Chapter Sixteen Party #4
“But, Madelyn, isn’t this how you should treat the person you love? The people you love? Because that’s all I’m doing, loving you the best way I know. And I’ve never loved like this, either. If I’m doing it wrong, I’m sorry.”
“You’re not doing it wrong. You’re doing it right, so right, so perfectly! I’m just worried because... Well, what if the person you love so perfectly can never love you back in the same way?” I hold my breath and wait.
“I’m a kraken. Never for me is a longer time than never for you. I will wait. Unless you tell me not to.”
“Oh, baby, I want you to wait,” I say, rushing to him. “I just know you could do better. I think you could find someone with less damage. Less baggage. And fewer stretch marks.”
Mercer pulls me into his arms, touch tender, but his voice is fierce.
“I love every one of those lines. Didn’t you get them carrying my s— my Zack?
Maybe one day I’ll be fortunate enough to add to them, and you will have carried our daughters.
Or another son. I’m not picky.” A sad smile.
“And as for baggage? Madelyn, what in the world do you think I have eight tentacles and two arms for? I can carry you, and Zack, and any baggage you come with.” Mercer wraps his tentacles around me and rests his forehead on mine, his dark eyes piercing my blue ones.
“You act like you and Zack are not prizes because Eli was too blind and stupid to see your worth. He walked away from something I would sink ships for, from something I would cross oceans for—and I don’t even have to. We ended up at the same lake.”
We ended up at the same lake.
I almost lost my son—so I could find the love of my life. The true father of my children. True mate. True love. “I love you so much, Mercer. More than I ever knew a heart can hold.”
“You do?” Mercer’s voice is slow and almost tremulous. “You do love me, truly?”
“With every inch of my heart and soul. And body.”
“I love this body. I love that this heart belongs to me, as mine belongs to you, and that finally my soul has its mate. I cannot live without you and Zack, the pieces of my forever. Would you marry me, Madelyn? One day?”
“If I had the dress and an in-ground pool out back for you, I’d marry you tomorrow.” I stroke his hair back and press my lips to his.
Mercer grunts, hoists me up, and carries me to my desk.
“What are we doing?” I demand.
“Looking up pool contractors and dressmakers, of course.”
“Mercer!”
“We need a ring!”
“Mercer, stop!”
“I can’t stop! You love me! You’re going to be my wife!”
“Mommy? Mercer?” Zack appears in the living room, his eyes now blurry with sleep, clutching an armful of new stuffies, a book on heavy equipment, a dump truck, and still carrying Mercer’s whistle in his hand. “I heard shouting.”
Mercer looks at me, and I nod. “Mercer has one more birthday present for you.” I look at my watch and grin.
“It’s almost midnight, birthday boy, but it’s still part of the best day.
I think,” I scoop him up and carry him to Mercer’s side, heart melting at the tender way his tentacles enfold us both, at the way his jaw is working, and his eyes are glossy, “I think it’s about to be the bestest best day ever.
What present do you want more than anything in the world? ”
Zack gasps softly, eyes suddenly wide awake and wondering.
Other boys? They’d say a dinosaur. A tractor. A trip to the moon.
But Zack already knows what matters. His eyes travel from me to Mercer with such sweet, genuine excitement. “A daddy?” he whispers, his arms already reaching out to wrap around Mercer’s neck, his toys dropped in favor of something better.
My God. My heart is a puddle. Mercer nods and presses a kiss to Zack’s head, then mine. “Will you be my little kraken, my very own son?”
“Oh! Yes! Yes, I can be that! You can be that! Mommy! Mommy, Mercer is going to be my dad. Did you let him?”
“I did. He asked so nicely,” I manage to say over the tightness in my throat. “He loves you so much, and you were right. He does love me, too.”
“You love us, too! We’re lovebugs,” Zack giggles, and his feet make “happy hops” in the air. “This is the bestest best day!”
I look at Mercer and how he’s just beaming, beyond happy, and realize that all the stress is leaving my body as Zack glows at him, as I nestle with them both.
“Zack, I think we’re going to have a lot of ‘best days’ from now on.
In fact, now that we have each other, I think all of our days are just going to keep getting better and better. ”
Zack nods, and his head dips to Mercer’s shoulders. “Bester and bester.”
Mercer’s tentacle winds more tightly around my waist and squeezes in a way that makes my insides throb along with my heart. “And we’ll have all the best nights, too,” he whispers in my ear before returning his attention to Zack.
The rush of excitement was no match for birthday sugar, a party, and the lateness of the hour. Zack is curling up on Mercer’s chest, sighing in contentment as his eyes close. “Let’s put our birthday boy in bed, my love.”
I nod and give his tentacle a little stroke as he separates from me to carry Zack back to bed. “We’re next,” I murmur, following the two loves of my life down the hall.