AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Against my better judgment, I feel hope start to swell in my chest. Maybe Grace hasn’t fallen for me yet, but that doesn’t mean she never will. Maybe I still have time to make this marriage into something real.
The door opens, and in walks a stern-looking man in a white coat who asks me to step outside so they can do their tests. I assure Mom that I’ll be waiting before I go out to the hallway. I pull my phone out of my pocket and shoot Grace a quick text. “Mom’s okay for now. I’d like to talk soon.” I hesitate before I add, “I miss you.”
I hit send. A second later, I hear a familiar ding.
I look down the hall and see Grace standing in front of the elevator, looking windswept, worried, and absolutely beautiful.
I run to greet her, and she throws her arms around my neck. “What are you doing here?” I ask, as delighted as I am bewildered.
She steps back, her cheeks pink. “I got your text, and I just had to come. I didn’t want you to have to do this alone.”
Warmth spreads through my chest. What would I ever do without this wonderful woman? All I can do is stare at her in wonder.
My silence must scare her, because she fixes her gaze on the ground and mumbles, “I’m sorry. I overstepped. I should…”
Her voice falters when I drop to one knee. “What are you doing?” she asks, her voice shaking.
“I’m doing what I should have done in the first place.” I take her hand and run the pad of my thumb over the rings on her finger. “I love you, Grace. I’ve loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you. And I want you to be my wife. Not for a contract. Not to make my mother happy. I want this to be real.”
Tears well up in her stunning hazel eyes. She presses her other hand to her heart. “Derek…”
My heart is fluttering like a hummingbird. I’m offering my heart, my life, to this woman. And I’ll keep offering it again and again.
Tears spill down her cheeks as her face breaks into a brilliant smile. “I’m glad,” she says. “Because it’s already real.”
Epilogue
Six years later
Grace
"Goodnight, Mommy," Kyle, my four-year-old son, whispers as his eyes drift closed.
I smile, gently stroking his full, dark curls. “Goodnight, my love.”
He smiles softly, his handsome face lighting up as he snuggles closer to my touch. I wait until he falls asleep before gingerly standing up. I arrange the covers around him and lean forward to kiss his forehead. “Sweet dreams, baby.”
On my way out, I switch off the lights, leaving the room dimly illuminated by the little lamp by his side. I close the door and walk down the hallway to the nursery. I find Derek sitting in the rocking chair by the window with Ember, our eleven-month-old daughter, sleeping peacefully in his arms.
He looks up when I walk in, his eyes lighting up in that way that always fills my heart with warmth and excitement. Six years and two kids later, he still makes me feel butterflies in my stomach.
I close the distance between us, savoring the sight of him cradling our daughter, a scene that never fails to tug at my heartstrings. The soft glow of the moonlight bathes the room in a tranquil aura, casting gentle shadows across Derek's face as he looks up at me.
“Hey, honey,” he whispers, his voice barely above a breath so as not to disturb our daughter.
“Hey,” I reply, returning his soft smile. I glance down at our baby's cute little face, content in sleep, and my heart swells with an overwhelming feeling of love and gratitude. “She's such a daddy's girl; look how peaceful she's sleeping.”
Derek chuckles, his eyes filled with paternal pride. "She's definitely got me wrapped around her little finger."
I frown slightly, wondering if the moonlight is playing tricks on me or if there are really shadows in his eyes. Something isn't right…
“What's wrong, baby?” I ask, frowning at his face in concern. “Is it something about work?”
He shakes his head, sighing heavily. “It's just… it's mom's anniversary next week. She keeps popping into my mind.”
My heart clenches painfully at the mention of his mother's anniversary. She died five years ago after a long, agonizing battle with cancer. She was an exceptional woman. We grew a lot closer in her last days, and I wish I had more time with her. In one of our private conversations in her greenhouse, she'd confessed that she was aware my marriage with Derek was arranged. She knew from the very beginning, but she let it be because she hoped something would come out of it. She was very happy to find out that Derek and I fell in love for real. In the very short time I knew her, she was both a friend and a mother to me.
“I miss her so much,” I say, placing a hand on Derek's shoulder and giving him a reassuring squeeze. “She's probably in a better place.”
