33. Max
Themorning air was crisp as I made my way to the brownstone, a sense of anticipation thrumming through me. Isabella’s text had been a simple one, asking if I planned to come over to work on the house today. Of course, I did.
Themessy stage of drywall awaited; sections of walls needed to be completely redone and others required a bit of patching. It was tedious work, but necessary, and I was eager to get started. More than that, I was excited to see Izzy again. She’d been lying low the past few days, presumably shaking off the tail end of what I had suspected was the flu. I hoped she was feeling better.
AsI approached the house, the tangible progress we’d made filled me with a deep sense of pride and excitement for our future. The new electricity and plumbing were in, a significant milestone that brought the old building back to life and made our dreams for it seem all the more attainable. Some walls were still missing, a stark reminder of how much work lay ahead, but the floors had been beautifully refinished, now protected under layers of paper to shield them from the chaos of renovation.
Steppingthrough the double foyer, the potential of the space tugged at something in my gut. The downstairs area, which would eventually become a blend of living and entertainment spaces, was a canvas waiting for our touch. Light streamed through the dust-covered windows, illuminating the raw beauty of the exposed brick and the smooth expanse of the hardwood floors. Despite the disarray, the essence of what the house could become was palpable—a place filled with warmth, laughter, and shared memories we had yet to make.
Iset down my tools and took a moment to envision the future. The living room, with its high ceilings and large windows, would be the heart of the home, a cozy space where we could unwind after long days. The adjoining dining area, currently nothing more than outlined by chalk lines on the floor, would one day host dinners with friends and family, the air rich with the aroma of home-cooked meals and the sound of animated conversations.
Ismiled at the sound of Isabella’s voice filtering down from upstairs. She was humming to herself in one of the rooms on the second level. Moments like this gave me little glimpses into what our future was going to look like. Isabella could overthink and overanalyze, but I had known since one of our very first conversations.
SometimesIsabella gives herself a hard time for taking a decade “off” to travel and explore but I know, at the time, she was just waiting for me. I patted the small velvet box in my jacket pocket as I ascended the stairs. I had wanted to make my proposal a cute moment for us at one of our many hole-in-the-wall lunch dates but after the last few days, I couldn’t wait any longer.
Mysteps rustled the paper covering the wooden steps as I rounded the stairs and stepped out into the hall. I heard Isabella still humming from one of the bedrooms, so I made my way to her. There might actually not be a better place to get down on one knee with my grandmother’s ring than in the home we’re creating together.
“Hey, love,” I said as I leaned against the doorframe. My forehead scrunched as I realized what was in her hand. “Already picking out paint colors?” I asked. “Baby, I’ve got walls to still put up.” I chuckled as I walked over to her. Her jasmine and vanilla perfume instantly put me at ease as I wrapped my arms around her hips and tugged at her.
“I know it’s early,” she said, “but this room needs the least amount of work, and I thought it would be cool to start thinking of what this room could be.”
“Well,” I said, making a show of looking around the room, “it could be a guest room, a workout room, a room to sit and ponder all of life’s mysteries.” I kissed the top of her forehead.
Isabellaleaned back a little so she could look at my face. “What if it’s a baby’s room?”
“I definitely see it as a baby’s room,” I said with a smile. “Do you want to start now?” I walk us over to the wall, pressing my back against it. “Are you asking me to put a baby in you IsabellaEsposito because I will gladly lie you down right here and?—”
“Max,” she stopped where my mind was going, “Max, I didn’t have the flu.” She smiled up at me with a mix of excitement and fear in her eyes.
Myeyebrows scrunched as my brain slowly took in what she was saying, but I was slow to put it together. I looked at her, needing her to keep talking. To say it.
“Max, I’m pregnant,” she said.
Fora moment, everything else faded into the background, the noise, the chaos of the city around us. It was just Izzy, standing there with vulnerability and hope mingling in her eyes, and me, suddenly feeling like the ground had shifted beneath my feet. “Are you serious?” The question came out as a breath, a whisper really, carried on a wave of sudden, unexpected joy that surged up from somewhere deep inside. My heart raced, not with panic, but with a growing sense of wonder and elation, at the magnitude of what she was telling me.
Izzysimply nodded.
Icrashed my lips to hers to quiet the many versions of the what-ifs that must be going through her mind right now. She was warm and soft in my hands and her mouth opened to let me in, only the small tremor in her bottom lip gave her anxiety away.
“Isabella, oh my god, how are you feeling?” I asked, pulling away from her mouth. “I want to check in with you before I bombard you with everything that’s going through my mind.”
Shechuckled and sighed, not pulling away from my arms. “I freaked out at first, obviously. I was supposed to get my IUD replaced this year. I guess its efficacy dipped down in its last year and I was behind on the timing. I’m sorry, I just?—”
“Why are you apologizing?” I asked. “I took sex ed. I know what it takes to make a baby. You don’t carry all the responsibility of prevention, Isabella.”
“I know.” She continued, “But the timing of everything, I mean, we still have walls to put up, for goodness’ sake. AndI wanted to give us more time. We were going to get engaged and . . .” Her voice trailed off with a sigh.
Ireached up to push back some of her curls and rested my palm on my cheek. “Fuck the timeline. Who gives a shit about it? Will it be chaotic and wild for a bit? Hell, yeah. But we’ve got this. I’m here for you no matter what you decide.”
Izzynodded and pressed her forehead to my chest.
“Not to steal your thunder,” I continued, “but reach into my jacket pocket.”
Shelooked at me confused but raised her hand to slip it into my jacket. She felt around until her hands found the small box and she froze.
“Take it out,” I said.
Herfingers slid into a small holding spot and pulled out the velvet box.
