Tristan
We’re back in Long Island now, and I look around at her bedroom and slide my hand up over Claire’s hip as she sleeps. I inhale deeply and smile into her hair.
Today’s the day.
“Morning.” She sleepily sighs.
“I’m getting up, babe.”
“Hmm,” she murmurs with her eyes closed. “Why so early?”
“I’m taking the boys to the expo in New York, remember?”
“Oh, that’s right,” she replies. Her eyes are firmly shut. “Do you want me to get up to see you off?”
“No, I got it. The boys are already up. I can hear them downstairs. Stay here and sleep in.”
“Okay.” She smiles as she wraps her arms around me and holds me tight. “I love you.”
I kiss her softly. “I love you too.”
I climb out of bed, quickly shower, and make my way downstairs.
The boys are eating their cereal with huge grins on their faces. “Are we ready?” I whisper.
“Yeah, sure are,” whispers Patrick excitedly.
I smile. “Hurry up. We need to go.”
We walk down the mall in New York. It’s snowing, and Christmas carols play loudly throughout the space. Patrick is holding my hand, and Harry and Fletcher are by my side. We’ve been looking for hours. Still nothing I like. “What if we don’t find one?” Harry asks.
“We will.”
“You should have had one made.” Fletcher sighs with a roll of his eyes.
“I didn’t have time.”
The boys and I are looking for an engagement ring for Claire. We’re finally going to be a family.
“When do you need it for?”
“Well, we leave in three weeks for Aspen, and my plan is to ask her on Christmas Eve,” I reply as we walk. “I’ve got everything arranged. Now we just need the ring.” Nerves flutter in my stomach. Finally.
My wife.
I’ve never wanted anything so badly. “Let’s hope she says yes, eh?” I add.
“She better,” Harry snaps as we walk. He takes my hand in his. “She’s going to ruin the entire trip if she doesn’t.”
I chuckle. “Agreed. Two weeks’ skiing in Aspen is going to be very uncomfortable if she says no.”
I smile as I picture our first New Year’s Eve together as a family, and I don’t know if I’ve ever been this excited about a vacation before.
“Of course she’s going to say yes,” Fletcher scoffs. “As if she won’t.”
“I bet she cries.” Harry smiles dreamily, as if imagining her face. “She always cries when good things happen.”
“Remember, not a word to anyone about this.” I widen my eyes at Patrick to remind him specifically.
If anyone is going to blab to Claire, it’s him, but I didn’t want to leave them out of this.
“I know,” he says in disgust. “It’s a big secret.”
“You’ll ruin Christmas if you tell,” Fletcher adds.
“I won’t,” Patrick snaps. “Stop saying I’ll tell, because I won’t.”
We keep walking and walking and walking. “Where is it, Fletch?” I ask.
He checks the directions on his phone. “Just around this corner.”
We walk around the corner, and there it is.
N EW Y ORK D IAMOND T RADERS
“This is it.”
We all stand still and stare at the sign.
“This makes me nervous,” I whisper.
“Me too,” replies Fletcher. “What if we get one she hates?”
“We won’t.” With renewed determination, I lead the boys into the jewelry store, and we look around.
“Can I help you, sir?” the man behind the counter asks.
“Yes,” Fletcher interrupts. “We’re looking for an engagement ring.”
I smile, proud that he now speaks so confidently to strangers.
“For my mom,” Patrick adds.
“Well.” The salesman’s eyes widen in delight. “How wonderful.”
“Yes, it is.” Harry beams happily as he swings my arm by the hand.
I smile as I watch the boys. They’re as excited about this as I am. I’m so glad I included them in this.
“What are you after, sir?” the salesman asks.
“Gold.” I look to Fletcher in question, and he nods. “Yes, eighteen-karat gold. A solitaire diamond, not too big and flashy, but the diamond has to be perfect.”
“Okay. This way, please.” He leads us over to a glass cabinet where diamond rings are displayed in rows.
“Thank you,” I reply. “This could take a while.”
“Of course. I’ll leave you to it. I’ll be just over here when you need me.”
The boys and I all peer into the cabinet.
“Do you see any you like?” I whisper.
“Hmm.” Patrick cranes his neck as he looks. “I’m trying to imagine if I were a girl.”
“You wouldn’t have to imagine too hard,” Harry mutters dryly.
“That one.” Fletcher points to a ring that sits on its own.
A solitaire diamond ring in a black velvet case sparkles perfectly in the light.
