13. Epilogue
Epilogue
Sarah
I'm giddy with excitement as I take the elevator to Mitchell's office at the architectural firm. My smile is bigger than my face when the elevator stops and opens its doors.
The receptionist responds to my smile and watches me with my gift bag. I'm not telling anyone my secret except my husband.
"Hi Mrs. Barlow, are you here to take him to lunch? He's been particularly grouchy today. Please say you'll take him off my hands."
"I can't make any promises."
"You can go right in. I'll let you surprise him."
I walk right in as if I were in my own home. I have baptized every corner of this room with Mitchell during our first six months together. I know every little corner of the space. He's on the phone, and he does look grumpy and grouchy, like when I first met him.
I thought I had wiped that attitude off his system. Now I'm starting to get grumpy as well. Who could he be talking to that has turned his mood sour? I swear this morning he was agreeable when I sent him off to work. I wave at him as I sit on the chairs in front of his desk.
Maybe we should do some role playing where I'm the bossy client and he's my grumpy silver fox.
Wait, we already did that, and it was very satisfying.
He seems surprised that I'm here, and that is definitely more to my taste.
After a few more growls on the phone he finishes his call and looks towards where I'm primly sitting like a good girl.
His good girl, of course. He walks towards me and stands towering over me.
"Now, what do we have here?"
"A little bird told me you were being unnaturally grumpy this morning. What happened? I sent you off with a smile on your face this morning."
"Your stepdaughter is what happened. She threw me under the bus in the latest project she's been managing. She can't handle the older clients and leaves them to me to sort things out. Especially when they are being particularly obstinate."
"Can you spare a few minutes, my love?"
"You are the only one that I can do that for. I won't be able to go to lunch if that is what this visit is for."
"I have a surprise for you."
He sits at the edge of his desk and looks me over. I know I am flushed with happiness and look particularly glowy.
"Sarah, I'm all yours. What's the surprise?"
I offer him the gift bag and he takes it. He ruffles the crepe paper and digs out what it is. A yellow onesie with the words 'Daddy's Angel' written on the front.
"What's this?"
"I thought it was self explanatory."
"Is this real? Have you gone to the doctor?"
"Yes and yes."
He puts the gift on the chair beside me and picks me up into his arms. Then we're twirling and twirling so fast that I have to stop him.
"Stop, stop! I'm going to throw up."
"Is this why you've been sick so often these past few weeks?"
"Yes. How happy are you?"
"You've made me the happiest man in the world, Sarah. We're definitely going to lunch and celebrate. Let me call Meghan and invite her."
I nod in agreement as he picks up the phone to call his daughter. She'll love the surprise as well, as she's been nagging me about giving Mitchell more children. I wanted it to happen naturally without having to obsess or having to go to the specialist.
And voila, here I am, four weeks pregnant with my husband's baby. Mitchell hangs up the phone and comes back to where he left me standing. This time the hug is tender, and he's more careful with me. I look up at him, the man of my dreams.
"Talk to me."
"I didn't think my life could get more perfect, but now it has. All because of this little one."
He presses his hand to my stomach and I put my hand over his. This is our future.
"I love you, Sarah."
"I love you, Mitchell."
"Forever." We say as one.
THE END