“You can put it back if you want something bigger than this,” I said with a gesture around the empty room. “I was planning on asking when we went for lunch the other day, but I guess you wanted to one-up me,” I said.
Sheflipped open the box as I stepped back and got down on one knee. “IsabellaEsposito, I couldn’t have predicted how our lives would intertwine when I saw you, rain-soaked and determined, when you walked into the PrismSociety. Since then, every moment with you has been an adventure. You’ve shown me the beauty of spontaneity, teaching me to find joy in the unexpected, like when we decided to buy this brownstone on a whim,” I said with a chuckle. “Dreaming of the life we could build within these walls. Your passion for life, your dedication to following your heart, even when it leads you down uncharted paths, inspires me every day.”
Icouldn’t hide the grin that spread across my face even as tears streamed down her cheeks. “Your laughter is my favorite sound, even if it’s echoing through all these rooms with walls I still need to patch.” Isabella chuckled from above and I took a deep breath. “I love that you can find happiness in the smallest things, like the perfect almond croissant or the way the light filters through our windows in the morning. Isabella, you challenge me, support me, and love me in ways I didn’t even know I needed. And it’s in the mundane, the everyday moments of our life together, that I find the most magic. I want to build with you, dream with you, and face every up and down by your side.”
“So,” I said, clearing my throat, “I want to ask you: Will you marry me? Will you continue this incredible journey with me, as my wife, my partner, and my best friend? Let’s make this house our home, fill it with laughter, love, and maybe a little chaos, but most of all, let’s fill it with us.”
Ipretended I didn’t notice the way her head had been nodding during my entire speech and waited until I heard her excited “yes” before I slipped the ring on her finger. I’d already snuck one of her rings out to get this one sized months ago, so it slid on perfectly. She sucked in a breath as I pushed it back over her knuckle.
Ileaned forward, resting my head on her belly. Despite it being too early to feel anything yet, I was so happy to share this moment with what would one day be our baby. Isabella’s fingers threaded in my hair as she let me rest there. I placed kisses over her shirt and spread my hands over her hips.
Iused my nose to nudge up the fabric of her shirt and kissed the warm sliver of skin under her belly button. “I can never get enough of you, Isabella, you smell so good,” I said. I kept going because of the small hum that left her throat, the one that told me she was relaxing, shutting off her brain, and ready to be taken care of.
Myfingers slipped into the waistband of her soft pants and tugged them down. Isabella lifted each foot, one by one, as I pulled the fabric away. My hands roamed up the back of her calves, her knees, her upper thighs, and finally her backside. I pulled her toward me gently.
Ilet my nose press into her core, over the fabric of her underwear, and smiled at the gentle tug of my hair. “I can’t wait to taste my fiancèe’s pussy, slip my fingers in its warmth,” I said. “Do you think it’ll taste different when my fiancée comes all over my face?”
Isabellashivered above me. “You are ridiculous,” she said.
Itugged down her underwear and brought my mouth up to her middle. My tongue slipped out and I ran it from her entrance to her clit, feeling Isabella buckle slightly. I used my hands to help hold her up by her hips as I set my mouth on her warm pussy and devoured her.
Ithrust my tongue inside her, tasting her arousal, and used broad strokes to run up and down her middle. She hummed and bucked against my face as she tugged my hair and brought me closer. I could never get enough of this.
Iwrapped one hand around her waist, holding her steady so I could use my other hand to finger her gently. I started with one finger before quickly adding another and gently brought them in and out as my tongue flicked over her clit.
“Max,” she said my name like she was begging, “please, you don’t have to go so easy on me.”
Ipushed two fingers deep inside her and looked up. “Are you asking for it to be harder, Isabella?”
Shenodded. “Yes, please, I want it harder.”
Isucked her clit in between my lips sharply as my fingers picked up their pace. She was dripping wet, and my hand glistened with her arousal. I knew she was close as she started moaning above me. I kept fucking her with my fingers as my tongue flicked over her sensitive nub to bring her over the edge.
Herlegs began trembling and her pussy started clenching my fingers, locking me inside. I felt the waves of her orgasm roll through her body as she soaked my hand and mouth. I lapped up every bit of it because she had never tasted sweeter. I slipped my fingers out of her and in between my lips to clean them off.
“Well, I’m glad you didn’t propose at the Nook now,” she said. “It would’ve been really awkward if you’d tried that afterward.”
Ichuckled as I helped her slip back into her underwear and pants, bringing the waistband up with a kiss on her belly before standing.
“How are you feeling?” I asked.
“Right now? Really blissed out. And tired. Really tired,” Isabella replied.
Ikissed her forehead and grabbed her hand, leading me out of the room. “Let’s get you out of here and into a warm bed. I’ll keep working on the drywall so the dust can settle before you’re back here.”
“Can you take me back to your apartment?” she asked. “I kind of just want to live in our own bubble for a couple of days before the chaos sets in.”
“I would take you to go nap on the moon if that’s what you wanted,” I replied. “Isabella, I’m not sure you totally realize everything that I would do for you.”
Aswe walked out of the room, her hand in mine, I couldn’t help but marvel at the turn our lives had taken. There, in the midst of renovation dust and the echoes of our future, everything felt right. The prospect of becoming a father, of stepping into this new chapter with Isabella, filled me with a sense of purpose and joy I hadn’t known was missing.
Itwasn’t just the excitement of the baby or the thrill of our engagement; it was the profound realization that this—us, our growing family, and the life we were building—was everything I’d ever wanted. The world outside, with its expectations and chaos, faded into insignificance. At that moment, as we stepped into the future together, as long as we had each other, we could face anything. This wasn’t just a new chapter. It was our greatest adventure yet, and I was ready for every moment of it.