"It won't hurt to get another ultrasound to double-check."
"I don't want you to start managing me."
"Managing you? What does that mean?"
"I've had people manage me my entire life. I don't—"
"Are you comparing me to those monsters?"
"No. Not at all. I love you."
"Then what are you saying, Zoe? Spit it out," I angrily demand.
"If I say no, I mean no."
I step back and sharply inhale. "So, you are comparing me to them?"
"No. Stop saying that."
"What would you call it?"
"Taking over my ability to say what happens to my body."
"My baby is in your body."
She glares. "No, it's our baby. Not your baby."
"You know what I meant."
Silence ensues. Tears fall down her cheeks.
I step forward and wrap my arms around her. "Don't cry."
"I want this to be a happy time. I don't want to worry every five minutes. I'm so tired of constantly being scared."
I tighten my hold on her. "You're my life, Zoe. I don't want anything to happen to you or the baby and especially not because we didn't get you extra care if you need it."
"But I don't. You heard Sloane."
"She also said it wouldn't hurt to get another ultrasound. I don't understand what the big deal is. You can even see the baby on the screen. When you were unconscious in Texas, you missed out on seeing her."
She tilts her head up. "Dirk, it's a boy."
"No, it's a girl."
Her eyes widen. "Did you lie about finding out the sex?"
"No. But I keep telling you it's a girl."
"You swear you didn't find out?"
"I swear on my grandmother's grave."
Give it to her now.
I reach into my pocket and drop to my knee. I kiss her belly, and she laces her fingers in my hair.
"The baby is fine."
I look up. "Zoe, I love you so much, I thought I was going to die without you."
More tears fall and drip on my face. "I know. I thought I was dying."
"It's not because of the baby. I would be asking you this even if you weren't pregnant."
Her hands stop moving on my head.
"Will you marry me?"
"You want to marry me?" she whispers.
"Yes."
She wipes her face and nods. "Yes."
"Really?"
"Yes, of course."
I show her my grandmother's ring. My father gave it to me when I told him I wanted to marry Zoe. It's only a plain gold band, but it has engraved in Spanish, In good times and bad, forever yours. "I'll get you something fancier, but this was my grandmother's, and I want you to have it."
She puts her hand over her mouth, and I pick up her other hand and slide it on her finger. She examines it. "It's...it's beautiful. I don't want another ring."
"It's not very divaish. A woman like you—"
"Doesn't want anything else. This is perfect."
"It is?"
"Yes. It even fits perfectly." She bends and kisses me. No woman could ever replace her. Every moment spent on Earth was a journey to find her. And any future experience will only be full with her part of it.
"Can I make one request?"
She sniffles. "What's that?"
"Will you humor me, my Little Diva? Will you get the ultrasound tomorrow? I promise I’ll try my best to contain my psycho possessive side."
"Can it be a happy occasion?"
"Yes."
"Okay then, country boy. My body is yours tomorrow."
"Only tomorrow?"
Her lips twitch. "That depends."
"On what?"
She leans down to my ear and whispers, "You still haven't told me what you think when you look in the mirror at your V."
Epilogue
Zoe
The Next Day
Lips of heaven consume mine, and the happiness I've only felt with Dirk fills me.
"Love waking up next to you," I murmur and kiss him some more.
"Good morning, future Mrs. Zamora. It's after nine. We slept in. Sloane will be here in the next hour."
"Mmm. I don't need that long to get ready, do you?"
"Nope." He moves his lips to my neck and my lower body throbs. His fingers slide down my body, and I'm soon in a perfect concoction of inhaling and intensely feeling all that is Dirk.
He kisses me as we both spiral, and while we try to find our breath after.
"You really should bottle up your scent. It's so delicious," I murmur.
He softly laughs. "It's only yours, my Little Diva."
"Mmm. Even better."
After one final deep kiss, he pulls back. "We need to get ready."
I try to put on my most innocent face. "Shower time?"
He takes the bait and picks me up. "Don't have to ask me twice."
We get ready and go downstairs. Naomi, Andre, and Blaise are drinking coffee on the deck. When we step