Epilogue
One Month Later
“Welcome home,” Arik said, sliding the key into the lock.
“I can’t believe this house is yours.”
“Ours,” he said.
“Ours.” Though only his name was on it, and she was fine with that. The last thing she wanted was anyone to say she was only with him for his money.
No way. Never that.
All she wanted was his love.
She had it.
No doubts.
No reservations.
No concerns.
“It’s going to take time to get it furnished,” he said.
“It’s going to need a lot. My stuff isn’t good enough for the place.”
“It will still work,” he said. “A bed is really all we need.”
“A little more than that,” she said, laughing.
“This weekend we can go to Boston and get started. It’s on you. I mean it. I’m not fussy about those things.”
“We can do it together,” she said, her fingers threading into his.
“I like that better.”
They wandered through the empty house, no rush to move in that weekend, not when there were still decisions to make about the changes they wanted.
When they returned to the kitchen, she pulled the envelope out of her bag, then the papers and set them down with a blue pen.
“I signed it.”
“What’s that?”
“The prenup.”
“Oh no,” he said. “Don’t you dare rain on my parade. I wanted to rip it up and you wouldn’t let me.”
Because she wanted to read it over. There was no reason not to.
It was actually very generous. Even if it was slightly insulting.
But she was putting her money where her mouth was. Or his money.
Whatever.
What he had meant nothing; it was more about what they made together.
“I feel better signing it. It’s not a big deal.”
“First off,” he said, “I don’t feel better about it. Second, we’re not even engaged.”
The smile tugged at her lips. “About that.”
“Are you finally ready to talk about it?”
“No talking. We’ve done enough. I’m ready to ask you to be my husband.”
“Come on, Natalie,” he said, the pained expression on his face caused her to burst out laughing. “I’m supposed to ask you.”
“You gave me your symbol of commitment. My symbol back is the words. I’m ready. I don’t even care if we go to the courthouse next week and do it.”
“Now that is telling,” he said, picking her up and spinning her around. “Yes! Yes! Yes! I want to be your husband.”
She was laughing so hard, there were some tears gathering in her eyes, her side even aching.
“I’m so happy,” she said. “Truly happy.” He set her down and smacked his lips against hers. “I’m a better person around you.”
“You make me the best version of myself,” he said.
He walked over to the table and picked up the pen, the click echoing in the room. “You’re going to sign it?”
It didn’t even bother her. In her mind, it was the last thing to get out of the way.
Erin hadn’t been thrilled when Arik gave his mother hell a month ago. He didn’t like the interference, but she played the peacemaker in the end.
Erin’s words forced them to put it all on the table. Nothing was left. No worries about the past, only the promises of their future.
“On one condition,” he said.
He flipped through the pages, shook his head, snorted a few times, then wrote on the bottom.
She picked it up and read it once he was done.
On our one-year anniversary, this contract is null and void. What is mine is yours and what is yours is mine.
He signed his name at the bottom.
“Arik,” she said. “That’s not right.”
“It’s what I want. Take it or leave it.” He put the pen in her hand, his grin massive. “Initial next to it first.”
There would be no changing his mind.
It wouldn’t matter because what they had would be forever.
She grabbed the pen from him, initialed next to his, clicked the pen closed and covered his cheeks with her hands.
“Happy now?”
“Ecstatic. Now we can christen the bedroom before we move in.”
“On the floor?” she asked.
“The floor. The bathroom counter. I can fill the tub. Maybe this kitchen island. Got to get in as much as we can before the baby arrives.”
“You’re impossible,” she said, laughing, and let herself be dragged to their new room.
“Impossible to resist!”
The End!