leans in, touching her lips to mine. “I know what happened has been plaguing you, but you couldn’t have known what was going to happen, and none of it was your fault.”
“Baby . . .”
“Please do it for me . . . for our future. Don’t let her have any more of you. She doesn’t deserve any part of you that should be mine.”
Fuck, she’s right. “I’ll work on it, baby.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.” She kisses me once more, then curls against my chest.
“I love you.”
“I love you too.” I turn out the light, then hold tight to the woman who was made for me, vowing to keep my promise to her because she’s right: she deserves all of me.
Epilogue
ANNA
With my eyes closed, I listen to the sound of water lapping the shore and the sweet sound of my husband’s and daughter’s laughter as they play a few feet away in the sand. It’s been five years since I left my life behind in Chicago, having no idea if I was doing the right thing but just hoping beyond hope that I was. Obviously things worked out just how they were supposed to and better than I ever imagined they would. Since I took that leap of faith, I’ve made some really great friends, met the man of my dreams, had a baby girl, and am now pregnant with a little boy. My life is filled with love, happiness, great friendships, and, thankfully, very little drama.
I signed every share of the company over to my father, thinking that when I did, I wouldn’t hear from him or my mom again. Surprisingly, that wasn’t the case. Not that we’re close, but we do talk on occasion, and they check in on their granddaughter, Kennedy, and send her cards and presents on holidays and her birthdays. I’m still very close with Edie, who Kennedy calls MawMaw, and still keep my weekly visits with her, Pearl, and Dixie to gossip or go play bingo. But normally Edie can be found at my house, spending time with “her girls.”
“Mommy!” I lean up on my elbow to look at my baby, who’s growing bigger by the day, and smile when she walks toward me. “Can we go to the bakery on the way home and get cupcakes?”
“I think we can do that.” Her smile looks just like her dad’s. Much to Calvin’s disappointment, she didn’t get my hair or eye color but got his dark hair and blue eyes, which I love.
“Babe, when we go to the shop, you’re not working,” Calvin says, and I look at him, narrowing my eyes slightly.
“I never said I was.”
“I know you didn’t, but I know you.” I want to roll my eyes, but he’s right. Even when I’m not supposed to be working at the bakery I’m working at the bakery, but that’s because two years ago, Chrissie offered me the opportunity to become coowner, and I took it. I love that my job never feels like work; it just feels like I’m spending time doing something fun with people I like hanging out with.
“I won’t work,” I say when he doesn’t drop the look he’s giving me.
“I love you.” The intensity in his expression tells me just how much.
“I know.” I pull in a breath and let it out slowly, looking between the two people who mean more to me than anything else in the world . . . that is, until our son joins us in a few months. As he moves around in my belly, I wonder if one person should ever be this happy, then think it doesn’t matter, because that’s just the way it is.
Acknowledgments
First, I have to give thanks to God, because without him, none of this would have been possible. Second, I want to thank my husband. I love you now and always—thank you for believing in me, even when I don’t always believe in myself. To my beautiful son, you bring such joy into my life, and I’m so honored to be your mom. To my sister, my mom, and my family and friends, every single day I’m grateful for the love and happiness you bring into my life.
To every blogger and reader, thank you for taking the time to read and share my books. There will never be enough ink in the world to acknowledge you all, but I will forever be grateful to each and every one of you.
Like thousands of authors before me, I started this writing journey after I fell in love with reading. I wanted to give people a place to escape to where the stories were funny, sweet, and hot and left them feeling good. I’ve loved sharing my stories with you all, loved that I’ve helped people escape the real world, even for a moment.
I started writing for me and will continue writing for you.
XOXO,
Aurora