Epilogue

Andrew

One Year Later

I woke to the sound of soft gurgles coming from Nina’s crib. She wasn’t yet awake, but I knew she would be soon. At just under seven months old, her routine was set in stone. She woke in the morning, ate, played, and slept. This pattern was repeated until bedtime at nine o’clock every night.

Sophie often wondered if Nina’s schedule was too strict, but whenever we tried to change something, Nina would protest in her own baby-like way. She rarely ever cried. Instead, she would poke out her bottom lip with her emerald green eyes opened wide and her cheeks flushed a faint pink. Every time she did this, I was reminded of her mother, my fiancée Sophie.

This morning, Sophie was fast asleep on top of my arm. Her long brown hair cascaded over the bedsheets, catching the morning sunlight that seeped through the windows. I stared down at her as I waited for Nina to wake. Today marked exactly one year since I proposed to Sophie Newman, one year since she agreed to become my wife.

With the baby arriving, we never got around to planning our wedding. We threw ourselves into parenthood and never looked back, but as Nina grew, so did my desire to marry Sophie. I thought about it often, more than I wanted to admit. Every time I watched Sophie feed our daughter or play with her on the floor in our living room, I imagined what the rest of our lives would be like. I had forever to spend with this woman, and yet, I wanted forever to start immediately.

I shifted my arm out from under Sophie, moving slowly so as not to wake her. Nina’s gurgles were becoming louder and more insistent. She would be fully awake in seconds, and I didn’t want to disturb Sophie. It was my morning to feed Nina breakfast, but if Sophie woke up, I knew she would insist on taking over. Her maternal instincts were stronger than anything else about her.

“Hey, baby girl,” I whispered when I reached Nina’s crib.

Her bright eyes stared up at me. She was still sleepy, her tiny fists reaching up to rub her face as a wide yawn escaped her lips. I chuckled softly to myself and scooped my daughter into my arms.

She babbled at me when I kissed her cheek. I walked across the room, and Nina rested her head against my shoulder. Sophie sighed and rolled over in her sleep. I held my breath and waited, hoping she would stay asleep long enough to feel rested. Ever since Nina was born, I worried that Sophie was pushing herself too hard. She almost never slept through the night anymore, even though Nina hadn’t woken up for a nighttime feeding in almost three months.

Nina and I hurried into the hallway and slowly made our way downstairs. It was early, but I could already hear Liam moving around in the kitchen.

“Good morning, Mr. Andrew,” Liam said warmly. “And Missy Nina Emily Hopper. Oh, how is my favorite little princess this morning?”

Nina smiled brightly and reached out her tiny arms for Liam. She adored him, and he her. They bonded immediately.

I handed Nina to Liam and moved across the kitchen to pour myself a cup of coffee. My eyes felt heavy, and my head was still foggy from sleep. I yawned and shook myself before taking a long sip of the scalding hot beverage. It warmed my throat and my chest, falling into my stomach with a happy plop.

“Hungry, Mr. Andrew?” Liam asked.

I nodded. “Starving.”

Liam put Nina in her highchair before he moved to the stove to finish breakfast. I warmed a bottle and then joined her at the table. She took the bottle happily and tilted her head back against her highchair. I watched her with a smile as she drank the milk quickly, her eyes fluttering with happiness.

“Wow,” I said playfully. “Someone was hungry this morning.”

Nina finished her bottle and then dropped it on her highchair tray with a high-pitched squeal. She smiled and giggled, kicking out her little feet and staring at my face.

I laughed with her as Liam put a plate down in front of me. He sat beside Nina while I ate, tickling her toes and playing patty cake with her tiny hands. I watched them and couldn’t help but smile.

It was like Nina had transformed us all. Sophie slipped into motherhood without effort. She had always radiated compassion, but after Nina’s birth, she became even more loving and amazing than before. Sometimes, I even thought her appearance had changed. Sophie now had a glow about her, a natural shine that made it impossible for me not to stare at her.

Liam had changed, too. He’d become a grandfather to Nina. He could spend hours just watching her wiggle and squirm. I’d never seen him so happy in all my life.

And me? Well, I changed the most.

Sophie showed me there was more to life than work, but Nina was my something more. She was everything I never knew I wanted. From the second I laid eyes on her, I was hooked. She wrapped me around her tiny finger before she could even open her eyes.

“So,” Liam said as I took a bite of toast. “Today’s a pretty big day.”

“Is it?” I asked with a frown.

“One year ago today, you proposed,” Liam said, raising his eyebrows.

“Oh,” I said. “Yeah. The engagement.”

“Have you two talked about a date at all?” Liam asked.

“Not lately.” I sighed. “We’ve been so busy with Nina and work that the wedding just kind of…”

“Went by the wayside?” Liam asked.

“Exactly.” I nodded.

“Maybe you should bring it up,” Liam said pointedly.

“I will,” I said. “It’s time. Sophie deserves a real wedding.”

Liam nodded his agreement. I glanced at Nina and lost myself in thought. Liam was right. It had been long enough since I proposed to Sophie. Not only had an entire year gone by, but we’d already had a child within that time.

In so many ways, Sophie already felt like my wife. We lived together, and we raised Nina together. Hell, we even worked together. My entire life was full to the brim with Sophie Newman, and I loved it. I couldn’t imagine myself without her. She was more than just my fiancée, more than just Nina’s mother.

