Page 35 of Size Game

We continue to moan softly for a short while, our bodies still pressed together. I kiss her neck and hug her close, placing a hand over her belly.

“I love you,” I whisper.

Epilogue

Claire

One year later.

It’s been so wonderful. I don’t think I could’ve imagined a life any better than the one I have now. I’ve been living in Alex’s brownstone since I was six months pregnant, and he’s been a doll. Imelda has been a tremendous help too, enough so that I made sure she got a raise for putting up with me.

Our little baby boy, Noah, is only four months old, and it seems like just yesterday that we brought him home. Sadie is ecstatic to be a big sister. She’s been great. She brought me snacks while I was pregnant, and we would snuggle up and watch movies all day while Alex was at work.

She started kindergarten not that long ago and has been loving it. She’s met all sorts of new friends and is really coming along with her studies. I never thought that I would be a stay-at-home mom with two kids and a house and all of that stuff. But here we are, and I couldn’t be happier.

Imelda has just gotten home from picking up Sadie, who bursts through the door to give me a big hug and to kiss her little brother on the head. Imelda comes in and gives me a hug, then lightly pinches Noah’s cheek, her normal greeting to him.

“Mi principito,” Imelda whispers, giving him a kiss on the forehead.

I sit on the couch and help Sadie with her homework. We’re on numbers this week. Noah is in a cradle next to us, and Imelda is in the kitchen cooking something up for dinner.

Sadie has really been improving with her numbers, letters, and colors. We sit on the couch together singing the ABCs and counting things around the living room. I have her run around and describe things so she can learn. She’s been really good at the game.

Less than an hour later, the front door opens and there is Alex, holding an armful of roses and a small box. Sadie immediately darts toward him and gives him a big hug. He smiles and kisses her forehead. Then he whispers something in her ear, and she gets really excited. She runs over to Imelda.

I get up and approach him. We kiss each other lovingly.

“What’re all these for?” I ask.

He chuckles. “You forgot?”

I stare at him blankly. What did I forget? Clearly something important. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be standing before me with roses.

He smiles and kisses me again. “We started dating a year ago.”

I gasp and place my hands over my mouth. I totally forgot. So much has been happening that it skipped my mind entirely. It’s not that it doesn’t mean anything to me, but having a baby, moving, and starting a family are a lot to keep track of.

He smiles at me and give me a big hug, then hands me the bouquet of roses. I watch him bend down on one knee, and I almost burst into tears of happiness right then and there.

The little box in his hands is raised toward me. He opens it to reveal a magnificent ring. “Claire Daniels, will you do me the honor of becoming Mrs. Claire Bryant?”

I can’t hold back the tears. They come bursting forth, and I drop down to hug him while screaming “Yes!” at the top of my lungs. Sadie runs over shouting that she gets to be a flower girl and jumps on top of us.

I kiss Alex and embrace him tenderly, then pull Sadie between us for a group hug. This is exactly where I want to be.

THE END