Rowan

Five Years Later …

“Happy Birthday, dear Charlotte …” A symphony of mostly in-tune voices herald our niece’s first birthday, her mother holding back her chubby hands as she reaches for the sparkling candle in the middle of her tiny confetti cake.

In the corner, her big brother, Bennett, sulks. He’s used to soaking up the attention and now that everyone’s focused on his sister, he’s making sure everyone knows how upset he is.

Scooping him up in my arms as the birthday song ends, I tickle his chin until he smiles.

“You want some cake?” I ask.

Bennett has the biggest blue eyes I’ve ever seen and the softest dark hair that cascades in soft waves around his adorable little face.

“Yes,” he finally answers.

“Ice cream too?” I ask.

His eyes widen and he nods over and over, ignoring the fact that everyone’s cheering and clapping and laughing and snapping pictures of his adorable little sis covered in pink frosting, rainbow sprinkles and chunks of vanilla cake.

Charlotte seems to love the attention, lapping it up like a true Montgomery. Something tells me she’s going to be a chip off the Busy Montgomery block, but I can only hope she picks up a little bit of her mother’s charm and grace. With those kind of traits, she’ll be unstoppable someday.

I rest Bennett on my hip as I stand next to my husband, watching him from my periphery as his gaze is transfixed on little Charlotte. I can’t help but wonder what he’s thinking, if he’s imagining our little one there.

Keir is incredible with his niece and nephew. He’s more hands on than I ever could have anticipated, changing diapers and giving pony rides. It’s like these children have brought out a completely different side to him.

We all try not to make a big deal out of it, but when he’s not around, we all laugh about how adorable he is with them.

He’s going to be an amazing father.

But despite the fact that my husband is all smiles, there’s still a glint of something in his eyes … sadness? A missing piece? I’ve been noticing it more and more lately, trying to put my nose on it.

He abandoned his career in politics five years ago, and ever since he’s been dedicating his life to philanthropy, doing a bit of charity work in every city I’m assigned.

Still, I can’t help but think his heart truly lies in politics.

Hell, it’s in his blood.

Literally.

Next week is our third wedding anniversary, and he’s gifting me with a trip to Italy and a week in the same suite we spent our entire honeymoon holed up in.

But I’m gifting him with a couple of things as well …

First, I’m going to tell him I want him to follow his passion, his heart. If a career in politics will put that light back in his eyes, then who am I to keep him from that? I couldn’t live with myself if I kept the man I love from chasing his dream, especially when he’s done so much for me over the years.

And second, I’m going to give him the positive pregnancy test I took a few days ago.

He’s going to wrap me in his arms.

And I’m going to cry.

And we’re going to live happily ever after.

Looking back, sometimes it’s hard for me to wrap my mind around hard fate and destiny had to have been working to make this happen. Walking into the Goldsmith bar that rainy fall evening five years ago, the last thing I expected was to walk out of there with my future husband, the future father of my child.

I only wanted him for one night.

Turns out I got him for my whole life.

Now here we are.

And I wouldn’t trade this life for the world.

He has me. Forever. I’ll never leave him, no matter what.

“What are you thinking about?” Keir asks, nudging me out of my daydream.

Gazing into his cool blue eyes, I smile. “You. As always.”

He leans down, kissing my forehead. Bennett wrinkles his nose and tells us we’re gross, but we laugh it off.

“I love you,” Keir whispers. “So much.”

“I love you too. Forever and ever.”

This is what happens when a stubborn, headstrong Aldridge daughter … falls in love.