Extended Epilogue
MYLES
Three Years Later
“Did your da and Alyssa get off all right?” I ask.
She nods. “They did indeed.”
“Where are they off to this time?”
“Costa Rica,” she replies. “My dad is bound and determined to learn how to surf.”
I laugh. “Good for him. I’m happy for the old dog.”
“I am too.”
She sinks down onto the couch beside me and lays her head on my shoulder. I wrap my arm around her and pull her close. Together, we sit in silence for a few minutes, watching the television.
“What are you watching?” she finally asks.
“A documentary on the animals of the Serengeti.”
“And why are you watching a documentary about the animals of the Serengeti?”
I turn to her and smile. “I thought it might be fun for you and me to take a little safari down there and enjoy some of the natural beauty of the world.”
“Oh yeah?”
“It’ll be amazing.”
“And what about my clients?”
“You work so hard, you deserve a vacation now and then.”
“I do, don’t I?”
“Yes, you do,” I tell her. “You don’t want to fall into the same trap your dad did.”
“No. I most definitely do not.”
We share a laugh together, but I get the feeling there’s something more on her mind.
Something she’s not saying. Maeve has built a thriving practice and is one of the most sought-after child psychologists in California.
She loves her work. She’s doing a lot of good for a lot of people.
And the last thing I want to do is take her away from it.
But she does need to get away from it all for a little while.
Needs to unplug, recharge, and reconnect with herself from time to time.
Thankfully, she’s not nearly as stubborn and pigheaded about it as her dad used to be.
She recognizes the need for boundaries. The need to step back and have a little reset.
“A safari on the Serengeti sounds nice,” she says.
“But?”
“What but?” she says with a laugh.
“I hear a but in your voice,” I say. “What’s going on in that head of yours.”
“Oh, you’re playing psychologist now?”
I laugh. “Even shrinks need shrinks.”
“That is true.”
“So, you want to lay on the couch and tell me what’s going on?”
She turns those hazel eyes to me, gnawing on her bottom lip. I take her hand and give it a gentle squeeze.
“What’s going on, love?”
“I’m just not sure how much time I’m going to be able to take off,” she says.
“No? Why not?”
She takes my hand and lays it against her belly, her eyes wide and uncertain. As the implication sinks into my brain, my mouth falls open.
“You—you’re—you’re not?”
“I am,” she says.
Shooting to my feet, I scoop her up and spin her around. Maeve squeals with laughter and clings to me tightly. I give her a long, passionate kiss then set her down. She turns her face up to me.
“So… you’re okay with this?” she asks.
“I’m more than okay with it, love. I’m bloody ecstatic,” I tell her. “There is nobody I’d rather have a family with than you.”
“There better not be anybody else you’re having a family with.”
I laugh. “Well, there was this one lass—”
“Shut up,” she says, cutting me off with a kiss.
She pulls back and we stare into each other’s eyes for a long moment, a river of love flowing between us so deep, I could lose myself in it. Capsize in it. And it would feel glorious.
“So… we’re really doing this,” she says.
“We’re really doing this.”
She breaks into a wide smile, relief etched into her features. “I was so worried you weren’t going to be happy about this.”
“I couldn’t be happier,” I tell her. “Or more grateful.”
She pulls back and looks at me again. “I haven’t even told my dad that he’s going to be a grandfather yet. Should we call him?”
“I’ve got a better idea.”
“Yeah? What’s that?”
“Rearrange your schedule. Tell your clients you’re taking a long weekend,” I tell her. “We’re going to fly down to Costa Rica and tell him face to face.”
“Are you serious?”
“As a heart attack, love.”
Maeve squeals and claps her hands then turns and bolts for the bedroom.
I watch her go and feel my heart grow ten sizes too big for my chest. I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve such a woman and such a life, but I’m grateful for it.
I wake up and go to bed every single day thanking the stars above that we’ve found each other in this life.
I’m hers and she’s mine.
And that’s a beautiful thing. A more beautiful thing than I ever thought I’d have.
She’s turned my life on its head and changed the way I see everything about myself and the world around me.
It’s disorienting at times, but it’s the most wonderful thing I’ve ever experienced. I love Maeve with every single piece of my heart and every single day, I feel like I’m walking through a dream.
Only better, because it’s real.
That girl has captured my heart and has given my life meaning. Purpose. And best of all, she’s given me a love I never knew existed.
To say I’m thankful for her would be an understatement.
But I am.
I’m grateful to and for her. And for this life we’re sharing.
And I’m never, ever going to let her go.
The End
Thank you for reading. I mean it!