Epilogue
Francesca
six months later
The kitchen is filled with the scent of freshly brewed coffee and freshly baked blueberry muffins. Taylor Swift sings in the background about falling in love. Romeo snores softly from his spot on the rug, stretched out like he owns the place, which, to be fair, he kind of does.
It’s heaven. A sanctuary. And maybe my favorite place on Earth.
Outside the window, the backyard is bathed in late afternoon light, the oak tree swaying gently in the breeze, the empty space where we planned to set up for our wedding in a few months looking just as inviting as ever.
It’s going to be stressful, postponing the ceremony, pushing off plans we were just starting to finalize. But honestly? I can’t bring myself to care.
Because I have something better. Something life-changing.
Seven positive pregnancy tests, lined up like some kind of strange victory parade on the counter.
I think I’m supposed to be more freaked out than I am. I mean, yeah, I’m nervous. But I’m mostly excited. Ever since my sister decided to move forward with her pregnancy and leave her husband and our parents, I’ve been toying around with the idea of children. Before Graham, it was an abstract concept. Something I was told I would need to do, for the betterment of the family.
But like with so many things, Graham entered the picture and what once seemed scary now feels exciting.
I don’t hear him at first, but then his presence wraps around me, solid and warm. A hand skims over my waist as he steps behind me, pressing a kiss to the curve of my neck.
“You disappeared on me.” His voice is low, rough from sleep.
“You were napping,” I murmur, leaning into him.
I know he’s been up late, pulling long hours to right every wrong Blackwire Collective did in the name of Baldini Holdings. Including a few choice moves my parents’ various businesses made in the last five years. The amount of data and proof Graham showed me was astounding.
His arms tighten, lips ghosting over my skin. “I was not. Just resting my eyes. I stayed up late making sure the new software program took care of all those offshore accounts. Redistributed it back to those who need it.” He nuzzles into my neck. “Did you make sex muffins again, wife? Was this morning not enough for you?”
I swallow a laugh and reach behind me, dragging my fingers through his hair. “And if I said I wanted more?” I tease.
“That can be arranged,” he hums against the column of my throat.
I turn in his arms, lifting my chin with a slow, deliberate smile. “Before you get carried away, I have something for you.” I motion toward the counter.
His gaze follows, tracking the tests neatly lined up like a row of undeniable proof. I swear I watch his entire brain short-circuit in real time.
For a solid five seconds, he doesn’t react. Doesn’t move, doesn’t breathe, just stares at them like they might detonate.
Then his mouth opens. Closes. Opens again.
I bite my lip, watching, waiting.
And then, it hits him. His head jerks back to me so fast I’m surprised he doesn’t get whiplash. “Wait.” A beat. “Wait, wait, wait—” His head jerks back to me so fast I half expect whiplash. “Sunshine?—”
My grin grows. “Mm-hmm?”
His eyes flick to the tests. Then back to me. Then back to the tests. A slow, devastatingly wide grin spreads across his face, and for the first time in forever, I swear I see dimples under his close-cropped beard.
My heart squeezes.
“You—” His voice drops, gravelly, like he’s trying to get the words right. “You’re pregnant?” His hands land on my lower abdomen.
“It seems so. Must be that breeding kink you discover?—”
I’m airborne. A surprised squeal bursts from my lips as Graham lifts me clear off my feet, spinning me in circles like I weigh nothing.
Romeo starts barking, circling us like a maniac, jumping up like he wants to be part of the moment too.
Graham laughs. A real, deep, joyful laugh that feels like sunshine on my skin. He sets me down, his hands sliding to my hips, his forehead pressing against mine. “Jesus, sunshine.” His voice is hoarse. “We’re gonna have a baby.”
I curl my fingers into the front of his henley, loving the way his heart hammers against my palm. “I love you,” I whisper. “And I’m sorry it took us ten years to get here.”
He drops his forehead to mine, his breath uneven. “We’re exactly where we’re meant to be, sunshine. You were always meant to be mine. Ten years is nothing if it means I get to have you forever.” His grip shifts, sliding over my stomach like he still can’t quite believe it. He drops to his knees, bringing his lips to my abdomen. Then his voice drops, raw and certain. “I love you. Both of you.”
Tears prick my eyes. God, I love this man.
I sniff, smiling at him. “You’re okay with waiting a little longer for the wedding?”
His expression softens. “You’re already my wife. The rest is just ceremony.”
I hum. “Yeah, but I still want one.”
He grins and stands, pressing a kiss to my temple. “Then we’ll have one. But only if you promise to walk down the aisle toward me barefoot, holding our baby.”
I pretend to consider. “And if I don’t?”
His arms tighten. “Then I’ll carry you both myself.”
My heart absolutely melts. I laugh as he sets me back down, the weight of our future stretching wide and open in front of us. Graham palms my face and kisses me slow, deep, like he’s sealing a promise against my lips. Like he’s never letting go.
Romeo barks again, impatient as ever, and Graham chuckles against my mouth.
“Guess he wants a turn.”
I laugh, tucking my face into Graham’s neck, breathing him in.
This man. This life. It’s exactly where I belong.
***
Not ready to say goodbye to Francesca & Graham? Same, bestie, same. That’s why I wrote some bonus content and you get to see it first here !