommy laughed at his mom.
“Will you marry me?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
I picked her up, carried her back to our bedroom, and tossed her on the bed. I quickly rummaged through my jeans on the floor. I had been carrying the ring around with me for a week.
She gasped when she saw the emerald-cut diamond. Sasha and Kaylene had helped me pick it out when Lily went to have lunch with Tommy one day at school. “It’s breathtaking.”
“Just like you.”
“I love you,” she said as she looked at the ring.
I couldn’t hold back my smile. I had the perfect family, and I couldn’t wait to give Tommy a brother or sister.
The End