“Oh yeah,” Harry whispers. “I like that one too.”
“What do you think, Tricky?” I ask.
“Hmm.” He frowns as he concentrates. “I think she might like a love-heart one instead. You know, for love.”
Harry screws up his face in disgust. “She isn’t ten,” he scoffs. “Nobody likes love-heart rings.”
“I think it would be nice,” I reply as I stare at the ring in front of us. “But maybe Mom would prefer a round one.” I shrug. “Good idea, though, Tricky.” I rub his little head and mess up his hair.
He smiles up at me. “I suppose.”
“Excuse me,” I call to the salesman.
“Yes.”
“Can we look at this one, please?” I point to the ring we like.
“Of course.” He takes it out of the cabinet and passes it over.
We all stare at it in my hand. “Can you tell me about it?” I ask.
“Yes, this is a perfect-cut solitaire two-karat diamond. Eighteen-karat gold in a traditional setting.”
I smile as I stare at it. I think this is it. “Can we have a moment alone, please?” I ask.
“Of course.” He leaves us alone.
“What do you reckon?” I whisper as I pass it to Fletcher. He studies it carefully. “I love this one.” He passes it to Harry, who inspects it in great detail. He nods in approval. He passes it to Patrick, who immediately drops it on the ground.
“Patrick, you idiot,” Harry whispers angrily. “Watch what you’re doing.”
“It’s slippery,” Patrick stammers.
“Oh my God. I’m sorry,” I stammer to the salesman as we all dive to the floor to retrieve it.
I pick it up and stare at it in my fingers, and a broad smile crosses my face. “This is it.” I turn to the salesman. “We’ll take it, please.”
Snow is falling, and the boys all stare out the window of our chalet.
It’s Christmas Eve, and we are sitting by the open fire, next to the Christmas tree.
This Christmas seems special ... it is special.
My first with them.
Claire smiles over at me. “Thank you for bringing us here.” She kisses me softly. “It’s perfect.”
“Boys,” I call.
They all run to us and sit down, excited for what’s to come.
“We have something for you.” I smile.
Patrick puts his hand over his mouth so that he doesn’t blurt it out.
Claire’s eyes come to me in question.
I drop to my knee in front of her and hold out the ring. “Claire, will you marry me?”
The three boys all bounce on the spot in excitement.
Claire giggles and pulls me in to kiss her. “I thought you’d never ask.” We kiss, and the boys high-five. “I’ve got a Christmas present for you too, Tris,” she whispers.
I smile as I kiss her again, and then she takes my hand and puts it over her stomach.
“You’re going to be a father.”
My world stops.
She smiles through tears. “I’m two months pregnant.”
I stare at her wide eyed; then I look to the boys, who are wide eyed too.
What the ...
Claire giggles as my hand rests tenderly over her stomach. “Be careful what you wish for, Mr. Miles. Now you have four.”
Two weeks later
I exhale heavily as I stand outside Jameson’s office door. I drop my head as I brace myself.
I’m about to do something I’ve never imagined in my wildest dreams.
I knock twice.
“Come in,” he calls.
Without a word, I walk in and hand him the envelope.
He frowns. “What’s this?”
“My resignation.”
“What?” His eyes hold mine. “Tell me you’re joking.”
“I’m taking over as CEO of Anderson Media. Fletcher and I are going to run it together.”
His face falls. “I don’t think—”
“The decision’s already been made, Jay,” I cut him off. “I’m going.”
“What did Claire say?”
“She doesn’t know yet.”
He frowns. “You are leaving your family company to run someone else’s company? That’s madness.”
I drop my head.
“I can’t let you do this,” he stammers.
“I’m going to run my sons’ company ... for them. I can build it back up so that by the time they are old enough to take it over, it will be booming.”
His eyes hold mine, and he gives me a slow smile. “You’re a good man, Tristan.” He pulls me into a hug and kisses my cheek.
I want to blurt out that we are pregnant and not to be sad, because this is the beginning of something wonderful—a life with the woman I love and four beautiful children—but I can’t. We’ve agreed to keep the pregnancy to ourselves for another month until Claire reaches her second trimester.
However, I’m well aware that this is the end of my time working with my brothers, and for that I truly am devastated.
It won’t be the same not working with them.
My eyes well with tears as we hug. The ending of an era.
Eventually I pull out of his arms and walk toward the door.
“When will you be back?” he asks.
I turn back to him. “When my boys are men.”
The End