Chapter 44
The moments stretched on, and I wanted to drag him back to our room, but the girls still had their questions. I tore my eyes away and looked over at them.
“I’m up next, it seems. Interesting. I think before I pose the question, I’d like to hear why you chose this one for me,” Isabella asked Marcel.
“Simple. I’m proud of the journey you’ve started. We all are. Everyone should have dreams. I was hoping it might get you to think of some of your own. Plus, maybe it would open a conversation between you three.”
I laughed and shook my finger at him. Now it made sense.
Right before the trip, he’d cornered Kinsley and me.
He’d posed a question similar to what was probably on her slip of paper.
He wanted to know what steps we, as a family, could take to help Bella along on her journey.
He tasked us with brainstorming and putting a presentation together for him.
He understood we knew her best, and if we suggested it, it would make the difference between her thinking about it or flat out refusing. A sense of excitement washed over me, and I longed to hear his answer to this question.
“Very well. What’s a dream you have for Victoria that you will stand by her side to see accomplished?”
“Earlier, I told you she writes poetry. As everyone knows, she’s an avid reader as well. She casually mentioned she used to create stories in her head all the time. So I did this.”
Andrew walked over to Nikolai, and he handed him a folder. His eyes held mine as he made his way back.
He spoke, “I’m having one of the rooms at Nan’s house that overlooks the garden renovated as a writing room for you.
It’s being gutted as we speak. I have a meeting scheduled with Nan’s designer to meet with you.
When we return home, the two of you can custom design it.
To make it your very own happy space. I’ve also taken the liberty of gathering information on the top colleges in London with exceptional writing programs.”
His long fingers traced the outside edge of the folder with a tenderness that mirrored his words.
“Angel, I want to encourage you to explore your gift. I’ll forever be in debt to your rescuer for starting you down that path.
Callahan was a brilliant man. Maybe you can dedicate your first book to him.
I know there is a fantasy novel waiting inside you. ”
“I’d read it,” Isabella stated confidently, and tears filled my eyes.
“You promise?” I asked, feeling vulnerable yet excited.
I was in awe of everything, but especially the fact that on some random night between bathing and putting our son to bed, he’d paid that much attention to me mentioning being published one day. My mind raced, and I reached out and pinched Andrew’s arm.
“Hey, what’s that for?” he yelped.
“Well, someone needs to be pinched because this has to be a dream.” I threw my arms around him and ravished his lips. My teeth pulled his lower lip before I sucked into my mouth. My hand fell to his nicely shaped ass, and I smacked it. “And it’s one I don’t ever want to wake up from. Never, Andy.”
“Never,” he flared passionately. Without taking his eyes off me, he said, “Kinsley, will you do the honors and read out the last question for the love of my life?”
“I’d be happy to. Just so you know, Isabella and I will skin you alive if you don’t follow through with every last one of the answers to this one.” She sat up straighter. “Andrew Marcel, if you could grant Victoria three wishes, what would they be?”
“You’ll have no need to flay me. Two of them I’ve already done and, well, the third is all on her.”
The atmosphere in the room changed drastically. A sense of anticipation took over. The heartfelt sentiments from earlier faded almost as Andrew stood on the precipice of making promises. My heart slammed against my chest as he focused solely on me.
His demeanor, so composed and assured, suddenly seemed tinged with a hint of nervousness, a stark vulnerability I hadn’t seen before. He hesitated, and my stomach dropped, but the sincerity in his eyes held me frozen.
The depth of emotion shimmering was overwhelming. No one had ever looked at me that way. When he spoke, it was with a tenderness that touched my soul and broke through the silence of the room.
“Victoria, my first wish is easy. It’s to give you back your last name. To restore what was unjustly taken from you long ago. I present you with official papers to change your name from your previously married name back to Laurent.”
He whisked the piece of paper out. “Our family solicitor has drawn these up. All it requires is two witnesses. I doubt you’ll have any trouble finding them. I want to find a way to right every wrong ever done to you, angel.”
His words resonated in the room. He understood how much this meant to me. I took the paper and clasped it to my chest in disbelief. His gaze shifted over my shoulder and outside once more. I turned to look as well.
“My second wish is to restore what’s mine.
This one will need a signature too, but I’ve petitioned to have our son’s birth certificate changed.
To have it reflect the truth, that I am not only his father, but I don’t want him to ever doubt, not even for one second, my love for him, and for his mother. ”
Tears spilled down my cheeks, and the profound weight of this day crashed into me like a violent wave against the shore. He dropped to one knee in front of me, a glint of determination in his eyes.
He leaned in toward my middle and placed soft kisses on the material of my dress. With his head tilted back, he grabbed my left hand. And stole my breath away. The entire room let out a loud gasp.
“Victoria,” he stated, his voice unwavering despite the emotion lingering between us.
“My final wish, above all else, is to spend the rest of my days loving you, cherishing you, and building a future together. You are the person I want to have a billion adventures with. I want to hold you in my arms, dance with you, kiss in the rain, and rush home to be with you. I want to have pillow fights with our son, chase you both around the house, laugh with you, hold you when you cry and I want…”
His voice broke, and he had to clear it.
A single tear fell from his eye. My hand reached out to grab it.
The most beautiful man I’d ever met was bent down on one knee, his heart laid bare.
I was going to scream yes, even though he hadn’t asked me the question, but his next words made breathing almost impossible.
“I want to fall in love with you every single day. You are my person. You make me more than who I ever thought I could be. With you, I’ve found someone who speaks the language of my very soul.”
My eyes snapped up. At some point, the Carusos and Kings had joined us. Soft smiles filtered across their faces.
“Son,” Andy said, calling him over.
Declan’s face was flushed with excitement.
His eyes, so much like his father’s, were bright with the remnants of his afternoon pirate adventures.
My heart threatened to burst from all the emotions today had brought.
With all the boundless energy he could muster, Declan hurried over.
His gaze alternated between Andrew’s earnest one and my shocked one.
“Breathe, Mummy.” He reached out and took my right hand. Immediately, he started rubbing circles on my palms. “Like this, Daddy, right?” he asked, and I burst into tears as the room erupted in soft laughter and sighs from the women.
“Exactly like that. Now, as soon as she stops crying, we’ll ask her what we really want to ask. Think you can dry your eyes for us, angel?”
I shifted my gaze from my son’s innocent and pure love. He’d let go of my hand and produced a wadded up handkerchief from his pocket. After wiping my eyes, I looked once more at Andrew. He’d removed a small box from his own pocket, and I took a deep breath.
“Victoria Laurent, will you do me the greatest honor and become my wife? Will you marry me?”
“Yes, a thousand times yes,” I exclaimed as he heaved a sigh of relief. He slipped the most enormous ring onto my finger and kissed his way up my hand.
The room erupted in an array of laughter, congratulations, and backslapping.