Epilogue
Three Years Later
Grace
“Why don’t you get out of here? Go home. I’ll close up the shop.”
I give Piper, Ink’s sister, a grateful look. I’m starving, and my feet are killing me. “I am not going to argue. I told Ink to stop at the store for some ice cream and potato chips. I feel a snack coming on.”
Piper rolls her eyes. “Please tell me you aren’t still mixing mint ice cream and barbeque potato chips together.”
I grin. “You’re missing out. It’s amazing.”
“No. Thank you.” She takes my place behind the computer. “Ink figured it out yet?”
“Figured out what?’
She turns to face me. “You can’t be serious.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I rack my brain, but I’ve got nothing.
“Honey, you have so much to learn.” Grabbing her purse off the hook by the door, she takes my hand and leads me to the tiny bathroom at the far side of the shop. After a few moments of scrummaging, she hands me a long white stick. “Pee on it. Ten bucks says you”re pregnant.”
No way. I count back the days since my last period. I’ve never been regular, so I don’t usually pay attention, but I’m late—really, really late.
“I can’t.” I shove it back at her, heart racing. “There’s no way. The doctors told me I can’t have kids, something about too much damage from getting the shit beat out of me.”
Piper flinches, and I curse. Being nonchalant about my past is my coping mechanism. Sometimes, I forget it can be a bit much.
“Fine.” I grab it from her hand and step inside the bathroom. I stare at the damn thing for a disproportionate amount of time, knowing I need to do it, but not wanting to get my hopes up.
“You’re being stupid,” I say out loud. “Just pee on the damn stick. What’s the worst that could happen?”
Ink
Grace doesn’t want to get married. She thinks it’s unfair to me since she can’t have kids. I disagree, but as many times as I’ve called bullshit, she hasn’t budged.
It’s time she realizes I mean it.
Piper called almost an hour ago to tell me Grace was headed home, so she should be here any second. I pick up Harley and check the ribbon around his neck. Everything is perfect. The only thing missing is Grace.
The front door opens, and my pulse quickens, but when I see Grace, I freeze. Putting Harley down, I race across the room.
“What’s wrong?What happened?”
She throws herself into my arms, shaking, tears running down her cheeks. I think she’s trying to say something, but I can’t make it out, so I just hold her. After a few minutes, she untangles herself from my embrace, wiping her eyes, but won’t look at me.
Instead of acknowledging the elephant in the room, she crouches down to say hello to Harley. He bolts happily across the floor and into her arms. That’s when I realize…the ring.
Oh, shit.
I try to intercept Harley, but he’s already in her arms, and she kisses him on the nose. I know the second she notices it. Her finger slips under the purple ribbon, following it through the fur on Harley’s neck until she finds the diamond. She slips it free, holding it to the light.
“Oh my god. What is this?”
“It’s a ring,” I say awkwardly, taking it from her fingers. “I had a plan, but you were crying, and I wanted to help you, and I forgot about Harley, and—”
“Shh…” She steps into my arms, her finger against my lips. “When did anything in our lives follow a plan?”
I laugh. “Good point,” I reply as I kiss her lips. “Let’s start again.”
I release her and sink to one knee. “Grace, I have loved you forever. You are the only person in the world I will ever want to marry. You are my heart. I can’t live without you. Will you marry me?”
She’s crying so hard, I can’t make out her words, but she slips the ring on her finger, so I think I’m good. Still, I need to hear the words.
I wrap my arms around her waist, burying my head in her stomach. “Will you marry me, Grace?”
She nods, sinking to the ground beside me. “Yes. We both will. Me and our baby.”
I stare at her, dumbfounded, unable to speak.
“Piper noticed I was acting weird and made me take a test.” Her hands tremble when she touches my face. “We’re going to have a baby.”
And with those words, I know my life is finally complete.