Epilogue
Aubrey - Two Years Later
The buzzer on my phone goes off and I scramble to silence it before Trent hears anything. My pulse is already racing, but now it kicks up another notch.
I stay on the edge of the tub for a few seconds longer, staring at the test lying face-down on the counter. I know Trent is probably already wondering why I’m taking so long, and I’m supposed to be at Liv’s cabin in ten minutes to help her into her wedding dress.
Terrible timing.
But God… I couldn’t wait. Not when the possibility has been fluttering in my chest for days.
I exhale shakily and push myself to stand, smoothing the front of my dress as if that’ll steady me.
It doesn’t.
My hands are still trembling—nervous, yes, but something else too. Something warm. Something hopeful.
I step up to the counter, swallow hard, and turn the test over.
Two pink lines.
For a moment, the world just… tilts. My breath catches, then rushes out all at once in a laugh—half-disbelieving, half-overwhelmed.
“Oh my God,” I whisper, pressing a hand to my mouth as the truth hits me square in the chest.
I’m pregnant.
“Bree?” Trent’s knuckles rap against the bathroom door, and I jump so hard the test slips from my fingers and clatters onto the tile. “Everything okay in there?”
My heart lurches. I drop to a crouch, scrambling to grab the test before he even thinks about trying the door. “Yes—yep—everything’s fine!” I call, wincing at how high my voice comes out. “I’ll be right out.”
There’s a short pause, then I hear his footsteps move away down the hall, and I breathe a sigh of relief.
I sit back on my heels, the test back firmly in my hand, and look at the two pink lines again.
Two lines.
My future with Trent—our future—right here in my palm.
A breathy laugh slips out as I smile down at it, nerves and excitement tangling together until I feel lightheaded.
Our lives are about to change.
And I’ve never felt more ready.
I take a moment to gather myself, pressing a hand to my fluttering stomach, then reach for the door handle. The hallway feels strangely brighter as I step into it, following the quiet sound of Trent humming somewhere down the hall.
The test is clenched tightly in my hand and every step makes my heart beat a little faster.
When I reach the bedroom, I pause in the doorway and lean against the frame, unable to stop the smile tugging at my lips.
There he is.
The man of my dreams. The love of my life.
Walking around our cozy cabin bedroom at Blue Hollow Lake in his suit—open, of course—revealing the kind of body that still makes my breath catch even after all this time.
His hair is a little messy, his brow slightly furrowed as he searches for something he’s probably misplaced, humming off-key the whole time.
My chest tightens, warm and full.
Trent’s eyes lift, catching mine across the room. A slow, familiar smirk curves his lips. “See something you like, pretty girl?”
I bite back a smile. “Maybe.”
“Oh, maybe?” He hooks a thumb under the open placket of his dress shirt, gripping the edge like he might yank it off right there. “What if I took this off?”
“Now we’re talking,” I murmur, heat rushing up my neck. “But that’ll have to wait, because I need to talk to you about something.”
His smirk softens, concern flickering in his eyes for just a second until he notices the smile on my face. “What’s on your mind, baby?”
I push off the doorframe and walk toward him. The second I’m within reach, his hands find me, his warm palms sliding over the silk of my sage dress, fingers skating along my hips before he pulls me flush against him.
“You look so good in this,” he murmurs, his gaze roaming every inch of me. “So fucking good.”
His voice sends a shiver down my spine, but I force myself to focus. My fingers tighten around the test hidden in my hand.
“I’ve got something for you,” I say quietly.
His eyebrows lift. “Oh yeah? Is it my favorite meal wrapped in lace underneath this dress?”
I snort. “Close your eyes.”
He grins but obeys, lids shutting as he stands there—trusting, relaxed, completely unaware.
“Hold your hands out,” I say.
He extends them without hesitation.
My breath catches as I gently place the positive pregnancy test in his open palms.
“Now open.”
Trent’s brows pinch together as his eyes flutter open. He glances down at his hands, expecting—God knows what—but definitely not the little plastic stick resting in his palms.
At first, there’s confusion.
A blink.
A small inhale.
Then his gaze snaps back to the test.
To the two pink lines.
His breath leaves him in a shaky exhale.
“Bree…” His voice cracks on my name.
He looks up at me slowly, like he’s afraid he might be dreaming. His mouth opens, closes, opens again. Emotion floods his face—shock, wonder, something close to awe that makes my throat tighten.
“You’re…” He swallows hard.
I nod, tears blurring my vision. “I’m pregnant.”
For a heartbeat, neither of us moves.
Then he drops the test onto the bed and pulls me into him so fast my feet leave the floor. His arms wrap around my waist, holding me tight as he buries his face in my neck.
“Holy shit,” he breathes. “Holy shit, baby.”
I’m laughing and crying at the same time, clinging to him as he spins us in a small circle before setting me down gently.
He cups my face in both hands, his thumbs brushing away my tears with a tenderness that makes my heart ache. His eyes are glassy—soft in a way I’ve only seen a few times in my life—and then he kisses me.
It’s deep, and demanding, and absolutely consuming.
The kind of kiss that steals the breath right out of my lungs and turns my body into something molten against his. I melt into him instantly, clinging to his shirt, desperate for him—like I always am, like I always will be.
When he finally pulls away, we’re both gasping, his forehead resting against mine as we struggle to breathe the same shaky air.
“Are you happy?” he whispers, voice raw.
“Yeah,” I breathe. “Are you? Is this… is this what you want? I know we hadn’t planned this, but—”
“You’ve made me the happiest man alive, Bree.” He cuts me off with another quick, emotional kiss. “We’re having a baby.”
A laugh slips out of me, soft and disbelieving. “Yeah… we are.”
His hands settle on my stomach, warm and firm, fingers gliding in slow, gentle circles over the soft curve of my flat belly.
“I love you so damn much,” he murmurs, voice breaking with sincerity. “You know that, right?”
“I know,” I whisper, covering his hands with mine.
“Good,” he says, leaning in to kiss my cheek, my temple, the corner of my mouth. “Because this life—our life—it’s going to be perfect. Me, you, and our little baby.”
My chest swells, full to the brim with love and something bright and terrifying and beautiful.
“Perfect,” I echo, pressing my lips to his.
Once upon a time, I believed I’d always have to love Trent from afar, certain we’d never find our way back to each other.
But now… here we are—deeply in love, building a life together, creating memories we’ll cherish forever, and growing our family.