Page 11 of Epilogue Legacy

Thatcher directed me to take my seat. We were right in the center rows of the theater.

“So, what are we watching tonight?” I asked. I was absolutely stuffed. He’d made dinner for us tonight, too, at our house here in town. We had a couple of homes, since he played football away from his hometown. That house was temporary, though. I had a feeling we’d both end up here in Maywood Heights. Our house was actually in the same cul-de-sac as his closest friends.

Thatcher put his big arm around me. “Something to make you laugh, of course,” he said, then proceeded to sit back in his chair. It squeaked a little from his weight. He grinned.

He was always making me laugh. I settled in, and was delightfully surprised when the screen flashed with an old I Love Lucy episode, and I was locked in. I loved Lucille Ball.

Of course, my man knew that.

Cuddled up to Thatcher, I laughed my ass off at Lucy and Ricky’s antics. I had popcorn and snacks early into the viewing, and an usher brought us more snacks throughout the episodes. I was eating, laughing, and enjoying myself. About halfway through the screening, I realized Thatcher wasn’t really watching the show. He was watching me.

He was smiling.

I kissed him before turning back to watch. I felt so warm and loved. I was warm in love, in so many different ways.

I placed my hand on my stomach, smiling. After the latest episode wrapped, I turned to Thatcher. “Hey, um…”

“You’re about to miss the best part, Snowflake,” he said before kissing my cheek. He pointed up at the screen, and I turned. I blinked. Thatcher was on the screen.

“Heya, snowflake,” Thatcher on the screen said, and I faced my Thatcher.

My Thatcher laughed. “Just watch.”

I had no idea what this man was up to. Movie Thatcher was in his regular t-shirt and jeans sitting on the couch in our house. Out of nowhere, he pulled something out of his pocket. I couldn’t see what it was at first.

But then, well, I did.

Movie Thatcher had a black box in his hands. He rubbed it with his hand, and my heart thudded when he opened it.

It was a ring.

I faced Thatcher, my Thatcher.

He smiled. “Just watch.”

I turned toward the screen, and the most stunning ring I’d ever seen was there. It was yellow and square cut and something too beautiful to even be real.

“I’ve gotten a lot of advice in the past twenty-four hours from our friends,” Movie Thatcher said. He smiled. “Ares said that calm comes with knowing. If you’re okay, I know I’ll be okay, Snowflake.”

I swallowed.

“His wife, Fawn, said I need to know what you need before even you know it,” Movie Thatcher said. “I’ll try every day to do that for you.”

My heart skipping, I leaned forward.

“Dorian basically told me to fuck off for waking him up,” Movie Thatcher said, laughing. I did too. “But after that, he told me to speak to you with my heart. He said that will do all the talking for me.”

My heart warmed.

“Sloane offered some great advice. She said to always make you feel safe,” Movie Thatcher said, and the muscle in my chest kicked up its beat. Movie Thatcher tilted his head. “I will always be that for you, and I’ll always protect you. I’d let death gratefully take me knowing you’d get to go on another day.”

And I knew he would.

I was crying at this point, but I wasn’t looking away from the screen. I didn’t want to miss any of this.

“Wells and Bru told me everything would be fine today, and Bru offered me some advice about our future kids,” Movie Thatcher said, and my mouth parted. Movie Thatcher grinned wide. “He said that not everything in life will go as planned, but that’s okay. Aspen, we’ll be so in love with our lives and children that it won’t even matter. I’ll be so in love with you and our kids it won’t matter.”

The heat of emotion burned my throat. Mouth dry, I swallowed, and I blinked when the screen went dark. Movie Thatcher was gone, but that was okay.