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He nods warily, not meeting my eye. Has this been weighing on him?
“Let me ask you a question. Do you believe I’d treat my child the way my mom treated me?”
His gaze snaps up, looking appalled for a moment before he sees where I’m going with this.
“You arenothinglike your dad.” My voice is fiercer than I expected, but it’s only a testament to how strongly I feel about this. “You’re loving, kind, protective-”
“That’s with you, though. It’s easy to be that way with you.”
“And you don’t think you’ll have the same instincts with your kids? I know you will. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else. You’re your own person. And I’m excited to start a family with you one day, if that’s something you want too.”
His face softens. “As long as you give me some time to get with the program. You remember what I was like at the beginning of our relationship.”
I reach a hand out, stroking it through his dark locks. “Totally clueless,” I grin.
His lips quirk. “I got there eventually.”
“That you did.”
His hand comes up to cover my own. “Thank you. For always having faith in me. For seeing me in the best light possible. Sometimes I need to hear things from you to really believe them.”
Warmth spreads through my chest, creeping up my neck to my cheeks. I’ll never tire of hearing his praise. “I wish you could see yourself the way I see you.”
“And I’ve said the same about you.”
I duck my head to hide my smile. “Touché.” I play idly with his fingers, bringing his hand back down to join mine in my lap, and twist his wedding band, the gold glinting in the lamplight. “Take as much time as you need to think about things, you know, family wise. There’s no rush, but I’m ready when you are.”
“Maybe we could practice tonight?” A wicked grin spreads across his face, his hands leaving mine to smooth themselves up my legs.
“Practice, huh?”
“Yeah. Making a baby and all that.” His palms move past my knees, skimming along my thighs. “Not sure I quite understand how it works. I’ll probably need a lot of practice.”
“Will you now?” I grin back, gasping as those skillful hands hitch my dress up.
I tug him off the couch, leading him into our bedroom, ready for another blissful night with him.
I’ll never get enough of this man. And I plan on it staying that way for a long time to come.