Sophie had become my best friend, my confidant. She was everything to me, and as I watched Liam play with Nina, I realized just how desperate I was to make her my wife. Officially.

“Good morning!” Sophie’s chipper voice echoed from the hallway. I turned around just in time to see her bouncing through the entryway.

“Good morning, gorgeous.” I grinned, and Sophie swept over to place a gentle kiss on my lips.

Her attention turned quickly to Nina, who was practically jumping out of her highchair to reach Sophie.

“There’s my girl!” Sophie cooed and lifted Nina into her arms. “Did you eat already?”

“She had a bottle,” I said. “I was thinking maybe some bananas or rice cereal, too.”

“Sounds perfect,” Sophie said, already moving toward the fridge.

“I can get it, Soph,” I said. “You should just sit and relax.”

“Oh, I don’t mind.” Sophie turned to flash her brilliant smile at me. I sighed and smiled back, shaking my head.

“You’re amazing, you know that?” I asked. “I swear, you never get tired.”

“Are you kidding?” Sophie laughed. “I’m always exhausted.”

“You’re new parents,” Liam said. “You’ll be tired for the next eighteen years.”

Sophie and I both laughed. Liam was right. I was constantly tired, but I loved it. It was the best, most exciting time of my life. Being exhausted was a small price to pay.

“Listen,” I said as Sophie sat down beside me. She had a small bowl of mashed bananas in her hand, and Nina settled on her lap. “I was thinking.”

“Yeah?” Sophie asked, scooping out a spoonful of bananas for Nina.

“We should talk about setting a wedding date,” I said. “Sometime soon. We’ve waited so long.”

“Andrew,” Sophie said, her eyes settling on my face. “You know we don’t have time right now. Between work and Nina, we just have too much going on.”

“Sophie, we need this,” I said firmly. “We’ve been engaged for a year.”

“Have we?” Sophie frowned in surprise. “Already?”

I nodded. Time had truly flown by. I didn’t blame Sophie for not remembering. After all, she had enough on her plate.

“A year ago today, Miss Sophie,” Liam said softly.

Guilt flickered across Sophie’s face as she fed Nina another spoonful of bananas. She slowly turned her eyes back to me with an apologetic grimace.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I can’t believe I forgot.”

“You have more than enough on your mind.” I laughed. “I’m not upset at all.”

“You should be,” Sophie said. “I’m sorry, I have so much on my mind.”

“All I want is to give you the wedding you deserve,” I said quickly.

“I know, and I appreciate that, but…”

“No buts,” I said firmly. “Sophie, I’m going to make you my wife. Whether you like it or not.”

I grinned mischievously, making Sophie laugh and shake her head. She knew I was right, and I knew she was only protesting because of the stress it would cause.

“I’ll come up with a few dates,” I said simply. “All you have to do is pick one.”

Sophie didn’t answer right away. She fed Nina slowly, making sure our daughter ate every bite of her breakfast. I could practically see the wheels turning in her mind as she thought about my offer.

“Sophie,” I said, stroking her cheek with my fingertips. “You do everything for us. You take care of Nina, you work so hard for the company, you’re always there for me when I need you. I want to give you a day you’ll never forget, the kind of wedding you’ve always dreamed about. Please, let me.”

Sophie’s answering smile was all the affirmation I needed. I grinned and pulled her to me for a kiss. She sighed against my lips, her entire body relaxing into mine.

“That’s coercion,” she said playfully, pulling away from me. “Kissing me like that is just downright evil.”

“It worked, didn’t it?” I asked.

“Fine,” Sophie said, sighing dramatically. “If you insist, then my answer is yes. Let’s go ahead and plan the wedding.”

“Thank you.” I kissed her again and jumped out of my chair. I already had a lot of work to do, but now, I had even more.

“I’ll help in any way I can,” Liam said. He stood up to begin clearing off the table.

“Nothing too extravagant,” Sophie said.

“Anything you want,” I promised. “This is your day.”

“Our day,” Sophie corrected.

Liam finished cleaning up the kitchen as I held out my arms for Nina. My office was calling out to me, but I wanted nothing more than to ignore it. Watching Sophie and Nina was my kryptonite. I could have stayed in the kitchen to stare at them all day.

“What are my girls going to do today?” I asked as I bounced Nina gently in my arms.

“I think we’ll go see Dad,” Sophie said. “I have some work to do, but nothing too pressing. Dad hasn’t seen Nina in a couple weeks. He called last night. I think he misses her.”

“Of course, he does,” I said. “Who wouldn’t?”

I tickled Nina’s belly and then handed her back to Sophie.

“We’ll see you tonight?” Sophie asked.

“I’ll be here.” I grinned and leaned down for a goodbye kiss.

Sophie rested her hand on the back of my neck to hold me there for a second longer. She moaned against my lips, sliding her tongue gently in my mouth. When we pulled away, I could barely breathe.

“Now who’s being evil?”

Sophie grinned, making it almost impossible for me to leave. I glanced back at her from the hallway. She was once again focused on Nina, making funny faces to make her laugh. I watched them for a few seconds, feeling happier than I’d ever been.