Page 128 of Don’t Go Breaking My Heart

“What do you want to do?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “I kind of like the color we have here. Is that too much work? I mean, the house is beautiful as it is.”

“But there’s no harm in making it feel more like ours, right?” I suggested.

Merritt bit her lip, thinking it over. “Yeah, you’re right. Maybe a fresh coat of paint would be nice. Something light and airy?”

“I think that sounds great,” I replied, excited by her enthusiasm. I was willing to do just about anything if it made her happy.

She leaned over, her hair brushing my arm as she showed me swatches of colors on her phone—a range of pastels. “What do you think about this one?” She pointed to a soft lavender. “Or maybe a gentle sky blue?”

I nodded at the blue. “That looks perfect. It’s calming.”

She went back to her phone, picking out a bedspread and pillows that would go with the new bedroom. I loved all of it. Anything that made her light up and smile was alright by me.

The next morning, I woke up to the bed shifting and the faint sound of Merritt padding around. I cracked one eye open, catching a glimpse of her disappearing into the bathroom. Normally, I would have gone back to sleep, but something about the way she moved—hesitant, almost nervous—kept me awake.

I heard the faint rustle of a box, then silence. A moment later, the bathroom door creaked open, and Merritt slipped back into bed. Her cheeks were flushed, her expression somewhere between shock and excitement.

“Morning,” I said, my voice groggy. “Were you eating snacks in there?”

She smiled and shook her head. “What? No. Of course not. I couldn’t sleep.”

I rolled over to face her, propping myself up on one elbow. “What’s up?”

She shook her head.

“Merritt, what’s wrong? If you’re hungry, I can make you something.”

“I have a surprise for you,” she said softly.

I frowned, trying to piece it together. “You bought me a new motorcycle? You shouldn’t have.”

She laughed, her nerves fading. “Definitely not.”

I tapped my chin, pretending to think. “Ah, I got it. You’re going to let me do whatever I want to you until the sun goes back down? I better find the baby oil.”

She rolled her eyes, then handed me a stick. “Oh, you’ve already done plenty to me. I’m pregnant.”

For a second, I just stared at the test in my hand, the two little lines that changed everything. Then I looked at her, my chest so full it felt like it might burst. A grin spread across my face, bigger than any I’d ever worn, and I grabbed her, pulling her into a hug and smothering her in kisses.

“Only in my wildest dreams,” I whispered, pressing my forehead to hers.

She cupped my face in her hands, her eyes shining. “Mine too.”

“I think we just switched up our plan,” I said.

“What plan?”

“House. Ring. Wedding. Then babies. Looks like all that practicing we’ve been doing disrupted the order of things.”

She giggled. “Yes, I suppose it did. Maybe we’ll wait to decorate our bedroom. It looks like we should be thinking about a nursery first.”

EPILOGUE

MERRITT

Nine Months Later