MARIA

One Year Later

A fter our balcony confession, I didn't return to the guest room for months. By the time we reentered to turn it into a nursery, I'd all but forgotten what it looked like.

The sideways vanity mirror made me blush, though. Even though I was obviously pregnant with Xavier's baby.

"Remember—" he started, and I had to clap a hand over his mouth before he said something ridiculous in front of the decorator we hired.

"Yes, I remember," I hissed before dissolving into laughter. "I remember quite well, actually."

The nursery turned out beautifully, but of course, baby Liam would be sleeping in our room for the foreseeable future.

Labor was as terrifying as I imagined it would be, but an epidural and my husband at my side made it bearable. And the reward—a red- faced, blanket-wrapped, miniature clone of Xavier—was worth every awful contraction.

After the parade of well-wishers, including Xavier's father, who was ecstatic to meet his grandson, have departed, and it's only Xavier and me once more, I feel like I can finally breathe again. I’m lying back in the hospital bed with Liam sleeping in my arms when Xavier offers to hold him.

"Let's trade."

"For what?" I ask, confused. Xavier's grin tells me something is up.

"You'll see. Hand over the baby."

Slowly, I hand Xavier our son, careful not to wake him, and once he's safely tucked in the crook of his arm, my husband plucks a small silver gift bag out of the duffle bag he brought from home. I take the bag from him, feeling its weight, and then shake the contents out into my hand.

It's a black velvet box, with an embossed logo I didn't recognize.

I flip it open and gasp. A single, perfect diamond ring glitters up at me, surrounded by a halo of smaller diamonds in an elegant platinum band. It's stunning.

"Oh my God," I say, my voice shaking. "Xavier, what?—"

"You can keep the first one," he says, motioning down to my plain gold band.

"But I remember how you said you preferred platinum to yellow gold, and I figured if we were going to have a real wedding this time, it should start with the sort of ring you want.

This time, your friends and family will be there.

You pick the location, the decor, everything. "

"Are you..." I shake my head in disbelief, hardly able to find the words. "Is this a proposal? "

"Yes," he says firmly, "and I'm not taking no for an answer. Marry me. Again."

I laugh, feeling tears stinging at the corners of my eyes. "I guess we are pretty good at it by now."

"I guess we are," Xavier agrees. "What do you say?"

"Yes," I whisper, watching Liam start to stir from all the excitement. "This time, try not to wrinkle my dress."