“Shane, you love me, right? You want to be with me, right?” I can tell she is nervous about sharing her news, but I want to put her at ease.
“Of course, I do. What is it? You know you can tell me anything,” I reassure her. The curvy girl takes a deep breath and looks into my eyes.
“I’m pregnant. We’re going to have a baby,” she says in a murmur. “Are you happy?” she asks tentatively. “Because I really want this child.”
I stand there, awestruck. I can’t believe Lucy thinks I’m going to be upset about this. I’ve wanted to be a father for so long but never found the right woman, and it’s been more than three decades of waiting. This is perfect; she is the perfect person to be pregnant with, and I lean down to seize her mouth.
“This is incredible, sweetheart, and we’re going to have a beautiful child. I’m so happy, Lucy. In fact, I couldn’t be more ecstatic.” She smiles and I pull her close, my heart overflowing with love. But then it’s my turn.
“I have some news for you too,” I whisper in her ear.
“Hmm?” she asks while crying softly. I reach in my pocket and pull out a small velvet box. Without saying a word, I open her palm, placing the box in the palm of her hand. Without even opening it, she already knows what’s inside. Her eyes are wide, and she’s utterly speechless, which just makes me chuckle. But this is a time for love, and I press a kiss to her mouth tenderly.
“Lucy, will you marry me? I love you more than life itself, and you are the woman I’ve been waiting for. Yes, we connected under questionable circumstances, but all’s well that ends well, right?”
Tears fill her eyes as she opens the box to reveal the sparkler within.
“Yes,” she murmurs. I kiss her again, and she looks adoringly into my eyes. “Yes, I’ll become Mrs. Shane Reed.”
With that, our love is locked in stone, and I’m the luckiest man in the world.
Epilogue
Lucy
Two years later.
We’re hosting a dinner party at our place tonight. It’s a casual get together, but the penthouse is so gracious that it gives an elegant feel to any event. It’s such a beautiful space, and I count my lucky stars every day to have the privilege of living here.
After all, I moved out of the dorms and straight into Shane’s apartment after that confrontation with my dad. There was no need to live in a cramped double anymore, even if sharing secrets with Rose was fun. It was better to be with my man, especially since I was expecting his baby.
Plus, things worked out. My dad accepted the fact that Shane and I were serious, and after a time, even gave us his blessing. It helped that I had Shane’s ring on my finger, underlining the commitment between us. I don’t think Damon could have handled it if we were just friends with benefits or something casual of that sort.
But now, with the baby, my dad’s come around. He dotes on his grandchild and is often our back-up babysitter. I laughed the first time Damon changed little Jay’s diaper, his nose wrinkled with disgust, but my dad got the better of me. He reminded me that he’s changed my diaper many times in the past and is actually an old pro, even if I don’t remember it.
But back to tonight. It’s just a small get together. It’s me, Shane, the baby, my dad and Rose. The four of us have been getting together more frequently over the last few months, and it’s been really nice, like we’ve built our own little family.
Now, everyone has finished their meals and is sitting around the table chatting. Shane and I are seated on one side of the table and Rose and my dad are seated next to each other on the other side. There’s still a lot of food in the center of the oversized dining room table, and I groan at the thought of eating leftovers for a week. Salad, pasta, bread, and sautéed veggies sit in heaps in serving bowls. I make a mental note to send both Rose and my dad home with big Tupperware containers.
“Shane, what do you say we clear the table and bring out some cake for dessert?” I propose. Rose starts to stand up to help, but I insist she relax and let us do the cleaning. She sits down again and shoots a coy look at my dad. To my surprise, there’s a flush on Damon’s high cheekbones, and is that my imagination, or does my father have his hand in her lap? I shake my head with disbelief.
Once Shane and I are in the kitchen alone, I grab his arm and quietly pull him aside.