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My heart thunders as blood pulses through me so fast I’m sure he can hear it. He wants to live with me. Marry me. Have babies with me. Grow old with me.
Yesterday, I’d have said all those things were impossible. But today, my world is full of possibilities I never imagined.
I swallow, wanting to say yes. But one thing stands in the way of the word. “Only if Bug agrees.”
“You won’t marry me unless my daughter gives her blessing? You’re having my babies, Al.”
“I think it’s only fair to her.”
“And if she doesn’t agree?”
I raise a shoulder. “Then I guess we’ll live in sin until we die and go to hell.”
He laughs. “So you’ll live with me if my kid hates you, but you won’t marry me?”
“How do you think she’ll take the news?”
“I think she’ll be excited to be getting a brother and a sister.”
“Do you think it will change how she feels about me?”
“I don’t see how it couldn’t. Look at you. You’re carrying my babies. Her siblings. We’re going to be a family.” He pulls my hand to his lips and kisses it.
We’re both laughing when the alarm system indicates a door has been opened. I look at the time and realize we’ve been in bed for seven straight hours. I sit up. “We should tell my parents.”
He momentarily looks worried. As if my parents would have a problem with this.
They won’t.
“Don’t worry,” I say, getting up and pulling him toward the bathroom. “They love you. Now let’s get in the shower.”
We don’t make it downstairs for another ninety minutes.
~ ~ ~
Mom and Dad are eating dinner when we enter the kitchen. Mom smiles brightly when she sees who’s coming in behind me.
“Asher,” she says with delight. “What a nice surprise.” She winks at me.
It’s as if in this moment she understands that my entire existence wasn’t right without him. And the past six weeks make sense to her now that she sees us together. I feel bad for putting her through what I did. I swear she was about ready to send me to either an emergency room or a shrink.
Yeah, my mom is about to be super happy.
She motions to the table. “There’s plenty of food if you want to join us.”
Before we can even answer, she’s getting two more place settings.
I dish some casserole onto a plate for Asher. “So, we have some news.”
A hand flies to Mom’s mouth. “You’re getting married!”
Asher tosses me a look and smiles as if to say‘see?’
“Well, um, no. We—”
“Yes,” Asher interrupts. “Someday.”
“Okay, yes, someday. When Bug agrees. But that’s not our news.”