Epilogue
Martina
Two years later
“Way to go, Charlie!” Dallas yells from the stands as Charlie crosses home plate. He turns to me, his smile huge and full of pride. “What have I been telling you? That kid is going to play in the MLB one day.”
I roll my eyes at the way he thinks Charlie walks on water. It goes both ways, though. Charlie loves him like a father.
“Dad!” he calls from the dugout. “Did you get a picture?”
“Better,” Dallas assures him. “Video.”
Charlie gets high-fives from his teammates, loving every second.
I marvel over the fact that Dallas has never missed any of Charlie’s sporting events. And it still warms my heart every time I hear Charlie call him Dad. I try to keep Charles’s memory alive as often as possible. Charlie knows he was loved fiercely by him. My ex is who he resembles. But Dallas is the man who will raise him.
That was made official a year ago when I walked down the aisle on a beach in Antigua and Dallas became Charlie’s stepfather.
Understandably, Dallas didn’t want our wedding to be at the winery. He already had one wedding there. And I didn’t want to take away from those memories. So we settled on a destination wedding and flew all of our friends and family down for a week’s vacation before we said our vows. Chris and Sarah flew back with Charlie in tow while we spent the second week there on our honeymoon.
“Damn, I love that kid.” Dallas turns, looks me straight in the eyes and says, “I’m ready.”
I glance at the scoreboard. We’re winning by a landslide, and although Charlie probably won’t be up to bat again, there’s still one inning left. “Ready for what? The game’s not even over.”
He nods to the dugout. “I’m ready for another one of those.” He rests a hand on my tummy.
His unexpected declaration robs me of my breath. It’s not something we’ve ever talked about. Not even when my doctor suggested I start using a diaphragm instead of the pill due to hormonal issues I was having.
I’ve always had the desire for more children. But even more importantly, I wanted Dallas Montana. I made the decision long ago that if he couldn’t ever bring himself to have a child with me, so be it. I’ve never pressured him. Never even hinted at it. It had to be his choice. But he knows me better than anyone ever has. We didn’t have to have a conversation for him to know my thoughts.
My heart pounds. “Are you serious?”
He leans close. “Martina Alexandra Montana, I’m not sure I’ve ever wanted anything more.” Then he stands and offers me his hand.
My eyebrows jog up my forehead. “Wait… now?”
He pulls me up. “Right now.” He turns to Asher, sitting on the other side of him. “You think you can take Charlie for some ice cream after? There’s something we need to do.”
Asher looks between us. I’m sure it wouldn’t take a genius to figure out what’s about to happen with the way Dallas is looking at me.
“You got it, brother,” Asher says, chuckling.
Dallas takes my hand and leads me down the stands like a man on a mission. I get the feeling he’d sweep me up and carry me away if it weren’t for the venue. He winks at me and then shouts over his shoulder. “Better make it a triple scoop.”
I’m sure my face turns bright red, but at this moment I don’t care. Because my husband has just given me the greatest gift I could have ever asked for. Sure, he’s given me cars, houses, jewelry, and exotic vacations, but this… he’s giving me a part of him . A brother or sister for Charlie. A son or daughter for him—one who will have the best father any child could have. One who will grow and thrive and become everything he’d ever hoped for DJ. And everything I’d ever wished for Alex.
I laugh at how quickly he’s pulling me along. “Boy, when you get your mind set on something…”
Almost at the car, I see a butterfly dancing around some flowers. I thank him out loud.
“What’s that?” Dallas asks.
“The butterfly.” I nod to it. “I was thanking him. I know they only live for a few weeks, but who knows, one of his ancestors could be responsible for”—I look right into my husband’s eyes, tears of pure joy flooding mine—“everything.”
***