38. 38
38
Bo
T he talking thing is easier this time.
Dr. Patel says that it must be difficult to be a prince, and that sets off a whole monologue about what I hate about being born into a royal family.
She lets me talk myself out, and then she asks what I like about it.
I find out that I like quite a bit about being a member of this family.
After the session is over, I collect Tema from the big ballroom where Mrs. Theissen, Dad, and Duncan all watch Tema run riot across the polished floor. I bundle her up in the warmest clothes she has and take her up to the battlements.
The wind whistles and I tug Tema’s hat over her ears. The air might have a hint of spring on the ground, but here, five stories up, it’s still winter cold.
“This is my favourite part of the castle,” I tell her, lifting her up so she can see over the edge.
“Whoa.” Tema’s eyes are wide with delight. “I can see all the way to the coffee place in town. ”
“Maybe not that far. But that roof over there?” I point to the south, between the trees, naked without their leaves. “That’s Abigail’s parents’ place.”
“Nana and Papa Locke,” Tema supplies. She stares at the slice of shingled roof for a long moment, then, “I have a lot of grandparents.”
“That’s a good thing.”
“No one I know has so many.”
“Someone must. It just means more people love you.”
“Do you have a grandpa?”
“Not anymore.”
“That’s sad, because he was the king.”
I chuckle. “I think it’s sad even if he wasn’t the king. I never met him. He died before I was born.”
“And Grandpa King became king. And when he dies—” Big green eyes stare solemnly at me. “I don’t want to think about him dying.”
“Nobody does.”
“But you won’t be king?”
I squeeze her tightly. “Not if I can help it.”
“You’d be a good king. You like Taylor Swift and books and polar bears… and bubble fights!” Tema gives a surprisingly deep cackle of laughter that makes me smile. “I think I want you to be king.”
“It’s not really how it works, but thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Her arm snakes around my neck and I hoist her higher on my hip.
It feels right holding her, almost as right as if feels with Hettie in my arms.
Like she knows I’m thinking about her, my truck rounds a corner coming up the hill. I point it out to Tema, who waves and calls out like Hettie could hear us.
I really hope she doesn’t see us or I might have some explaining to her why I took our daughter up to the battlements to let her look over the edge.
“Do you love Mommy a lot?” Tema asks as the truck disappears from view.
I’m not expecting that question, but then again, I don’t expect half the things that come out of Tema’s mouth. Like my daughter, I believe in honesty. “I do,” I tell her.
Her smile widens. “Does that mean we’re going to be a family?”
“I don’t know what that means yet. Would you like that? To be a family?”
“With Abigail, and Mrs. Theissen to look after me?”
I laugh. “Abigail isn’t going anywhere. Same with Mrs. Theissen. But I guess that means we’d have to stick around here.”
“And live in the castle with King Grandpa? I’d like that.”
“I think he would too.”
“Would you?”
I stare off into the distance as the truck, with Hettie at the wheel reappears. “I think I might like that too.” After more vigorous waving, I set Tema down, and she immediately grasped my hand. “So. Want to help me show Mommy how much I love her?”
“Yes! Can we do it with balloons?”
I laugh out loud. “I had something else in mind.”
“It might be almost as good as balloons.” We start back to the door, the wind trying to push us back to the edge .
“Tema?” I ask when we’ve almost made it.
“Yes, Prince Daddy.”
It feels like my heart is about to explode in my chest. “I love you too, you know,” I say.
“Oh, I know,” Tema retorts with another cackle. “Love you, too, Prince Daddy.”
We eat dinner later with Dad and Odin. Kalle and Edie are both at the pub, and Gunnar has plans with Stella. Spencer and Duncan are there, and Spencer keeps giving me sideways glances because he knows my plan.
I’m not worried about Hettie picking up on the looks I’m getting from Spencer because Tema is going to give it all away anyway by the way she’s bouncing on her chair.
I'll put her out of her misery as soon as dinner is over.
When the dishes are cleared, I push back my chair a little harder than necessary and it sways back on two legs. Hettie opens her mouth to say something as I drop to one knee beside her chair.
“Oh,” she whispers, her hand over her mouth.
Dad stops talking mid-sentence. Everyone’s eyes are on me.
But after a quick glance at a grinning Tema, I focus only on Hettie. “I thought of proposing again,” I begin, fumbling in my pocket for the little box I’ve kept with me all during dinner. “But I like how I did the first time. That came about out of love. I was honest with you, Hettie, about how I felt, and I wouldn’t do anything differently. This time I have a different type of proposal for you—that we do what we should have done back then, and finally begin our life as a married couple.”
Hettie’s eyes are shining and she wears the biggest smile on her face. Even though she doesn’t say anything, I take that as a sign to keep going. “I love you. I’ve always loved you. I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough to fight for either of us back then, but I propose we give it another chance. I want to be your husband, Hettie, and a father for our daughter. I want to give you the life you deserve. I want that so much and I… I just want you,” I finish in a ragged voice. “For forever.”
When Hettie drops to her knees on the floor with me, the cheering begins. And as my lips find hers in a promise of everything I have to give, I feel a pair of small, strong arms clutch me around my waist.
I stop kissing Hettie only to sweep Tema in my arms.