I groan and fall back into the seat. Have I ever mentioned that I don’t handle surprises very well? I’m more than happy to make other people suffer through the knowledge of a surprise, but when it comes to me? Hard pass.
The Dodge RAM comes to a stop on the curb in a road filled with residential homes and I look around, trying to find some sort of clue as to why the hell we’re here. There are no stores around, no cafes or restaurants, no parks. It’s clear as day that Rivers has just lost his mind…unless there’s someone in one of these houses that he’s taking me to meet? Hmm, I wonder who it could be? Maybe someone from his past.
I start looking around at the few homes we could possibly be visiting and decide to settle on the one to my right as something about it is…I don’t know, familiar. I just can’t work out why.
Rivers jumps down from his truck before racing around to help me down. I mean, any other time I’d be jumping from this thing like a pro, but with this baby growing inside of me, I’m taking every precaution to be careful.
Rivers leads me towards the house and I take it all in. There’s a pathway that’s dividing a beautiful yard, a fence around the perimeter, and beautiful hedges the whole way around.
I look a little harder, confused as all hell while trying to place it. Why can’t I figure this out?
As we step up to the front door and Rivers raises his hand, I find myself pulling back on him. “Where are we?” I whisper yell as to not embarrass myself in case the person we’re visiting inside can hear.
Rivers looks down at me, watching me as the sparkle in his eyes seems to shine so much brighter. A sheepish expression crosses his features and he looks back out at the yard with pride. “So, I sort of did something.”
My eyes narrow on him. “What are you talking about?”
“Do you remember the night before I was deployed?”
“Yeah,” I say as my eyes narrow further. “We were looking at home listings.”
He nods slowly as if waiting for me to understand something and as I look back out at the property and rake my eyes over the brick home, it finally dawns on me. “This is the house you were looking at.”
“Yeah,” he smiles. “When I left, I couldn’t stop thinking about that night and what I was feeling while we were looking at this listing.”
“What do you mean?”
“That look in your eyes,” he tells me. “When we were looking at it, it was as though you could see our future here. You could see us being together and raising our family, and the second that happened, I couldn’t let this home slip through my fingers.”
“You’re losing me again,” I tell him.
“I bought it.”
“What? How? You’ve been away.”
“Don’t you worry about that,” he tells me. “Just know that I bought this home and I know we’ve hardly begun, but nothing would make me happier than having you move in here with me where we can raise our baby together. Hell, maybe have another and a few dogs like I know you’ve always wanted.”
Tears well in my eyes as I look up at him. “I’ve always wanted a bunny rabbit too.”
“I’ll get you a fucking tribe of bunny rabbits if that’s what you want.”
I look back at the house. “You really bought this?”
“I sure did, Tullz. I want to build a life with you. I was planning on waiting to ask you to move in with me, but the second I laid eyes on you, I knew that was never going to happen. I need you with me now.” Rivers rests his hands against my bump. “You’re my everything, Tully, and you’ve made my world so much bigger with this child. I want to do this right and I don’t want to wait.”
“You’re crazy,” I tell him as the tears fall from my eyes. “I can’t believe you did this.”
“What do you say?” he questions slowly, making me realize that he’s actually a little nervous about this.
I push up onto my tippy toes and throw my arms around his neck before drawing him in and kissing him with everything that I’ve got. “There isn’t even a question in my mind. Nothing in this world could possibly make me happier,” I tell him. “Of course, I’ll move in with you.”
Rivers straightens as he looks down at me, searching my eyes. “Are you serious? This isn’t another prank and you’re about to pull the rug out from under me?”
“No,” I laugh. “I’m serious. I want to be here with you. I want to start our family in the right way and I want to give you everything you’ve ever wanted. I love you so much, Rivers. I’ve never been so damn happy.”