Epilogue
Bella
“Is it supposed to be this bumpy?” I ask nervously as we reach our cruising altitude.
“I can’t believe you’ve never been on a plane before,” Hardy says as he squeezes my hand over Avery’s seat.
“I’ve been on a plane before, but not many. And none this bumpy.” I clamp down on his hand. I’m trying to sound brave so I don’t scare Avery, but I’m failing miserably, and I’m worried I won’t make the two-and-a-half-hour flight without shedding some tears.
My fear of flying was always a point of contention with my ex, and we would only take trips that were within driving distance. Or he and Isaac would travel without me. But I’m determined to overcome this and try new things with Hardy.
Isaac threads his hand between the window and the seat in front of me, and I grab it with my other hand, thankful for both of my guys.
“It’s only bumpy over the mountains, then it gets better,” Avery says, leaning against my arm.
“Great, even the six-year-old is braver than me,” I say with a self-deprecating laugh.
“I think you’re incredibly brave,” Hardy says. “I know how hard this must be for you, but you’re doing it anyway. That’s brave.”
Huffing out a breath, I silently agree and focus on my breathing. I’m not sure what’s got my nerves so twisted, but it likely goes back to my accident with my mom. I get nervous when driving in the snow, and apparently nervous in the sky.
Once we clear the mountains, the ride does get smoother, and just as I’m getting relaxed and comfortable, we start our descent into Los Angeles.
Hardy planned a trip to California for us while we’re on summer break. I’m pretty sure it was Avery who begged to go to Disneyland until he finally relented. It’s our first trip out of the state together as a family, and I couldn’t be more excited. Well, except for the flying part.
When we land, and I kiss the ground for a solid five minutes—figuratively, of course, because ew, gross—we take a rental car and head out to explore the city.
I’m stunned when Hardy pulls into the Beverly Hills Hilton. “Umm, Hardy, this looks fancy.”
He puts the car in park and leans over to kiss my temple. “It’s okay. I got a great deal.” He tosses the keys to the valet, and a man hurries over to help us with our bags.
Check-in is surprisingly quick, and Avery doesn’t whine at all. It helps that Isaac keeps her entertained.
When we get to the room, he hands Isaac a key and then points one door down.
“Did you get adjoining rooms?”
“I did,” he says against my ear before kissing my cheek.
The rooms are nice, and the kids are excited to have their own beds, and I laugh as Avery runs between the rooms, bouncing on all the beds, determined to find the best one.
I grab Hardy’s hand and pull him against me. “Thank you for planning all of this.”
“Haven’t you figured out yet that there’s nothing I won’t do for the three of you?” he says as he leans down and kisses my forehead. I want to push him backward onto the bed and have my way with him, but I refrain.
“Are we ready to go?” Isaac asks, uncharacteristically chipper.
“I wanna go too!” Avery whines.
“We’re all going,” Hardy says, corralling us toward the door.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“You’ll see,” Isaac says over his shoulder.
I look back at Hardy, and he shrugs as he tugs on his neck. That’s his nervous tic. But why is he nervous?
Once we’re on the street, I squint in the California sunshine and slip my sunglasses on as Avery tugs on my hand, guiding me to follow her.
“How far is it, Daddy?”
“Not too far, but I can give you a piggyback ride if you want to save your energy,” Hardy offers as he squats in front of her, allowing her to climb on his back.
Do I shamelessly check out his ass? Yes. Yes, I do.
“I can feel your eyes on me, Bells.” Hardy smirks over his shoulder as he extends his hand back for me to grab. And just like Thor’s stupid hammer, my hand reaches for his, and he threads our fingers together.
The entire walk feels normal yet strange.
Isaac is animatedly pointing out things along the way, and it’s starting to feel like a diversion.
I keep looking up at Hardy, but his brows are furrowed, and I can’t tell if he’s just squinting from the sun, or if he’s stressed out about something.
I know he’s not a huge fan of crowds, so I chalk it up to that as I try to enjoy our stroll.
When I look up, there’s a large cylindrical building in front of us, but I can see a familiar-looking building peeking out behind it. We walk a little further, and I gasp when I realize what it is.
“Oh my God, Hardy! Does that building look like Nakatomi Plaza, or am I imagining things?”
“You’re not imagining things. It’s Fox Plaza. It’s where they filmed the exterior shots for Die Hard.”
I cannot contain the squeal that comes out as I let go of his hand and run ahead, excited to see it up close. When I get to the steps, I peer up at it, doing a little shimmy, unable to hold in my excitement.
“Bella.” Hardy’s voice pulls me out of my stupor, and when he grabs my hand, I turn to see him kneeling on the ground with a ring in his hand.
My hands fly up to my face as my jaw drops open in shock. “I knew something was up.”
“You did?”
I laugh nervously as a tear rolls down my cheek. “Isaac was way too excited to point out random buildings, and you looked anxious the entire walk over here.”
“I just wanted to make sure everything went smoothly,” he says, taking my hand.
“Bella Carlisle, you are the love of my life, and I will forever be grateful that I answered that 911 call last October. You bring so much joy and magic to our lives. You’re an incredible mother, an amazing partner, and the most caring person I have ever met.
I would be lucky to be able to call you my wife, and if you’ll do me the honor, I will spend the rest of my life loving you the way you deserve and making you proud to call me your husband. Will you marry me?”
“Say yes!” Avery squeals as she jumps up and down.
“Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you,” I rasp through tears, and before I can finish my sentence, Hardy shoots up, pulling me into him as he seals his lips over mine.
I can hear Avery’s giggles and cheers, and Isaac’s “gross,” but I’m lost to this man and this moment.
When he pulls back, I grab his cheeks. “I love you too.”
He gives me a quick peck and then slides the beautiful ring onto my finger.
“Wait, are we still going to Disneyland, or was this all a ruse?”
“We’re still going,” he says as he pulls me against him. “But we have to share a room with the kids at that hotel, so we better make use of our separate one tonight,” he whispers against my ear.
“Are we ready for ice cream?” Isaac asks. “There’s a place I saw on the way here.”
“I want ice cream!” Avery says excitedly, and we make our way back toward the hotel.
“Want a ride, Butterfly?” Isaac asks, squatting down for Avery.
“Okay!” she agrees as she climbs onto his back.
My heart feels so full as we walk to get ice cream and start this new chapter as a family. And while we may not have another decade of Santa, I know we will have many more holiday traditions to come.
The End.