Miki

 

 

 

Three whole months passed in the blink of an eye.

Aidan wraps an arm around me, eyes wide with almost boyish delight as Grant signs the check.

“With this last investment, your security firm is on its feet.” Grant grins, vibrating with happiness as he passes Aidan the check.

After Aidan had helped find Poppy and myself and probably saved her and her baby’s life with his quick thinking, the least that Grant wanted to do was help Aidan with his dream career.

Aidan thrusts the check up in the air, twisting my body against his own so that he can press a victorious kiss on my lips. His dream is finally coming true. Though Dean has decided to work for Grant for a little while longer, Aidan was finally ready to start his own business. He’d already garnered quite a few large businesses, including Price Corp, to get off to a running start. Our family and friends burst into happy cheers, making sweet baby Henry cry out in surprise. He’d grown so big in the past few months, his cheeks rosy. Poppy bounces him against her chest from where she sits, almost fully recovered from the traumatic birth. Hope and Harper sit on the floor at her feet, playing together on Grant’s phone.

Even Ariana has momentarily joined the festivities before her flight departs, her pink striped suitcase resting against the side of the wall. She stayed long enough to help Aidan with some simple framework for his business, but now it was time for her to return home to her sister.

While I was continuing my schooling upstate until graduation in a few months, Aidan and I spent as much time together as possible. After helping Poppy with her birth, I’d realized how wonderful it was just to be able to help people. I was going to start classes at the local nursing school next fall.

Ted Sherry approaches from across the room where he stood with Reagan, Ruth, and Eli, clapping Aidan on the shoulder and grinning softly, “Congratulations.”

The man turns slightly, his hand lingering on Aidan’s shoulder, “Aidan and I have been working on something special to commemorate this magnificent day. Something that we could all look back on fondly. Aidan never would have gotta this far without two very special ladies. Ruth, Miki, can I have you front and center, please?”

Ruth’s eyes meet my own from across the room, her eyebrows lifting in surprise as she slowly approaches us.

“Aidan has something very important that he wants to tell these ladies.” Ted continues, squeezing Aidan’s shoulder as he steps to the side behind Ruth.

“This day, as Ted says, is very special. I’ve been working for this a long time. The sense of joy and satisfaction that I feel is indescribable, but not unbeatable.” He pauses, looking at his feet, one hand stuffed in his pocket.

“For my mother who has always supported me, and to the woman of my dreams who has supported me so fully since we met… I wanted to use this day to also celebrate you two.” His eyes flicker to Ted, and simultaneously, they both sink to their knees before Ruth and I and pull out two small velvet boxes.

Reagan gives a joyous shriek, clapping her hands over her mouth while Poppy’s jaw hits the floor.

“I want to marry you, Miki.” Aidan whispers hoarsely, eyes damp, throat tight, “There is nothing in this world that would make me happier than to spend my life with you, forever, for real this time. I’ve said before and I’ll say it again – you are the only thing that matters to me. My heart is yours and yours is mine. Only mine.”

Barely able to see him through the tears, I collapse down onto my knees to tangle my arms around his neck as I devour his lips with my own. Each soft touch of his lips is sweeter than the last.

Ruth, on the other hand, has gone white and still as a statue.

“Ruth…” Ted begins, disconcerted by her rigid, tenseness, “I want…”

“Before you say anything, I think you should know what you’re getting yourself into.” She interrupts, holding up her hands. Tears have begun welling in her eyes, “I got a call from the doctor this morning and I…”

“I don’t care what the doctor said, Ruth, all I want is to spend as much of forever as we have with one another-”

“Well it’s just that forever may be a bit longer than you anticipated,” She breathes, “the tumor, it’s shrinking…”

Aidan whirls in shock, eyes wide, though he keeps me pressed against him, “It’s getting smaller?”

Ruth bobs her head, tears welling in her eyes, “I guess I might be around for a while?” She finally shrugs, like she’s stating something about the weather this weekend.

Ted goes limp, his hands in his lap. In seconds, he’s weeping into his hands, the beautiful diamond ring falling to the ground with a quiet clang of metal.

Uncertainly, Ruth bends down, scooping the ring as Ted reaches out and takes it, holding it up in front of her.

“I had such lovely things to say.” He babbles with a sniff, “But right now all I can think is how happy I am! I can’t… I can’t seem to get my mind to work right!”

Ruth bursts into tears as well as Ted clumsily pushes the beautiful diamond ring onto her finger, holding one another tight in their arms.

“If we’re sharing things…” I whisper slowly so that only he can hear me, biting my lip and pressing my lips one more time to Aidan’s mouth, “I guess I should tell you that I’m pregnant.”

His jaw goes slack, eyes huge, “What?” He gasps, “How?”

“Miracle.” I whisper, grasping his face as he kisses me again, fervently, desperately, blissfully.

Our entire love was a miracle, from beginning to end.

And it was ours.

 

 

The End, Only Mine.