A year and a half later

The day was as beautiful as I could’ve hoped. The sky was cloudless, the weather was perfect, and the breeze was even just the right amount of warm.

A perfect California day.

A crowd of a hundred or so people had gathered on the street in front of the newly completed Winters Condominiums, all of them just as eager as I was to see the doors open and the first families get moved in.

And at my side was Bryce, a warm smile on his face and our daughter, Alice, in his arms.

She had to have been the most beautiful little thing I’d ever seen in my life. She had my curls and fair skin and her father’s striking blue eyes. It was still hard for me to believe that such a perfect angel was mine.

I scanned the crowd. Anyone who was anyone at the company was there. The investors were all gathered, talking amongst themselves and looking over the building with pride. Damien had been pleased as hell to see his name above the stately doors of the ten-story modern tower, and I was sure all of the other investors were eager to see what building I’d come up with to put their names on.

“What do you think?” asked Bryce, his eyes tracking up along the height of the tower.

Alice pointed up at the gleaming spire on top of the condos.

“Why yes, it certainly is a tall, fancy building,” said Bryce.

Then he gave Alice a kiss on one of her chubby cheeks.

“I still can’t believe it’s finally done,” I said, my hands on my hips. “But now that it’s done, it’s like a monument to all that I’ve put into it.”

“And this was all you,” said Bryce. “I wrangled the funding, but that was it. I told you it’d be a test of your entrepreneurial skills, and I think I’m OK with saying you passed with flying colors.”

I slipped my arm around Bryce’s waist and pulled him in for a kiss.

“Don’t sell yourself short, Mr. Carver,” I said with a smile. “You had a pretty big part in all of this too.”

The trucks came to a stop and the families poured out. As I watched them open up the backs of the trucks and prepare to move into their new homes, I spotted Bess out of the corner of my eye.

“Hey, gorgeous married couple,” she said. “How’s it feel to be on top of the world?”

After the fallout settled with the phone-hacking situation, I’d realized the tech division of Carver Conglomerates was going to need a new lead. It was the job I’d dreamed of, but I’d found my place as the head of the nonprofit initiatives. So, as one of the first hires of Illimitable back in the day, Bess was a natural choice. And she’d been kicking butt.

“Feels pretty damn good,” I said.

“Enjoy it,” said Bess. “You’ve earned it.”

“What’s up?” I asked Bess. “You seem like you’ve got something on your mind.”

“Just wondering about the party tonight,” she said. “We’ve all been busting our butts, and a little unwinding sounds just right.”

“Don’t worry about that,” I said. “The party’s still very much on.”

“My mom’s at the apartment right now getting everything set up with the help. And don’t worry— there’s going to be an open bar.”

“All I needed to hear,” said Bess.

“What do you say we make the rounds and get back?” asked Bryce. “Some fun and relaxation does sound pretty nice.”

“What do you say, kiddo?” I asked Alice. “Ready to hit it?”

She smiled and made a thumbs-up, and it took all the resistance I had not to cover her adorable little face in kisses.

Bryce and I made our way through the crowd, thanking everyone for coming and giving our well-wishes to the families. Once we’d done our social duties, the two of us rode the limo back to the apartment.

The penthouse was a whirlwind of activity, the caterers preparing the food, the band setting up, and the decorators making everything look suitably festive for the celebratory occasion.

“There you two are!” said Barbara, turning toward us as we entered.

“You were waiting for us?” asked Bryce.

“I just wanted to make sure that we were all on the same page for tonight,” she said, putting a hand on each of our shoulders as she led us through the place. “Now, I was talking to the caterers and they’re thinking that if we have snacks ready at six…”

Barbara’s transition to the city had been smoother than either of us were expecting. Bryce had found her a temporary apartment like he’d said he would, but after a month or two of life in the city, Barbara hinted that she wouldn’t mind if the temporary apartment became permanent.

That was all Bryce needed to hear. Within a week the apartment had been purchased, the house in White Roads put on the market. Barbara became a fixture in our lives, her transition from rural Washingtonian to cosmopolitan San Franciscan so quick that it was almost shocking.

And when Alice arrived, Barbara was fast to dote on her in true grandmotherly fashion.

We helped Barbara a little before the two of us left Alice with her and got ready for the evening. Bryce looked the picture of handsome in his tux, and Alice was about as adorable as she could be in her little white dress.

The sun soon set, and the partygoers began to arrive. Before too long, the place was full of friends and coworkers, all of them eager to lend their congratulations and best wishes. After a time, Bryce and I managed to sneak away from the crowd and have a few minutes alone on the balcony.

I rested my head on his shoulder, his arm wrapped around my waist. For a time, neither of us said anything, our eyes on the glittering city spread out before us, the silver of the full moon twinkling on the bay beyond.

“What’s on your mind, baby?” he asked.

“Just thinking about how lucky we are. How much love there is in that apartment. It’s all so wonderful.”

“And I couldn’t be happier to share it with you,” said Bryce, leaning in and kissing me softly on the lips.

I fell into his kiss instantly. But then, the buzzing of my phone in my purse pulled me out of the moment.

“Ignore it,” he said.

“Can’t,” I responded. “Too much important stuff going on today to be totally out of pocket.”

I took my phone out and stepped back into the apartment, finding a quiet spot.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw the number on the screen.

It was Doctor Garcia’s office.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Chelsea,” came Nurse Stafford’s voice on the other end. “How’s everything?”

“Good,” I said, my stomach tightening in anticipation. “You have the results?”

“Sure do,” she said. “Sorry to call you so late, but I figured you’d want to know as soon as I had them.”

“You’re right about that,” I said.

I listened intently as Nurse Stafford let me know what the results had said. When she was done, I slipped my phone back into my purse and headed back out onto the balcony, my heart so full of joy that I thought it might burst.

“Hey, baby?” I said.

Bryce turned, his gorgeous profile backlit by the city lights.

“What’s up?” he asked.

“Remember what I said about the apartment being totally full of love?”

“I sure do,” he said, putting his hands on my hips and gazing down at me with a warm, loving expression.

“Think it can handle a little more?”