Epilogue
Knox felt unaccountably nervous as he left the new house and headed toward the cabin.
He had managed to convince Everleigh to stay home, telling her she couldn't enter the house until the paint fumes had dissipated.
Although it was technically true, that wasn't the only reason he needed to keep her away.
He had a surprise waiting for her, one he hoped she would like.
The sun was just beginning its descent over the trees, and he picked up his pace as he cut across the yard.
He entered the cabin quietly through the back door, then paused, listening for movement inside.
Everything was quiet. Cutting across toward the living room, he halted in the doorway, a smile suspended on his lips.
Everleigh sat curled in one corner of the couch, head propped on her hand, fast asleep. Next to her sat an open bag of chips, along with a handful of snack-size candy bar wrappers. He melted a little bit at the sight of her. Her hair was a mess, but she never looked more beautiful.
He strode toward her and took a knee next to the couch. “Everleigh.”
Her eyelashes fluttered but didn't open.
Pregnancy had zapped nearly all of her energy, and she had been napping more and more often.
The doctor said that once she entered the third trimester in a few weeks, she would bounce right back.
He settled his hands on her thighs and slid them upward. “Wake up, sweetheart.”
This time, her eyes opened, and she blinked rapidly before focusing on him. A soft smile curled her lips as she came fully awake. “Hey.”
“Hey, yourself.” He skimmed his hands up to her hips, pulling her slightly toward him. “How are you feeling?”
“Still a little tired,” she admitted. “I swear I could sleep for a week and still feel exhausted.”
“I'm sorry,” he murmured.
Her hands settled on his shoulders then looped around his neck. “I’m not. We’ll get to meet this little one in just a few months.”
He couldn't wait. He moved one hand to her belly. “Is he behaving today?”
“She,” Everleigh stressed with a smile, “has been doing flips all afternoon.”
They had decided they didn't want to know the gender of the baby; it was going to be a surprise for all of them. Everleigh’s mother had been fretting over it good-naturedly, begging him to find out so she could start buying things.
Though he joked about the baby being a boy, he was truly happy either way.
He had the most beautiful wife in the world, and his family was perfect no matter what.
“Do you think you’re up to taking a walk?”
Everleigh tipped her head. “Where?”
“To the new house. I thought you might like to see everything now that it's painted.”
Though Everleigh had picked the colors, it was sometimes hard to imagine what something would look like. He wanted her to be completely happy with it before they started moving their things in. As it was, he just hoped to have everything finished up before the baby arrived.
“Sure. I could use some exercise.”
Curling his hands into her hips, he pulled Everleigh closer to the edge of the couch and helped her stand.
Aside from being tired, she was still getting around remarkably well.
But that didn't stop him from doting on her every waking second.
He held out his arm, and she curled her hand around his bicep as they left the cabin and headed toward the new house.
He led her in through the front door, holding it wide as she stepped inside. Her face lit with pleasure as she gazed around the foyer. “Oh, Knox! It looks beautiful.”
Everleigh and he made a slow circuit around the house, ending by the back door. A set of double doors opened onto the wraparound porch at the back of the house which faced west. “I have a surprise for you,” he said.
“Really? What is it?” Everleigh asked.
“Come outside and I'll show you.”
He pushed open the door, then guided Everleigh to the porch swing he'd spent the last couple of hours installing. Her body stilled as she stared at it, her brow drawing slightly together. Her hand lifted as if to reach out and touch it, then drew back. “Is that…?”
She swallowed hard as she studied the wooden swing, the G and C carved into the single heart.
“It is.”
“I can’t believe…” She ran her fingers over the wood, tracing their initials. “But… How?”
“You asked for a swing so you could watch the sun set.” After that day in the woods, he had the tree hauled away and commissioned a local woodworker to turn it into a porch swing. “The tree was where we first met, and I wanted us to have a piece of it forever.”
“Knox…” Her eyes filled with tears. “This is the best gift ever.”
He brushed away a tear as it tracked down her cheek. “Don't cry, honey.”
She turned toward him, her belly brushing his as she threw her arms around him. “I love you so much.”
“Love you, Everleigh. I will always love you.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, then settled on the swing and tugged her down beside him. She nestled her head against his chest as they gently rocked back and forth, staring out over the horizon at the setting sun.
He wanted a million more of these moments. Rocking their babies to sleep, holding his wife every night as they watched the sun set. And when it rose again the next morning, he would do it all over again, every day for the rest of his life.